Author

Topic: What would you pay for ASIC? (BTC per megahash) (Read 1567 times)

legendary
Activity: 1062
Merit: 1003
If you buy used graphics cards you can get ~200 MH/$50 or so, so about 400 MH / BTC just in GPUs. If you are gonna buy ASICs they better be higher Hash/BTC than a GPU (yeah yeah there's the power consumption to consider too). If you can get one right NOW, I'd say right around 300-400 MH/BTC would be the minimum cutoff. But yeah if/when BFL starts shipping, it'll be about 2 GH/BTC if BTC/USD exchange rate stays roughly where it's at.


If you really think 300-400 is the right price point you should load up on the Asicminer USBs. Personally I think this level is too low, but if breaking even in 6mths (or perhaps never if other ASICs start shipping soon) then be my guest Smiley
sr. member
Activity: 420
Merit: 250
If you buy used graphics cards you can get ~200 MH/$50 or so, so about 400 MH / BTC just in GPUs. If you are gonna buy ASICs they better be higher Hash/BTC than a GPU (yeah yeah there's the power consumption to consider too). If you can get one right NOW, I'd say right around 300-400 MH/BTC would be the minimum cutoff. But yeah if/when BFL starts shipping, it'll be about 2 GH/BTC if BTC/USD exchange rate stays roughly where it's at.

Another major unknown at this point is how long these ASIC devices will run before failing. There's a big difference between designing something that runs (passes a test on the lab bench) and something that is proven to work continuously at maximum load for several years. No ASIC device has yet been subjected to this kind of testing, as they are all just now coming into existence. It could be that all the Avalon/ASICMiner/BFL/etc units have major longevity/reliability issues compared to widely distributed consumer graphics cards that have huge testing labs and support teams behind them. This would mean you'd need more MH/BTC to make these devices worth it.

legendary
Activity: 826
Merit: 1004
Well, I cashed out 1.6 BTC and bought a 5 GH/s BFL with PayPal. So, all those options look poor to me.
sr. member
Activity: 280
Merit: 250
Depends on when the asic ships ....
legendary
Activity: 4760
Merit: 1283

Choose the winning option (less than 1 BTC/GH/s) because I don't expect to buy any for a few months at least, and by that time I am pretty sure that it will be the going rate.

sr. member
Activity: 260
Merit: 250
Well, BFL is a bit more than 1BTC for 2.5Gh/s.   Now you would rightly say they are having a hard time getting going, but they will.   In one month, or two at the most (IMO) that will be the price point to beat.


PFfft....

Shipping? Is that included in your costs people forget all the little extras don't they?
Device to control the BFL rig?


Seriously??

I am sorry, I should have included the 12.5 cents shipping per Gh/s that I ordered . . .

Also, everyone who ordered anything, probably has a computer to control the device with.
legendary
Activity: 1062
Merit: 1003
One mth from now I doubt the difficulty will be that much higher, but the key hashrate will be after all the Avalon DIYs & their batch 2&3s are online. Not to mention anything else that may arrive under the radar. 

Factoring that in I don't think I would be tempted at anything less than 1Ghash per BTC, and that would only be with immediate shipment.
hero member
Activity: 924
Merit: 1000
Well, BFL is a bit more than 1BTC for 2.5Gh/s.   Now you would rightly say they are having a hard time getting going, but they will.   In one month, or two at the most (IMO) that will be the price point to beat.


PFfft....

Shipping? Is that included in your costs people forget all the little extras don't they?
Device to control the BFL rig?


legendary
Activity: 3248
Merit: 1072
$300 every 5gh for me

including shipping

the goal is to make roi in 1 month at max
sr. member
Activity: 260
Merit: 250
Well, BFL is a bit more than 1BTC for 2.5Gh/s.   Now you would rightly say they are having a hard time getting going, but they will.   In one month, or two at the most (IMO) that will be the price point to beat.
legendary
Activity: 2128
Merit: 1005
ASIC Wannabe
Fairly simple question that seems to come up a lot recently is what an ASIC device is worth. we have examples like the blockerupter USB at 2BTC for ~300Mhash  (150Mhash per BTC) and the avalon at almost 750Mhash per BTC.


what's your opinion? In the next few months I expect we will see several ASIC variants that are 300-5000 mHash with minimal power use and rapidly falling prices. Right now, virtually none of these are available, so i think the better question might be *in a month from today* what would you decide to buy in terms of MH/BTC?


Myself, it has to be at least 200Mhash per BTC, though 300Mhash per is my goal. A device like the blockerupter at 2BTC for 600Mhash would be a strong purchase for myself.
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