What This Error Means

The “Over Temperature” error on a Whatsminer — also displayed as “Temperature protection triggered,” “Chip temp too high,” “Env temp too high,” or the miner shutting down and showing a red LED — means the MicroBT Whatsminer has detected temperatures exceeding its safe operating limits. Like all ASIC miners, Whatsminer models have built-in thermal protection that throttles performance or shuts down the miner to prevent permanent damage to the ASIC chips and other components.

Whatsminer models monitor multiple temperature points: environment (intake air), PCB (board surface), and chip (junction) temperatures. The thermal protection thresholds vary by model but generally trigger when chip temperatures exceed 100-110C or when intake air temperature exceeds 40-45C. The firmware may first attempt to reduce fan speed or clock frequency before resorting to a full shutdown.

Common Causes

High ambient temperature — The room or enclosure where the miner operates exceeds the rated intake temperature. Whatsminer models are particularly sensitive to ambient conditions due to their compact chassis design with integrated PSU generating additional heat.
Inadequate exhaust ventilation — Hot air from the miner exhaust is recirculating back to the intake. In enclosed spaces or rooms with poor ventilation, this creates a heat feedback loop that steadily raises operating temperature.
Failed or degraded fans — One or more internal fans have failed or slowed. Whatsminer models use multiple internal fans, and failure of even one significantly impacts cooling across all hashboards.
Dust accumulation — Heatsinks, fan blades, and the narrow air channels inside the compact Whatsminer chassis are clogged with dust, dramatically reducing airflow and heat dissipation.
Thermal paste degradation — The thermal interface between ASIC chips and heatsinks has deteriorated, reducing thermal transfer efficiency. This is common on miners older than 2 years.
Overclocked settings — The miner has been configured to run above stock frequency, generating more heat than the cooling system was designed to handle.

Step-by-Step Fix

Safety first: If the miner has shut down due to overheating, allow at least 15-20 minutes of cooling before handling. Internal components can retain burn-inducing temperatures for several minutes after shutdown.

Step 1: Measure Ambient Temperature

Place a thermometer at the miner’s intake side (front), at the same height as the intake fans. If the ambient temperature exceeds 35C (95F), you need to improve room cooling before the miner can operate reliably. Remember that the miner itself generates significant heat — a single Whatsminer in a small room can raise ambient temperature by 10-15C or more.

Step 2: Improve Exhaust Ventilation

Ensure hot exhaust air is being removed from the room, not recirculated. The most effective solutions:

Duct the miner exhaust directly outdoors through a window or wall vent
Install an exhaust fan in the room to pull hot air out
Ensure at least 18 inches of clearance behind the miner exhaust with a clear path to the room exit
In summer, consider running the miner only during cooler nighttime hours if daytime temperatures cause overheating

Step 3: Inspect and Clean the Fans

Power off the miner. Remove the fan shroud or access panel. Check that all internal fans spin freely by hand. Clean fan blades with compressed air. Look for any debris, cable ties, or loose wires that may be obstructing fan rotation. Whatsminer models use multiple fan stages — ensure all fans are operational.

Step 4: Deep Clean the Heatsinks

With the miner powered off, use compressed air (60-100 PSI shop compressor recommended) to blow through the heatsink fins on all hashboards. Whatsminer heatsinks tend to have tighter fin spacing than Antminer, making them more susceptible to dust blockage. Work the compressed air from the intake side through to the exhaust. Pay attention to any areas where dust appears particularly compacted.

Step 5: Check Temperature Distribution

Power on the miner and monitor temperatures through the web interface or WhatsMiner Tools. Check the temperature of each hashboard and the chip temperatures. If one board runs significantly hotter than the others (10C+ difference), that board may have a thermal paste or heatsink contact problem. If all boards are equally hot, the issue is environmental or fan-related.

Step 6: Reduce Operating Frequency

If the miner has been overclocked or set to “High Performance” mode, switch to “Normal” or “Low Power” mode in the miner configuration. This reduces heat generation immediately. On Whatsminer models, power mode settings can typically be changed through the web interface under “Settings” or “Configuration.”

