25 GH/s ASIC system for $2,000? Worth it? Am I missing something?

[sv4ol84a6v79a46ilby]

If you had 2 grand to spend, would you buy one? Would it be worth it?

What does the ASIC mean?

And it says it's only 4" x 4" x 4". How is this possible? that's smaller than a graphics card

[NightAss]

if you ever get it then its a good deal but who knows if or when you would get it

[sunblaster]

^ I don't think he might "get" what you mean. 25Gh/s for $2k is a great deal, if it actually existed.

[DrG]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application-specific_integrated_circuit

Application Specific Integrated Circuit


These devices are made to hash, and only hash.  No playing Crysis 3 on them.

Very efficient for hashing compared to a GPU. Right now whoever has one is making tons of BTC or SHA256 based coins.  In a few when everybody has them CPU/GPU mining will be just memories.

[sv4ol84a6v79a46ilby]

so this does not exist? https://products.butterflylabs.com/50-gh-s-bitcoin-miner.html

[A Meteorite]

so this does not exist? https://products.butterflylabs.com/50-gh-s-bitcoin-miner.html

If we agree that the definition of doesn't exist means that they have not shipped a single one to a customer (except one unit to a developer to help finish their software - but that's a whole different can of worms), then yes, it doesn't exist.

Whether they will exist is a topic hotly under debate.

But neither of that really matters, because the fact is, if you order one and if it ships, you will probably not see it until the end of this year since there are thousands ahead of you since they began pre-orders last year. By then, difficulty will be sky high and the prospects of a reasonable ROI is slim to none.

[sv4ol84a6v79a46ilby]

so this does not exist? https://products.butterflylabs.com/50-gh-s-bitcoin-miner.html

If we agree that the definition of doesn't exist means that they have not shipped a single one to a customer (except one unit to a developer to help finish their software - but that's a whole different can of worms), then yes, it doesn't exist.

Whether they will exist is a topic hotly under debate.

But neither of that really matters, because the fact is, if you order one and if it ships, you will probably not see it until the end of this year since there are thousands ahead of you since they began pre-orders last year. By then, difficulty will be sky high and the prospects of a reasonable ROI is slim to none.

What if i stuck into their facility after buying one and took one and snuck out?

[A Meteorite]

so this does not exist? https://products.butterflylabs.com/50-gh-s-bitcoin-miner.html

If we agree that the definition of doesn't exist means that they have not shipped a single one to a customer (except one unit to a developer to help finish their software - but that's a whole different can of worms), then yes, it doesn't exist.

Whether they will exist is a topic hotly under debate.

But neither of that really matters, because the fact is, if you order one and if it ships, you will probably not see it until the end of this year since there are thousands ahead of you since they began pre-orders last year. By then, difficulty will be sky high and the prospects of a reasonable ROI is slim to none.

What if i stuck into their facility after buying one and took one and snuck out?

Well, that probably wouldn't be so hard - some people just walked right in a few days ago.

However, Josh has already said they will have armed security when the wafers are there since they are so valuable. Currently they don't have the wafers there. I'm presuming they have only a few test units (though that's if you believe what is being said).

Plus, stealing is wrong.

[Quix]

Frankly, the ASIC prices are so high that it will be very hard to get a decent ROI because by the time most people can get them... most people will have them and then they're not going to hash any better than GPUs do now. It would have been better for everyone (except hardware makers) to never build ASICs at all.

[sv4ol84a6v79a46ilby]

this makes no sense. "by the time most people have them they won't hash any better than GPU". there is absolutely no logic to this statement.

and the statement "ASIC prices are so high... " is FALSE because they are EXTREMELY LOW!!! For 25Gh/s for cheaper than a system with 2 graphics cards that does only 1Gh/s, is EXTREMELY CHEAP.

[middlemarkal]

this makes no sense. "by the time most people have them they won't hash any better than GPUrelatively to the difficulty that GPU faces now compare to what ASIC will have to face, peoples predict a rise of 100X of the difficulty before all ordered asics are delivered". there is absolutely no logic to this statement.

[sv4ol84a6v79a46ilby]

this makes no sense. "by the time most people have them they won't hash any better than GPU
-- relatively to the difficulty that GPU faces now compare to what ASIC will have to face, peoples predict a rise of 100X of the difficulty before all ordered asics are delivered".

Well then would this not render GPU's completely obsolete then? That would mean that GPUs would be WORTHLESS for mining if the difficulty increases x100

[airdata]

Consider that $2000 in video cards / motherboards and power supplies will net you Maybe 3GH.

If you could get an operable 25GH unit for $2000 it'd pay for itself very quickly.

[digitalindustry]

All ASICs will/do exist when BTC stabilizes at between $20 to $30 USD, or less.

at which point centralization, (or centralization concerns ) may put an upper limit to the entity, by affecting confidence, having said that new capital may drive spikes in a very "true" volatile market.

the gap between Scrypt Crypt and "BTC#" (etc) will start to then close IMO, as the decentralization of exchanges cause a general benefit effect towards such viable alternatives, and the rest is market penetration.

BTC will always hold a large place in the market, but your investment gets more complex from the next 50% of the currency.

hope that is vaguely helpful .