In 2017, there was a huge drop in the price of Ethereum. Because of that, many people switched to other cryptocurrencies. DASH became one of the main targets. That made Baikal, Bitmain, and Innosilicon release their powerful ASIC hardware for the coin. 

Dash (DASH) is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency service that focuses specifically on providing fast transaction speeds within the payment industry. Dash aims to give a user-friendly service that appeals to non-technical users while solving Bitcoin's transaction speed issues.

Experts predicted that the Dash mining difficulty would increase. The new ASICs released were about 5 and 10 times more efficient than the older gen and expected to deliver. Mining DashCoin profitable for miners and can bring a good return on investment.

About The Dash Master

The Innosilicon A5 DashMaster promised to lead the market at the time of release. As the name implies, this miner can mine the DashCoin, minable on the X11 algorithm. Other minable coins with the X11 include MonetaryUnit(MUE), Digibyte(DGB), etc.

Since the popularity of mining these coins, including Dash Coin, increases, so makes the difficulty. 

Specifications

The Innosilicon A5 DashMaster is a small, compact miner of about 3.1kg and 135 x 158 x 400mm, making it one of the most miniature miners. The size is an added advantage as it allows more room for stacking in mining farms. This miner in normal mode boasts a hash rate of 32.5Gh/s, which was the highest at the time, and power consumption of 750W. But when overclocked, it could reach a maximum of 38Gh/sand/-8% and consume 1250W of power. 

The power consumption is relatively high, but it helps provide a stable mining condition. One notable feature of the A5 DashMaster is the fact that it overheats. The overheating is because it uses only one fan for cooling. If bought for mining at home, make sure the room is adequately ventilated. If still experiencing heat issues, it'd be better to switch from overclocked to normal mode. The A5 DashMaster uses a powerful ASIC chip type, which enables efficiency and productivity. 

The Antminer D3 seems to be in direct competition with the DashMaster. Experienced miners usually compare the two and conclude the Antminer D3 has a better return on investment. The Innosilicon A5 DashMaster works with a running temperature of 0°C — 85°C. The Innosilicon A5 DashMaster comes with an extra overclock option that increases the efficiency, hash rate, and profitability to increase profitability.

Algorithm

The Innosilicon works with the X11 algorithm, which has minable coins like Dash and WaltonChain. Its profitable coin is Dash. Dash uses the X11 algorithm, which is a modification of the Proof of Stake algorithm.

Noise Level

Noise level/sound is measured in Decibels. The noise level of the Innosilicon A5 DashMaster is about 75 dB, which is quite normal. Noise levels of most miners are from 60 to 80 dB. To better understand this, the noise level of 60 dB is equivalent to normal adult conversation. The noise level of 75dB is equivalent to a vacuum cleaner at work. At 75 dB, this miner is suitable for residential areas.

Profitability

Most mining hardware manufacturers make their devices more profitable by increasing the hash rate, bringing down power consumption, and choosing the most promising algorithms. Though with metrics like power consumption, cost, and hash-rate, choosing miners' algorithms can be difficult.

To accurately calculate an ASIC hardware's potential profitability, you need to look at all the coins it can mine and select the most profitable one. Then after a day's work, deduct the electricity cost and check the profitability.

To better understand ASIC hardware's profitability, miners should bear in mind that miners make a profit based on electricity rates and market conditions. When the market favors the top coin, the miner gets high profitability.