Step 7: Reapply Thermal Paste (Advanced)

If the miner continues to overheat after environmental and cleaning improvements, the thermal paste between chips and heatsinks may need replacement. On Whatsminer hashboards, this involves removing the heatsink assembly, cleaning off old thermal compound, and applying fresh high-quality thermal paste. This is more involved than on Antminer boards due to the heatsink mounting mechanism used by MicroBT.

Advanced Diagnosis

Using the Whatsminer API for temperature monitoring:

# Get real-time temperature data
echo '{"cmd":"devs"}' | nc [miner-ip] 4028
echo '{"cmd":"edevs"}' | nc [miner-ip] 4028
# Get environment temperature
echo '{"cmd":"summary"}' | nc [miner-ip] 4028

Thermal imaging: A thermal camera (even a phone-attached FLIR module) is extremely valuable for Whatsminer diagnosis. It can reveal exactly where heat is concentrated — whether specific chip clusters are running hot (indicating failed thermal paste contact), whether one side of a heatsink is hotter than the other (indicating blocked airflow), or whether the PSU section is contributing excessive heat to the overall enclosure.

Fan RPM monitoring: Use the web interface or API to monitor individual fan speeds over time. A fan that gradually decreases RPM over days or weeks is showing bearing wear and will eventually fail. Replace it proactively before it causes an overheating shutdown.

When to Get Professional Help

Seek professional ASIC repair if:

One hashboard consistently overheats despite clean heatsinks and good airflow — chip-level fault generating excess heat
Thermal paste reapplication is needed but you are not comfortable disassembling the heatsink assembly
Internal fans need replacement and you cannot source compatible parts
The miner overheats at low frequency with clean heatsinks — internal component failure
Temperature readings show abnormal patterns (one chip reading much higher than neighbors)

D-Central Technologies performs thermal diagnostics and repair on all Whatsminer models, including thermal paste reapplication, fan replacement, and diagnosis of chip-level thermal faults. Submit a repair request here

Affected Models

All Whatsminer models can experience thermal protection. Models most commonly affected: M30S++ and M31S+ (high power density), M50 series (newer architecture with higher heat output), and any model operating in warm environments above 30C. The M60 series has improved thermal design but can still overheat in poor conditions.

Related Error Codes

Whatsminer Power Off / Won’t Turn On — Severe overheating can trigger a protective shutdown that requires manual reset
Whatsminer Hashboard Error — Thermal damage to a hashboard can cause it to fail detection
Antminer Temp Too High — The equivalent thermal protection on Antminer hardware
Fan Speed Error — Fan failure is a primary cause of overheating across all brands

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum safe temperature for a Whatsminer?

MicroBT rates most Whatsminer models for an operating environment of 5-45C (41-113F). Chip temperatures should stay below 100-110C depending on the model. For maximum hardware longevity, aim for chip temperatures below 90C and intake air temperature below 35C. Running consistently near the thermal limit shortens component life even if the protection does not trigger.

Why does my Whatsminer overheat in summer but not winter?

The answer is straightforward: ambient temperature. A Whatsminer in a 20C room has 20+ degrees of thermal headroom before chip temperatures reach critical levels. In a 35C room, that headroom is gone. The solution is active room cooling, exhaust ducting, or reduced operating frequency during hot months. Many home miners run their units at reduced power in summer and full power in the cooler months.

Can I modify the thermal shutdown threshold on a Whatsminer?

Some custom firmware or configuration changes can modify thermal thresholds, but this is strongly discouraged. MicroBT sets these thresholds based on the chip manufacturer’s maximum junction temperature specifications and the thermal design of the cooling system. Exceeding these limits will cause accelerated chip degradation and eventual permanent failure.

Is immersion cooling worth it for a single Whatsminer?

Single-unit immersion cooling setups do exist and completely eliminate thermal issues, but the cost of the immersion tank, dielectric fluid, and heat exchangers typically exceeds $1,000-$3,000 for a single miner setup. For a single unit, improving air cooling through ducting and room ventilation is far more cost-effective. Immersion makes economic sense starting at 5-10+ units where the infrastructure cost is shared.

Over Temperature Fix — Whatsminer Overheating Troubleshooting Guide