An overview of MicroBT's Whatsminer M50S series — specs, efficiency, and where to buy.

Introduction

In this post, we cover the key specs, efficiency profile, and market positioning of MicroBT's Whatsminer M50S series — the company's flagship air-cooled SHA-256 miners of their generation, and one of the most widely deployed ASIC families in the global Bitcoin mining fleet.

TLDR

Whatsminer M50S Series At A Glance

• Manufacturer: MicroBT
• Series: Whatsminer M50S
• Release Date: April 2, 2022 (M50S) — December 2022 (M50S+) — May 2023 (M50S++)
• Algorithm: SHA-256 (Bitcoin)
• Cooling: Air-cooled
• Efficiency range: 22.0–26.0 J/TH across variants

Models

Background

The M50S series represents MicroBT's primary air-cooled generation between the M30S++ era and the current M60S lineup. Launched in April 2022 with the base M50S, the series expanded through late 2022 and into 2023 with the M50S+ and M50S++ — each iteration delivering meaningful efficiency improvements while maintaining the same air-cooled form factor. The M50S++ at 22.0 J/TH was MicroBT's most efficient air-cooled machine until the M60S generation launched in late 2023. The series remains widely deployed across large-scale mining operations globally, particularly among operators who built out infrastructure around the M50S's standardized chassis dimensions.

Specifications

Hashrate

The M50S series spans 128, 136, and 160 TH/s across its three air-cooled variants. The M50S++ at 160 TH/s is the highest-hashrate model in the series and the most efficient on a per-terahash basis.

Efficiency

Efficiency improves meaningfully across the three variants: the base M50S runs at 26.0 J/TH, the M50S+ tightens to 24.0 J/TH, and the M50S++ reaches 22.0 J/TH — a 15% improvement over the base model within the same series. All three represent a significant step up over the prior M30S++ generation at 31.0 J/TH.

Efficiency comparison across MicroBT generations:

Power Draw

Power draw ranges from 3,264W (M50S+) to 3,520W (M50S++). Notably, the M50S+ draws less power than the base M50S (3,264W vs 3,328W) while delivering higher hashrate — a direct result of chip-level improvements in the December 2022 revision.

Cooling

All M50S variants are air-cooled using MicroBT's standard dual high-speed fan configuration. The chassis dimensions are consistent across the series (155 × 226 × 430 mm), making the M50S family straightforward to deploy and replace within existing rack infrastructure.

LuxOS Firmware

The Whatsminer M50S series is now supported by LuxOS. Luxor recently expanded LuxOS firmware beyond Bitmain hardware to include MicroBT's WhatsMiner lineup, with the M50S series among the first supported models at launch. Operators can express interest in access at 

luxor.tech/firmware.

Use Hashrate Index's Bitcoin Mining Profitability Calculator to model M50S returns at your specific electricity cost and current hashprice.

How to Buy the Whatsminer M50S Series

The M50S series is widely available on the secondary market. Luxor's ASIC Trading Desk sources M50S, M50S+, and M50S++ inventory for both single-unit and bulk orders.

For current pricing and availability, contact Luxor's hardware team directly:

[email protected]

Final Take

The Whatsminer M50S series remains a staple in the global mining fleet. While the M60S generation has since surpassed it on efficiency, the M50S++ at 22.0 J/TH continues to operate profitably at competitive power costs — and with LuxOS now supporting the full M50S lineup, operators can unlock additional efficiency gains without upgrading hardware. For operators managing existing M50S fleets or looking to acquire secondary market inventory at attractive pricing, the M50S series remains a viable workhorse.

Track live profitability per model:

• Whatsminer M50S — Hashrate Index
• Whatsminer M50S+ — Hashrate Index
• Whatsminer M50S++ — Hashrate Index
• Bitcoin Mining Profitability Calculator

To buy: [email protected]

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or legal advice. Nothing contained herein constitutes a solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument. There are risks associated with Bitcoin mining and ASIC investments.