A Guide to Crypto Mining Power Cables

In the world of crypto mining, everyone talks about the latest GPUs, ASIC miners, and cooling systems, but the humble power cord is often overlooked. A crypto mining farm, as in any data center, requires power to be robust to maintain continuous operations and minimize disruptions. Pairing the right power cord with the mining rig for efficiency and safety in cryptocurrency mining operations is critical.

Most of the power connectors are the same as standard data center power cords but there are proprietary or less common connectors being used with the latest miners. Knowing what power cords to use can be confusing, especially with the number of options available.

This guide to crypto mining power cords will help you determine what power cords you need for your miners to get the most out of your hashrates.

Which Power Connectors Are Used for Crypto Mining?

Let's start by going over the most commonly used connectors today for crypto mining.

IEC Power Connectors

• C13/C14
  
  • 10A/15A rating (10A globally / 15A in North America)
  • 100-250V range
  • Common in most consumer electronics and older mining equipment
    
• C19/C20
  
  • 16A/20A rating (16A globally / 20A in North America)
  • 100-250V range
  • Used for higher-power mining equipment and very common in data centers

IEC power cords are commonly used in crypto mining. ASIC miners from various manufacturers use the standard IEC connectors that you find in most hardware in data centers.

NEMA Power Connectors

• NEMA 5-15P/5-20P (Standard North American 3-prong plug rated at 15A/20A)
• NEMA L6-20P/L6-30P (Twist-lock, higher power applications)

PCIe Connectors

GPU mining rigs utilize PCIe cables to draw power from the power supply unit (PSU).

• 6-pin: Delivers up to 75 watts of power
• 8-pin (6+2 pin): Delivers up to 150 watts of power and can be used as either 8-pin or 6-pin connector

P-Connectors

Used by some Antminer and Avalon miners.

• P-13 (Antminer connector mates with P-14)
• P-14 (Antminer socker in miner)
• P-33 (Antminer connector mates with P-34)
• P-34 (Antminer socket used in Antminer PDU)

These are examples of the P-14 and P-34 interfaces in an Antminer.

Other Connectors

These are not proprietary but less common than the standard IEC connectors.

• LP-20 connectors (Used by Antminer water-cooled miners)
• SA2-30 connectors (Used by Whatsminer)

LP-20 to SA2-30 cable used by water-cooled Antminers. It should be used with a Whatsminer compatible PDU.

SA2-30 power cable

Power Distribution Units (PDUs)

Standard PDUs usually have C14, C20, NEMA outlets

Specialized PDUs: Antminer (ANTPDU PW12V1) have P-connectors and Whatsminer compatible miners (DoyonTek, ASIC Shield, Zeus, and others) have SA2-30 connectors

ANTPDU PW12V1 with P-connector sockets

Whatsminer compatible PDU with SA2-30 sockets

Splitters

Y-splitters: Split one power source into 2 connections

• C20 to 2x C19
• C14 to 2x C13
• C20 to 2x C13

While single cables are used, most crypto mining farms utilize splitter cords to maximize space and PDU efficiency. For instance, one could connect two C13 to C20 cables to an older Antminer S19 but that would require 2 outlets on the PDU to be used to power one miner. The preferred method is to use a Y-splitter to connect the two C13 connectors into the miner's two C14 inlets while using only a single outlet on the PDU.

A splitter cable, used for crypto mining

Important things to consider when using splitter cords include making sure the power rating of the splitter cords is sufficient to handle the combined power draw of all devices connected to it, using high-quality splitter cords to prevent potential overheating issues, and making sure you don't connect too many devices to the splitter cords.

In addition to standard IEC splitter cords, you'll find splitter cords such as this P33 to 2x C13 power cable. The P-33 mates with the P-34 socket in the ANTPDU PW12V1.

Common Mining Equipment and Its Power Requirements

Splitter, IEC, and Custom Power Cables for Crypto Mining From SIGNAL+POWER

SIGNAL+POWER is a leading supplier to many crypto mining operators. We stock an extensive range of splitter cords and IEC power cords. We also manufacture custom power cords for miners that require connectors such as P-13, P-33, LP-20, SA2-30, angled power cords, and unique cord lengths and colors.

If you're not sure about what you need or have unique requirements, reach out to us at sales@signalandpower.com and one of our crypto mining specialists will be in touch.

Shop our range of power cords for crypto mining, and start off with the exact power you need.