I. Introduction
In October 2021, Bitmain Technologies, one of the leading designers and manufacturers of cryptocurrency mining hardware, announced the release of its latest flagship mining machine – the Antminer S19 XP. As one of the major players in the competitive mining rig market, Bitmain’s new product launch generated significant interest in the crypto community. This review will analyze the S19 XP’s specifications, performance capabilities, and potential value for cryptocurrency miners.
II. Hardware Configuration
The Antminer S19 XP features an all-aluminum alloy construction for the chassis and enclosure. The mainstream variant measures 370 x 195.5 x 290 mm (LxWxH) and has a net weight of 16 kg including integrated internal components.
The compact sizing and relatively low weight make the S19 XP easier to transport and install than bulkier miners. It utilizes a modular, rack-mountable design well-suited for large crypto mining farms. The enclosure and chassis feature an industrial appearance with metal finning for passive cooling.
Internally, the S19 XP runs Bitmain’s latest generation BM1387 mining chip designed using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s advanced 7nm FinFET process. The BM1387 packs over 5 billion transistors onto a compact 258 mm2 die area.
For comparison, Bitmain’s previous generation BM1391 chip utilized larger 10nm fabrication with under 3 billion transistors per unit. By leveraging 7nm process technology, Bitmain reduced the BM1387 die area by over 20% while integrating more transistors to maximize hashing power efficiency.
The BM1387 represents a major iterative improvement over Bitmain’s prior 7nm chip, the BM1397, which powers the S19 Pro model line. Bitmain claims the BM1387 achieves a 100% increase in performance over the BM1397 while reducing power consumption by 20%.
Each Antminer S19 XP unit incorporates a densely packed array of 189 BM1387 chips cooled by dual high-speed fans. The specialized board layout allows for optimized heat dissipation and airflow across the chips.
III. Product Features
Computing Power
The Antminer S19 XP utilizes Bitmain’s latest generation BM1387 mining chip to deliver an advertised hash rate of 140 TH/s. This spec is for mining SHA256 algorithm cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Reviewers have validated the S19 XP can reliably sustain 140-141 TH/s hash rates in real-world conditions.
The BM1387 chip leverages advanced 7nm Finfet semiconductor fabrication for major leaps in efficiency. Each chip integrates over 5 billion transistors. For comparison, the prior generation BM1391 chip used 10nm fabrication with under 3 billion transistors per unit.
With 140 TH/s, the S19 XP has approximately 2.3x the hash power of Bitmain’s S19 Pro model (rated at 95 TH/s) released in 2020. This massive increase in computing potential gives the S19 XP best-in-class performance on par with competitor Innosilicon’s T3 unit.
Power Consumption
The S19 XP requires approximately 3010-3020 W of power at full load to achieve 140 TH/s. Running at standard voltage, its power efficiency averages around 47 J/TH. This represents at least a 10% efficiency gain over the S19 Pro.
For large mining operations, the S19 XP’s efficiency directly impacts operating costs. More efficient miners require less electricity to generate each unit of computing power. Even a few J/TH in savings has significant cost benefits at scale due to high energy usage.
Noise & Heat
The S19 XP utilizes dual high-speed cooling fans and large aluminum heat sinks to maintain steady temperatures. Together these systems keep the noise output between 75-85 dB. User reviews describe the S19 XP as noticeably quieter than previous Antminer models.
Bitmain does not publish exact heat and fan specifications for the S19 XP. However, its cooling system can reliably maintain the BM1387 chip within a safe 60-70°C operating range in ambient temperatures up to 35°C. Built-in sensors will throttle or shut down chips nearing the maximum 95°C limit if adequate cooling is not available.
