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Hey guys,

What is the best USB Asic?
I know it wont be amazingly profitable, but I wanna play around, maybe make a few $ a month.
More for me to mess around, and more for me to just get a constant trickle of BTC.

Is there any good Scrypt based USB Asic?

What is the best currently most profitable USB Asic?
Looking at the HEX*Fury but its pretty expensive £96.

(I dont mind this, if its the best one available!)

Also a good USB Hub for multiple miners?

(I'm based in the UK if it helps)

Thanks all...

For general reference, see: StickMiners - overview of low-power 'usb stick' type mining hardware (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=464496)

Depends on your needs/desires.

Probably not going to happen - maybe a few $0.01/month and that's gross, not net - subtract electricity to realize you're not profiting at all :)

There's only two in a StickMiner form - the DualMiner USB and lketc's offering.

The hex•fury, along with the NanoFury 6, are the fastest - but probably not the 'least unprofitable' due to their high prices.  The Avalon Nano and NanoFury 2 models can be had for reasonably cheap (new / off of e-bay), or go for a NanoFury 1.  They also require far less cooling than the 6-chip boards.

Push comes to shove if you just want to play around, find a good deal on Block Erupter USBs.  They're very slow (by today's standards) but easy to use for just learning.  Because you can buy a dozen on the cheap, you can also start messing around with overclocking, modding, etc.

If you're not in a hurry, I'd say wait for the results of GekkoScience's attempt at making a StickMiner based on a Bitmain chip: GekkoScience BM1384 Project Development Discussion (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=995675)

Look for a powered USB hub using an MTT chipset (multiple transaction translator).
If you need to run a lot of devices or ones that require higher current draw, search these forums for some specific models that are easily modded to be powered using a computer PSU - but at that point you have to seriously consider whether you want to get into that :)

Wow, thanks so much for the detailed reply!

Its really helpful.

In terms of Hex*Fury I want them as I would at least make some BTC per month.

Thanks for the link to Gekko, I'm in no rush so may hold on for that :)

This was going to be my next question, I noticed HEX is kinda older now as are most USB Asics, so was wondering what is coming out next :)

Was also looking at the Eyeboot 49 port USB hub.

I doubt it - but if your electricity is very cheap, maybe :)

That would be my recommendation - they should know whether they can go to full production pretty soon anyway :)


That's a good hub - overkill for just playing around, though - and I'm not sure it could handle 49 GekkoScience Compacs without modification ;)

I would not go for the 49 port unless just really wanting a fun project.  That is a lot of stick miners.   

You have lot's of options from the block erupters that kinda started the entire stick miner game, they are the cheapest as far as price.

The last one i tried playing with is a Avalon Nano - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1022764.0 each stick is around 11-12 worth of block erupters in terms of hash.

You are right, 49 is way OTT.

Any good 10 or so port USB Hubs you would suggest for USB Asic?

Thanks for the Nano link, looks interesting :)

Still thinking on waiting to see what the Gekko can accomplish :)

Gekko will be a achievement, and no doubt take the number one spot once made/released.   That 50 port hub is just expensive. 

If you look and dig up a old thread they compare different usb hubs amount of power.  They are not equal as far as how much equipment hubs will power up.

here is a really good hub



http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-Dipo-19-port-USB-Hub-20-Amps-110-240V-USB-2-0-1A-per-port-/111581865131?

I own 2 of them  we had 2 sellers of these on this site.

 klintay had them .   some one else did but I forgot his name.


this hub will do .9 amps or 4.5 watts which means it will  run the 1 chip newly designed  gekkoscience sticks well.

the psu in it has a good reserve I would think you can run 12 gekko sticks with it at 10-12gh  maybe more.

Will it run the HEX*Fury's too?

Or even the NanoFury NF6's?

see this photo the stick with the number on it  is a one chip  ran it easy.
the black are 2 chip fury.

notice I have bridges not being used that combine to 1.8 amp = 9watts  these will run the 6 chip sticks

I do not know if the bridges are available.
I no longer have any sticks. I gave 2 to gekko science
I sold the other to a developer that wanted to test some ideas.
I am waiting on a stick or two from gekko science to test.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1280x1024q90/673/BkdpAw.jpg

Ok so I couldnt run 19x HEX*Furys or NF6's...

But I could run 8 on the top with using 2x usb ports each.

Kinda sucks :(

frankly unless your power is free the hex furys or nf6's are pretty much worthless.

they pull about 1 watt per gh  at current coin price you need to pay 9 cents per kwatt and 1x

 6 chip stick  makes 4 cents a month

if you pay 10 cents a kwatt the stick will lose .3 cents a month.

my advice is wait for the gekko sticks buy 3 double sticks at maybe 100 bucks buy the hub at 80 and run them.

 one stick will earn 92  cents a month at current rates  run for a month and if you don't like what you are doing there will be a buyer or two.

That is a very fair comment :)

Thanks for the insight

You can run 5 Hex Furys on this 10 port hub:

http://www.eyeboot.com/10-port-usb-hub

Me and one of the Hex Fury resellers tested it before.

yeah you should wait for the gekko sidehack stick, best bang for your buck if your dead set on stick miner

true the thread is here:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1126705