ePIC Blockchain Bitcoin Mining Rigs — BlockMiner 520i & 740a

ePIC machines are built with Intel® Blockscale™ ASIC chips and powered by ePIC’s Universal Mining Control (UMC) platform, which provides real-time frequency and voltage modulation, power curtailment support, and remote fleet management for commercial mining operations.

This page covers the ePIC BlockMiner 520i (immersion-cooled) and BlockMiner 740a (air-cooled) — both previous-generation models that remain in active deployment at mining operations worldwide. Specifications on this page are accurate for operators managing existing BlockMiner fleets.

What is a Bitcoin Mining Rig?

Modern Bitcoin mining rigs are evaluated on three primary specifications: hashrate (measured in terahashes per second, or TH/s), power consumption (measured in watts), and efficiency (measured in joules per terahash, or J/TH). Lower J/TH ratios indicate more efficient machines — a critical factor in the economics of large-scale mining operations where electricity is the dominant operating cost.

ePIC Blockchain’s BlockMiner series differentiates itself through Intel® Blockscale™ chip technology, ePIC UMC firmware integration, and North American design — factors relevant to operators with supply chain, regulatory, or performance requirements that favour non-Bitmain hardware.

What is the ePIC BlockMiner 520i? Immersion-Ready Bitcoin Mining Rig

The 520i is designed for mining operations that have invested in immersion cooling infrastructure and require hardware with flexible performance envelopes. Key characteristics:

Cooling method

Air-cooled or liquid immersion. The machine is designed to operate the best when submerged in dielectric cooling fluid, enabling higher sustained performance and reduced thermal degradation compared to air-cooled alternatives

Chip technology

Intel® Blockscale™ ASIC, manufactured by Intel Corporation for the Bitcoin mining market, representing Intel's entry into purpose-built mining silicon

Cooling method

Hardware, firmware, and software are designed together — not layered onto third-party systems.

Power supply

Integrated 5,000W PSU, eliminates the need for external PSU sourcing common in competing models

Performance flexibility

~30% overclocking headroom — allows operators to push performance beyond stock settings when power prices and market conditions support it

Curtailment support

Dynamic frequency and voltage modulation enables real-time response to grid curtailment signals, a requirement for operations participating in demand response programs

BlockMiner 520i: Best Use Cases

Operations already running immersion cooling infrastructure, seeking North American-designed hardware

Mining facilities participating in grid demand response or power purchase agreements requiring curtailment capability

Operators requiring performance flexibility, ability to run conservatively for efficiency or aggressively for hashrate, depending on BTC price and power cost

What is the ePIC BlockMiner 740a? Air-Cooled Data Center Mining Rig

The 740a is optimized for data center operators who require hardware that slots into existing rack infrastructure without specialized cooling systems. Key characteristics:

Cooling method

Air-cooled, 4U rackmount form factor — compatible with standard data center hot/cold aisle configurations and existing CRAC/CRAH cooling infrastructure

Chip technology

Intel® Blockscale™ ASIC — same chip architecture as the 520i, enabling consistent firmware and management tooling across mixed fleets

Firmware

ePIC Universal Mining Control (UMC) — full frequency and voltage modulation, curtailment support, and remote management capability

API support

Custom API integration — enables connection to proprietary or third-party fleet management software beyond the native UMC dashboard

Fleet management compatibility

Designed for operations with existing SCADA, EMS, or custom mining management systems that require direct machine-level API access

Curtailment support

Same dynamic frequency and voltage modulation as the 520i, suitable for demand response participation

BlockMiner 740a: Best Use Cases

Data center operators deploying in standard rack environments without immersion cooling capability

Operations running custom fleet management software that require machine-level API access

Miners seeking Intel-chip-based alternatives to Bitmain Antminer or MicroBT Whatsminer hardware for supply chain or regulatory diversification

BlockMiner 520i vs. 740a: Side-by-Side Comparison

Specification

BlockMiner 520i

BlockMiner 740a

Cooling Type

Immersion (liquid dielectric)

Air-cooled

Form Factor

Traditional miner chassis

4U rackmount

ASIC Chip

Intel® Blockscale™

Firmware

ePIC UMC

PSU

Integrated 5kW PSU

Integrated 6kW PSU

Overclocking Headroom

~30% above stock

~20% above stock

Power Curtailment

Yes — dynamic freq/voltage modulation

Custom API Support

Via UMC

Yes — dedicated custom API + UMC

Best For

Immersion-cooled facilities, high-performance/overclock use cases

Standard data centers, custom fleet management integrations

What Is Intel® Blockscale™ Technology in Bitcoin Mining?

For mining operators, Intel Blockscale chips in BlockMiner machines offer several considerations:

Supply chain diversification

C.O.O. in North America available upon request. Diversified sourcing reduces geopolitical and tariffs risks for North American Operators

OEM customization

ePIC's UMC firmware layer provides performance and management capabilities specific to the BlockMiner implementation

Ecosystem maturity

Blockscale-based machines represent a smaller share of the global fleet than Bitmain's Antminer series, which may affect parts availability and community support resources

HOW IT COMPARES

Which ePIC Mining Rig is Right for your Operation?

If your operation...

Recommended Model

Runs an immersion cooling facility

BlockMiner 520i

Uses standard data center rack infrastructure

BlockMiner 740a

Needs maximum overclocking headroom

BlockMiner 520i (~30% headroom confirmed)

Requires custom API / third-party fleet software integration

BlockMiner 740a

Participates in grid demand response/curtailment programs

Either model (both support dynamic freq/voltage modulation)

Wants North American-designed Intel-chip hardware

Either model

Needs integrated PSU (no external sourcing)

BlockMiner 520i (5kW PSU included)