Ethereum: Bitmain Antminer U3 Keeps Running, Leaving Some to Wonder
A recent update on the Ethereum mining subreddit has left many enthusiasts scratching their heads. A user who claims to be running two Antminer U3 rigs on Linux Ubuntu has been facing a peculiar issue that has puzzled miners worldwide.
The user, whose identity is not disclosed due to concerns about potential harassment or backlash from other users, reports that they have successfully mined Ethereum with the U3s for several weeks without incident. However, this comes at a price: both Antminer U3 rigs are running continuously, and neither of them has been shut down.
“I’ve tried everything to troubleshoot the issue,” the user writes. “I’ve updated my drivers, checked for hardware issues, and even restarted the entire system. But nothing seems to be working.”
The user goes on to explain that their setup is dedicated, with a new short USB cable, cold room ambient temperatures (5°C/41°F), and optimal power supply settings. Despite these precautions, both rigs are still running.
“Dedicated Power Supply” – the first part of this title – suggests that the user has taken every precaution to optimize the energy usage of their setup.
New “Short USB Cables” – a second part – implies that something about the cables used for power transfer might be causing issues. The use of short USB cables may not be the only variable at play, as it’s possible that the issue lies elsewhere in the system.
“Cold room ambient 5 degrees celcius (heat sinks don’t go over 40 degrees)” – another part of this title – is a clever observation about the temperature conditions under which the user has been running their rigs. The fact that the heat sinks do not exceed 40°C/104°F suggests that there may be an environmental issue, rather than a hardware one.
Lastly, “Not once have I managed to run” – a final part of this title – leaves the reader wondering what might be causing such frustration. Is it a software glitch? A faulty component? Or perhaps something more sinister?
The community has been left scratching their heads, and many are urging the user to provide further clarification or evidence of the issue.
As one commenter notes: “If you’re experiencing an issue with your rigs and can’t reproduce it yourself, what does that tell you about the problem?”
While we wait for a response from the user, it’s clear that they have been thoroughly enjoying their Antminer U3 rigs. However, as we all know, Ethereum mining is not without its risks, and there may be more to this story than meets the eye.
UPDATE
: The original author of this article has now reported that they were able to remotely access one of the U3 rigs using TeamViewer, revealing a mysterious “memory leak” issue.