Intel Reveals Bonanza Mine BMZ1 Blockchain Accelerator Mining Chip – Intel, a California-based technology firm, announced last week that it plans to build crypto mining devices with “1000x greater performance per watt.”
At this year’s International Solid-State Circuits Conference, Intel disclosed new details regarding the “Bonanza Mine” (BMZ1) blockchain accelerator chip (ISSCC).
According to several sources reporting the ISSCC event in 2022, information on Intel’s new crypto mining accelerator chip has been made public. On February 12, Intel’s plans to develop blockchain accelerator chips, as outlined by Intel CEO Raja M. Koduri was reported.
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The “Bonanza Mine” (BMZ1) accelerator was announced during Intel’s ISSCC presentations, but Tom’s Hardware author Paul Alcorn reported that Intel is already working on a second-generation “Bonanza Mine ASIC, known as the BMZ2.”
Intel reported combining 300 devices into a “strong 3,600W miner that achieves up to 40 [terahash per second (TH/s)] of performance,” according to Alcorn’s research.
The BMZ1 uses a 7 nanometer (nm) process and is a “7 x 7.5mm exposed-die FCLGA package,” according to the manufacturer. While the BMZ1 is a 7nm process, according to Alcorn, it does not provide much specifics on the process node.
“Each chip die measures 4.14 x 3.42mm, for a total of 14.16mm2 of silicon, so these are comparatively little slivers of silicon,” Tom’s Hardware adds in its article. “The smaller die size enhances yield and maximizes wafer area usage (up to 4,000 die per wafer), allowing for greater production capacity (albeit it does necessitate increased wafer dicing/packaging capacity).”
According to Alcorn’s BMZ1 summary:
Each of the 258 mining engines in the Bonanza Mine ASIC computes simultaneous SHA256 double hashes. These engines occupy 90% of the die area and operate at a voltage of 355mV, which Intel describes as “ultra-low.” Each ASIC runs at 1.35 to 1.6 GHz at 75 degrees Celsius, consuming an average of 7.5 watts while achieving 137 Ghash/s. At 355mV, that equals 55 J/THash/s.
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Intel’s specifications aren’t as extensive as Bitmain’s recent mining equipment launch announcements. Bitmain, for example, unveiled the 140 TH/s Antminer S19 XP in mid-November 2021.
Bitmain announced the launch of an even more powerful bitcoin mining unit called the Antminer S19 Pro+ Hyd at the end of January this year, claiming that each unit produces 198 TH/s.
Intel has already received orders for the new BMZ1 and BMZ2 accelerators from companies such as Griid, Argo Blockchain, and Jack Dorsey’s Blockstream (formerly Square). The BMZ1 is not mentioned in an S-4 filing from Griid, although the file does list the BZM2 integrated circuit device.
