Serial Number
A serial number is the only way to tie an asic to its warranty, the invoice, a worker name and a spot in the rack. Once the asic is installed it is often out of reach.
Why a serial number matters
The number is printed on the case sticker and shows up in the web interface. The maker uses it to identify the batch and the production date, but there is no public decoding: the series means something to a service shop rather than to a buyer.
The practical value shows up in three places. Warranty: without the number a claim will not be accepted. Records: the number is what links the hardware to the invoice and to a worker name. Repair: from it the service shop works out which control board is inside and which flashing procedure will fit.
Hashboards and the control board carry numbers of their own, and those do not match the asic number. When a board gets replaced, the miner ends up holding hardware with somebody else's number, and if that is not written down, a year later nobody will remember.
Buying secondhand is a story of its own. The number is worth checking against the seller invoice, and the seller is worth asking to have the asic checked with the maker or with the supplier. There is no public database of stolen asics, but a service shop can see the claim history by the number.
Quick reference table
| Where to look | the sticker on the case and the web interface |
| Decoding | none public, the batch is visible to a service shop |
| What it is for | warranty, records, repair |
| Boards have their own numbers | yes, they do not match the asic number |
| When buying secondhand | check it against the seller invoice |
How to keep records
Photograph the sticker before the asic goes off into the rack. Later the sticker ends up two centimeters from its neighbor, and there will be nothing to copy it with.
Keep one table: serial number, model, purchase date, invoice number, worker name, rack position, IP address. That table closes the warranty question and the hunt for an asic alike.
Write replacements down. If you fit a different hashboard or control board, add it to the same row, otherwise the history gets lost.
When an asic goes to service, photograph it and the sticker on the day it ships. This is boring right up to the first dispute.
An example from the bench
An asic dies after four months and the warranty is still running. The sticker can be read only by pulling the miner out of the rack, and the invoice is buried in email from last year. Collecting all this takes an evening; with the table filled in it would have taken two minutes.
Related terms
Where to go next on the site
Hardware
- ASIC Miner knowledge base
- ASIC Chip and Hashboard knowledge base
Guides
- ASIC Manufacturers knowledge base
Questions and answers
Can you tell the production date from the number
The maker can; the buyer cannot, because Bitmain publishes no decoding.
What should you do if the sticker has worn off
The number is usually visible in the asic web interface. If it is empty there too, all that is left is the invoice and the email with the seller.
Does the control board number match the asic number
No, these are different numbers. When a board gets replaced, that is worth writing down.
How the terms connect
Every link in the chain is clickable. Orange marks where you are now.
Looking for an ASIC miner
The catalog holds 212 models. You can compare them by hashrate and by joules per terahash, then plug your own rate into the calculator and see what stays in your pocket.
Page written and checked by Denys Klimchuk. Updated .