Improperly managing Marathon 2PIC700 immersion setups

Hardware prep mistakes

I see miners ruin expensive hardware by ignoring the physical preparation of the machines. Operators cannot just dunk a stock ASIC into the fluid. They must remove the fans first. Stock fans serve no purpose in liquid. Miners also need to bridge the fan headers to ensure the firmware recognizes the change, assuming you know the basics of fanless operation. If they skip a firmware update to Braiins OS or VNish, the hardware will not operate properly. I also recommend inspecting hashashboards for cracked solder joints or dead chips before starting. Immersion won’t fix old damage.

The Marathon 2PIC700 system replaces traditional server racks with cooling tanks. This reduces electrical distribution infrastructure and fiber runs. The system can reduce cooling costs and data center requirements by 60% and 75% respectively. The 2PIC700 uses two-phase immersion cooling. The oil changes state from liquid to gas as compute gets hot. This gas rises to a condenser to return to a liquid state. This process allows machines to work 60% to 100% harder than in air. You can get two to four times more power in the same space compared to traditional racks. This system allows for higher density of compute in the tanks.

Fluid and cable errors

Fluid mismanagement destroys profit margins.

Using PVC cables is a mistake. The 3-30% oil weight in PVC cladding contaminates the dielectric fluid. Miners should use synthetic rubber cladding instead. I also worry about sulfur compounds in mineral oils which attack copper and zinc in the electronics. This creates random device failures. Miners must monitor fluid levels for evaporation.

Fluid contamination ruins the system. Miners must check dielectric strength and contamination levels annually. Inline filters catch particulates. Monthly inspections of tank seals and plumbing connections prevent leaks. If they ignore these, a leak could flood the facility. Plastic tanks transfer moisture to the system.

A high thermal conductivity is required. A conductivity above 0.14 W/m/K at 40C is recommended. Miners should look for a volumetric heat capacity above 1.5 kJ/L/K at 40C, ideally above 1.9 kJ/L/K. High viscosity complicates the pumping requirement because it affects the convection coefficient. If the kinematic viscosity is too high, it will not flow easily and may not effectively remove heat from the components. A coolant with low viscosity will have a higher convection coefficient and transfer heat more effectively.

Infrastructure and climate

Texas heat waves necessitate shutdowns. ERCOT requested 1,000 megawatts of capacity from miners when temperatures reached 110F. The Marathon 2PIC700 system handles temperatures from -20 to 50 degrees Celsius, which provides a power density two to four times higher than traditional racks, but users often underestimate the infrastructure weight and space requirements.

I suggest metal tanks. Metal prevents oxidation.

Do you have the crane capacity to haul heavy immersion tanks out for service?