What S7 batch is currently the most efficient?  Also what are some of the other batches that are at least good runner ups in efficiency / most profitable to be running?  I want to know what used ones I should look for if I am going to buy some.

Ok, Thanks for all the good info and advise everyone, this does help.  I think ill look into starting with some type of altcoin after some more research on what type. For now I will keep an eye on the next gen equipment for bitcoin & what happens with the halving.

The S3 I have arriving today was mainly just to get started into it, get a wallet set up, find a pool/pools and just see how it all works so I am ready when I do get some better equipment. But you are correct that I will be in the negative with the S3... anything over .06 is in the negative and even with free electric the returns on a S3 are low at the current diff.

Thanks again for the help!

If im calculating the bill rate right, it looks like the rate would be 0.107073

Here is a link to a screenshot of a recent electric bill:



Do you think I would be better off starting into Litecoin for now and then Bitcoin mining when the new technology releases... or just jump into a low volume of S7 units and see what happens.  I know its kind of a guessing game.. but... 

Maybe I was looking at out dated information, I was getting these 14nm numbers from places like:

http://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/innovation/chinese-miner-releases-14-nm-asic-targeting-consumers/
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/bw-to-launch-nm-chip-and-miner-for-general-population-1445278227

the link you gave me on the B11 does have completely different number such as the hash rate of "3TH / S, 5TH / S, 10TH / S, to be determined"  that sure is a big possible range, but I guess even at the minimum listed 3 TH/s it would then be more efficient that the S7 model.

I just wish we had some feedback on expected release date to the public so I knew if I should invest in the AntMiner S7 models for now or hold off for these B11 14 nm.  Any recommendations here?  ROI on the S7 for me is 270 days, so not sure if I can get this before any major changes... halving etc.   Just anxious to get started though!

I do have a S3 coming in that I got for like $40  but im pretty sure that I am in the negative on that one from the start profit wise.  Just wanted to get something set up to start playing with.

I know I am probably missing something here, just need help with what it is.  The way I am running the numbers it still seems like the AntMiner S7 is more efficent that the upcoming BW 14 nm.  This wouldn't make any sense, so here is how I am looking at it currently:

AntMiner S7  / 4.73 TH/s = 4730000000000 Hashs/s / 1293W = 3658159319 Hashs Per Watt Efficiency
BW 14 nm / 63.0 GH/s (maximum advertised) = 63000000000 Hashs/s / 18W = 3500000000 Hashs Per Watt Efficiency

This seems to make the S7 more efficient by 158159319 Hashs

I understand there are simpler ways to break this down, but I wanted to go all the way to Hashs. Also i understand the BW 14 nm has not been released to the public and that the final stats on it may not be known.  Over all though what am I missing here?  

As a backdrop:
I am new to mining and want to start into it effectively and I am trying to decide if I should wait for the BW 14 nm to release which may obsolete the S7 or if should just get some S7s.  And even still with the upcoming halving that I am hearing about should I just skip Bitcoin and start mining LiteCoin or another alternative (with different mining equipment of course).