Mining Hardware

Horizen (formerly Zencash) uses the Equihash algorithm. Since mid-2018, mining Horizen has been dominated by specialized hardware, based upon chips know as Application Specific Integrated Circuits. For that reason, these miners are referred to as ASICs.

Profitability Calculator

Profitability calculators are useful, but are not guaranteed to be accurate.

https://www.coinwarz.com/mining/horizen/calculator

You should factor into your planning of purchasing and deploying of ASICs that they tend to have a short obsolescence cycle. From 2018 to 2019 there was a 2.5x improvement in efficiency. From 2019 to 2020 there was a 3x improvement in efficiency with the introduction of the Bitmain Z15.

The Bitmain Z9 mini

(no longer available from original supplier)

Power Consumption: 300W ± 10%

Hashrate: 10ksol/s

Efficiency: 33.3 sol/W

Release: June 2018

The Bitmain Z9

(no longer available from original supplier)

Rated Power Consumption 1150W ± 10%

Hashrate: 40.8ksol/s

Efficiency: 35.5 sol/W

Release: September 2018

The Bitmain Z11

(no longer available from original supplier)

Rated Power Consumption 1418W ± 10%

Hashrate: 135 -142ksol/s

Efficiency: 90.5 sol/W

Release: April 2019

The Innosilicon A9 ZMaster 

(no longer available from original supplier)

Rated Power Consumption: 620W ± 5%

Hashrate: 50ksol/s ± 6%

Efficiency: 80.6 sol/W

Release: June 2018

The Innosilicon A9+ ZMaster

(no longer available from original supplier)

Rated Power Consumption: 1550W ± 10%

Hashrate: 120ksol/s ± 6%

Efficiency: 77.4 sol/W

Release: January 2019

The Innosilicon A9++ ZMaster

Rated Power Consumption: 1550W ± 10%

Hashrate: 140ksol/s ± 6%

Efficiency: 90.3 sol/W

Release: May 2019

The Bitmain Z15

Rated Power Consumption: 1510W ± 10%

Hashrate: 420ksol/s

Efficiency: 278 sol/W

Release: June 2020

Points to consider

This guide is not intended to be a guide for safe electrical practices. Below are merely observations that are not represented to be complete or even accurate. You must take responsibility for safe deployment of miners by consulting proper experts such as a licensed electrician.

Most ASIC miners do not come with power supplies or power cords. You must order them as separate items, whether from the manufacturer or from some other source. You will want heavy duty power cords rated to supply the current draw for the attached equipment.

These miners all require varying numbers of 6 pin PCIE cables. 

It is important to realize that while many power supplies are switchable from 110v to 220-240v, power supplies run most efficiently at 220-240v. They may not achieve their maximum wattage at 110v. For instance, a popular Bitmain power supply that is rated at 1600 watts @ 220v-240v may have a maximum output of 1200W @ 110v-120v. Additionally, power supplies have a peak efficiency rating that is determined by the manufacturer. Most power supplies have a peak efficiency while under a load of 50 to 60% of their maximum power rating.

If you are a casual home miner, then you may be working with 10 or 20 amp 110v circuits. You can quickly overload such a circuit so careful planning is needed to determine how many miners you can safely deploy on a single circuit.

It is important that if you are concerned with heat, the problem is heat removal from the vicinity of the miners. Home air-conditioning is not the solution as you will drive up your electric costs.

If you are in the United States, the standard mains voltage is 110v-120. If you have access to 220v-240v circuits then you will likely need a 220v-240v power distribution unit. These can vary in cost and capability. The number of amps on a 220v-240v circuit on the US is typically 20,30, or 50 amps. For safety, it is generally recommended to limit continuous power usage such that your sustained current (amp) draw is under 80% of your circuit's maximum current (amp) rating.

If your are considering building a substantial mining installation, you will certainly need to consult a licensed electrician for advice and installation.

Horizen co-founder Rolf Verslius aka BlockOps has valuable advice on his YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_vysX7hGg84S9eYnzh8DQ