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Topic: Which forum/threads to follow for developments in the ASIC and populated boards? (Read 457 times)

jr. member
Activity: 82
Merit: 1
Right you are.  My mistake.
legendary
Activity: 3318
Merit: 1848
Curmudgeonly hardware guy
Couple corrections - Compaq is a defunct PC manufacturer, and the S5 used BM1384; BM1382 was the S3's chip.
jr. member
Activity: 82
Merit: 1
Wouldn't even consider trying.  I changed a few IC2's on Block Erupters and knew then that with such limited success I could work on nothing smaller.  And time goes in one direction.
legendary
Activity: 3612
Merit: 2506
Evil beware: We have waffles!
So the S9 uses a BM1387.  The S5 is a BM1382.   The S7 is a BM1385.  So, were the BM1385's sold in limited quantity or other ASICs of that generation and available on third party hashing boards?  Since that generation is no longer cutting edge, the price would be considerably better.
The only way to get older chips is by harvesting them from retired miners same as Sidehack does for his Compac, 2PAC and upcoming Pod miners. Bitmain et al do not make/have on-hand any of the old chips.

Good luck reliably harvesting s7/s9 chips. With their smaller package size and the heatsinks being attached with thermal epoxy - very hard to work with in quantity.
jr. member
Activity: 82
Merit: 1
So the S9 uses a BM1387.  The S5 is a BM1382.   The S7 is a BM1385.  So, were the BM1385's sold in limited quantity or other ASICs of that generation and available on third party hashing boards?  Since that generation is no longer cutting edge, the price would be considerably better.
legendary
Activity: 3612
Merit: 2506
Evil beware: We have waffles!
Which forum/threads to follow for developments in the ASIC and populated boards?

Lots of forums on bitcointalk, so where should I look for information on ASICs in production and for sale to those who make and populate their own construction PCBs?  Would that forum also follow ASIC development?  Getting old but I remember a widely circulated ASIC hoax from a former Eastern Bloc country, which I could remember its name, Primeasic or something?

soy39
None.
There are dev threads but these days would be for altcoins only - not BTC.
Other than that, the Bitcoin Hardware area is all there is for BTC miners.

The only company that even entertains the idea of selling current-gen ASIC's to the 'general public' is Bitfury and they have a $ 1million MOQ. So far only Sidehack has gotten them to entertain a lower amount and safe bet that may be a 1-time deal.
jr. member
Activity: 82
Merit: 1
Which forum/threads to follow for developments in the ASIC and populated boards?

Lots of forums on bitcointalk, so where should I look for information on ASICs in production and for sale to those who make and populate their own construction PCBs?  Would that forum also follow ASIC development?  Getting old but I remember a widely circulated ASIC hoax from a former Eastern Bloc country, which I could remember its name, Primeasic or something?

soy39
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