Topic: BFL or Avalon - page 2. (Read 1689 times)

Going to say BFL.

I'm coming to the party quite a bit late, but I like that the Jalapeno is in my price range for a definite bitcoin noob like myself. I don't want to go through the trouble of purchasing bitcoins to spend 1500 dollars on a piece of hardware that may not be sustainable long term (620 Watts, just wow, I read that whole thread and they had some pretty good points as to why 450W was kind of dishonest.)

I read all of Josh's posts and he seems like a pretty sincere dude.

Yes, Avalon did get the jump because of the first two units, but I'm still waiting to hear from others when they get their units.

Scratch that shit...

After seeing this:


After all of their "No refunds, No proof" BS, how the fuck do you SHIP a 620w system while its still advertised as 400w on your website 

I just can't give money to a company like that, even if I stand to profit from it, it's not worth getting sh#t in the face.


I'm going with this guy:



You've also got to consider BFL's lifetime warranty.

Now is the time to be patient.  Wait until summer to see how BFL answers.

LOL ROFL .. same with bitcoinasic.net (the new bASIC) .. very bad spelling.

I agree that all ASIC manufacturers seem to lack professionalism.. 2-bit companies run by "kids". At least some companies have prior reputation with FPGA technology.

I'm all Avalon

At this point, I think it's worth it to wait and see if BFL has a product to deliver and what it's actual performance will be.

Although I have to agree with wtfvanity and say that for most people, I don't think it makes sense to invest in mining equipment anymore. You're better off trading in bitcoins and looking to make a profit that way.

Correction: according to http://launch.avalon-asics.com/, Batch #2 will sport 3 modules for 66 GH/s and 450W of power at $1500, with a 4th module available for $500 to add another 22 GH/s and 150W of power.
Originally, Batch #2 was supposed to carry 6 modules, then it was announced that there would only be 4 modules. Now it's 3 modules for $1500 (higher than Batch #1) with an upgrade option to 4 modules.

And, they are saying: "units will ship starting March 6th to April 5th, 2013."  <---- that's a pretty wide delivery date range...

Sanitizing findings against Jeff Garzik's experimentation, it looks like the raw power consumption on the Avalon is higher than specified: "66.3 Ghps / 620 Watts / 5.6 Amps  thanks to Kill-A-Watt."
620? It was advertised at 450W!  So this means that Avalon's 88 GH/s miner will be even higher than the advertised 600W.. probably closer to 900W..

My biggest concerns with Avalon: 1) power consumption, 2) no customer support with general shadiness, 3) Made in China, 4) uncertain delivery date, 5) the fact they proclaim they are Open Source but no source is made available.

My biggest concern with BFL: extreme delay (now 4 months) with a delivery date that continues to shift to the right - I hope they can meet February delivery as currently planned in order to put an end to any BFL concerns.

When would they start shipping, and how long does it take to ship from China?  I suspect even if you made a purchase from BFL you'd get it before Avalon.  If BFL ships on the current schedule (I know the fact that I had to state that says a lot).

Either are viable options.

Apparently, Avalon only accepts Bitcoin for payment, and nothing else. Batch #2 pre-orders (600 units) go on sale in just under 12 hours and reportedly boast 4 modules for 90 GH/s @ $1,500. I am not advertising.

I'd still buy BFL.  Their trade in policy means your initial investment has future value.  I believe they will still provide a viable product that mines at a lower energy per hash cost which once all the ASIC's hit the market will make them the dominant mining platform.

Time will tell.

do avalon accepts bitcoin?

Yeah! Good stuff.

Anyone know if the Batch #2 Avalon priced higher than Batch #1 will have that 4th module installed for more Hashing power? (or should this be a different post topic?)

If you can, get both.

Order the Avalons and the BFLs.

Mine with whichever arrive first.

Sell the Avalons when the BFLs arrive, or, if they're making more than what you're paying in interest, keep them.

As long as there's a waiting list for ASICs, there will be someone willing to take yours off your hands for the going rate.

You raise very good points to consider. I think the right choice for today's buyer would be Avalon. This may change in a couple of weeks, if and when BFL releases a shipped product.

At this point if you are trying to mine the most coins (not make the most profit) I would say you have to go with Avalon. They have a product and you can have it in your hands in a month or two. BFL is promising April if you order today. You can mine more coins getting your hands on it now. Once everyone has ASIC's, you need the power efficiency that BFL promises. However, BFL could arguably have the worst track record on a product that doesn't yet exist.

I say mine the most coins because look at it this way. If you had plopped down $1300 worth of bitcoins for BFL's product in June when they started taking pre orders, those same coins today are worth almost $5000. If you're trying to make money and believe in what BTC is and will become, you're better taking your cash and buying coins today IMHO.

If you were shopping for an ASIC miner today, which product would you purchase and why?

While Avalon has a tangible product that I believe runs "headless" (without a PC), it still consumes too much power compared to BFL products (which are still vaporware).