Antminer Z15 420 KSol/s
- Xilinx
The Antminer Z15 is an air cooled Bitmain miner for Equihash, the algorithm behind the Zcash network. Inside sit three hash boards carrying three BM1746AA chips each, nine altogether. It delivers 420 KSol/s at 1510 W, which works out to 3,6 joules per kilosolution. You can estimate earnings in the Antminer Z15 profitability calculator.
Over a day the unit consumes 36,2 kWh. At 0,10 € per kilowatt that is 3,62 € daily, and on the electrical side the Z15 sits far below current SHA-256 miners: 1510 W against the 3500 W of the Antminer S21, less than half. That is why it goes into places where no separate power line can be run but a free household socket is available. The miner is second hand and has been through diagnostics in our workshop. The external power supply is included.
Technical specifications
| Algorithm | Equihash (ZEC) |
| Hashrate | 420 KSol/s (±5%) |
| Power draw | 1510 W (±5%) |
| Efficiency | 3,6 J/KSol |
| Chip | BM1746AA |
| Hash boards | 3, three chips each, 9 in total |
| Power | External PSU included, 11,6 to 13,0 V input |
| Cooling | Air, 2 fans |
| Noise | 72 dB |
| Connection | Ethernet RJ45, 10/100 Mbit/s |
| Dimensions | 245 x 132,5 x 290 mm |
| Weight | 5,9 kg |
| Condition | Second hand, checked |
How the Z15 differs from neighbouring models
The line has three versions on one chassis and one chip. The base Z15 delivers 420 KSol/s at 3,6 J/KSol, the Z15j 320 KSol/s at 4,7 J/KSol, the Z15e 200 KSol/s at 7,5 J/KSol. Size, weight and cooling are the same across all three, the only difference is how much electricity goes into the same result.
The arithmetic follows from that. The Z15j counts a quarter slower than the base version and pays 30 percent more for every kilosolution. With the Z15e the gap is wider still: 7,5 J costs twice as much to run as the 3,6 J of the base model. On the same tariff the lesser versions take longer to pay back, and they only make sense when the difference in purchase price covers a year of that gap on the bills.
Against current ASICs the Z15 does not compete on hashrate, its niche is elsewhere. It is a 2020 machine, out of production, sold second hand and priced well below new equipment. In return it asks for no three phase supply, no dedicated 20 amp breaker and no industrial ventilation.
What it takes to run it
1510 W continuous at 230 V comes to about 6,6 A. Such a line needs 1,5 mm² cable, a 10 A breaker and residual current protection, no power socket required. The supply is single phase and the external PSU is included. How cable cross section, breaker rating and phase distribution are worked out: power supply and wiring for an ASIC miner.
The IP address is revealed by the IP Reporter utility. The order of steps: how to set up an ASIC miner.
Cooling and noise
1,5 kW goes into the room as heat, roughly one and a half oil radiators running without a break. Cooling is by air with two fans, and catalogue noise is 72 dB. A single machine gets by with an extractor in the window, intake and exhaust get separated from three units in one room onwards. Air exchange calculation and a breakdown of the noise: cooling ASIC miners.
Firmware
We sell it on the factory Bitmain firmware, with no third party builds. The same page holds the stock firmware files and their checksums in case the miner has to be restored.
