The Whatsminer M50 is a crypto miner for Bitcoin, designed for the demanding 24/7 operation that the industry requires. While these are reliable machines, their lifespan and performance are directly tied to one critical factor: heat management. To keep your miner running efficiently for years, tackling high temperatures is essential.
From the outside, a miner might look perfectly fine, but it’s hard to imagine the dust and debris that can build up inside. A seemingly clean Whatsminer can be hiding a serious problem on its hashboards. As we’ve detailed in previous posts, even miners in professional, well-managed facilities aren’t immune to the internal buildup that causes a critical temp issue.
Diagnosing the Overheating Problem
We recently worked on a Whatsminer M50 that was stuck in a loop of constant restarting. A review of the system logs didn’t point to any specific hardware failures, only a persistent high temperature error. We correctly assumed that the restarts were a safety measure triggered by excessive heat. Catching this kind of temp issue early is crucial. If it had been left to run for a few more weeks, the chips could have been permanently damaged, leading to a much more expensive repair.
Upon opening the unit and removing the heatsinks from the hashboards, the cause of the problem was immediately clear. The boards and heatsinks were caked in a thick layer of dust and even dead bugs, completely choking off airflow and trapping heat.
The Fix: A Deep Clean and Fresh Thermal Paste
The solution was straightforward but vital: a deep clean and a re-application of thermal paste. We carefully cleaned all the dust and debris from the hashboard and heatsinks to restore proper airflow. Afterwards, we removed the old, dried-out thermal paste and applied a fresh, high-quality layer to ensure optimal heat transfer from the chips to the heatsink.
The Results: Lower Temps and Stable Hashing
The results were immediate and significant.
- Before: The hashboard temperature was holding at 70∘C, with individual chip temperatures spiking as high as 92∘C.
- After: We saw an instant drop of 5∘C to 7∘C across the board. On some of the hotter chips, the temperature dropped by over 10∘C.
While a 5∘C – 10∘C drop might not sound extreme, it’s more than enough to bring the M50 back into a stable operating range and stop the constant restarts. With clear airflow and better thermal transfer, the miner can now hash more consistently and efficiently.
The true value of this maintenance isn’t a dramatic, initial temperature drop, but the stability it provides. Over weeks and months of 24/7 operation, a slightly higher and more consistent hashrate translates into a significant difference in overall mining output and profitability.
Before:
C57 : freq:568 vol:313 temp:90 nonce:770 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C58 : freq:590 vol:319 temp:92 nonce:794 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C59 : freq:606 vol:325 temp:92 nonce:800 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C60 : freq:605 vol:315 temp:91 nonce:823 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C61 : freq:596 vol:315 temp:92 nonce:799 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C62 : freq:546 vol:317 temp:90 nonce:675 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C63 : freq:604 vol:319 temp:90 nonce:792 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C64 : freq:594 vol:324 temp:90 nonce:737 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0 After:
C57 : freq:561 vol:313 temp:89 nonce:233 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C58 : freq:583 vol:318 temp:90 nonce:232 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C59 : freq:612 vol:323 temp:86 nonce:292 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C60 : freq:615 vol:313 temp:85 nonce:284 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C61 : freq:593 vol:314 temp:86 nonce:269 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C62 : freq:562 vol:315 temp:87 nonce:239 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C63 : freq:606 vol:321 temp:87 nonce:246 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0
C64 : freq:602 vol:325 temp:87 nonce:294 error:0 crc:0 x:0 / 0 repeat:0 Key Takeaway
Remember, maintaining your miner is more than just an occasional external cleaning. For any Whatsminer M50 experiencing heat problems, a proper internal clean and thermal re-pasting is one of the most effective ways to lower temperatures, improve stability, and extend the profitable life of your machine.