Why 0.05 TH/s Is the Floor We Use for Home Assessments

When homeowners call us, they often ask whether a small plug-in miner “counts.” Our practice draws a line at 0.05 terahashes per second because below that threshold, fan noise and heat rarely exceed what a desktop PC already produces in the same room.

Heat Becomes a Room Problem

At 0.05 TH/s and above, sustained operation raises ambient temperature within two hours in a typical Korean apartment bedroom of twelve square metres. Ventilation that was adequate for occasional computing becomes a daily requirement. Spec sheets list chip junction temperatures, but residents feel wall warmth and closet humidity.

Fan Curves Stop Being Linear

Compact ASICs in this range use variable fans that ramp sharply once internal thermistors cross a setpoint. The difference between 42 dB and 51 dB can occur within minutes when summer humidity rises. Measuring only at idle misleads buyers who run units overnight.

Neighbour Perception Shifts

Building management complaints we review often cite “a new machine hum” rather than decibel readings. At 0.05 TH/s and higher, low-frequency components travel through concrete slabs in ways that cheaper units do not replicate. That does not make mining impossible — it makes honest placement essential.

What We Recommend Below the Floor

Hobby USB devices and old GPU rigs below our assessment threshold may still need basic cooling, but they fall outside our paid assessment scope. We refer those callers to general PC ventilation guides rather than miner-specific reports.

If you are targeting 0.05 TH/s or more in a shared building, start with a noise assessment before purchase when possible.