(Review/Guide) BW.com BW-L21, 550 Mh/s, 950W Litecoin (scrypt) ASIC miner

[HagssFIN]

(Review/Guide) BW.com BW-L21, 550 Mh/s, 950W Litecoin (scrypt) ASIC miner
Disclaimer: I was able to buy one BW-L21 miner with an agreement to do a review here at the forum.
Nicehash was the pool used for hashrate testing.

Click for a bigger version. Picture copyright (c) BW.com.

1) General information, other items needed
2) Unpacking
3) Overview
4) Install
5) Configuration
6) Testing
7) Power consumption measurement
8] Conclusion
9) How to order
10) More information about the miner
11) Firmware upgrade instructions

Last updated in: February 17, 2018.

Steemit blogging website:
https://steemit.com/review/@hagssfin/review-guide-bw-com-bw-l21-550-mh-s-950w-litecoin-scrypt-asic-miner

Nicely formatted version (February 17, 2018) available for download here (Mega.nz cloud service):
https://mega.nz/#!0oVThaRD!UJT-TMD4w8p2m4CoZCwfdu-i50h3U8znLKD-sm8IKYE

1) General information, other items needed
BW-L21 is a LTC (scrypt) ASIC miner using 28nm ASIC chip technology, manufactured by BW.com (headquarters in Shenzhen, China).

It is a standalone miner with a built-in controller and you don't need a separate Raspberry Pi for example to run it.

It weights 4.8 kg which is pretty usual and reasonable weight for a ASIC miner.
Outer dimensions are 329mm (L) x 127mm (W) x 159mm (H).

The nominal hashrate is 550 Mh/s(+/- 10%) with a nominal power consumption of 950 Watts (+/- 10%).
However, the miner that I got was hashing mostly around 580 Mh/s with frequency setting 684 MHz.
684 MHz was the default setting for the frequency when I started the miner.

BW.com: www.bw.com

Technical specifications:

Code:

BW.com BW-L21

Hash rate: 550 Mh/s +/- 10%
Power consumption: 950 W +/- 10%
Power efficiency: 1.727 J / Mh/s
DC voltage input: 12 VDC +/- 5%
ASIC chip type: 28nm LTC ASIC chip by BW.com
ASIC chip quantity per unit (miner): 144 chips
Number of hash boards per unit: 4 hash boards
Cooling: 2x 120mm x 38mm fan, 3000rpm (front and back, in a push-pull configuration).
Weight: 4.8 kg
Dimensions: 329mm (L) x 127mm (W) x 159mm (H)

Technical specs. Click for a bigger version. Picture taken by HagssFIN.

Other items needed:
• A server grade power supply with at least 6x PCI-E 6-pin connectors, every one with own cable at least 18AWG wires.
(I used a 1300W (unknown brand) power supply provided by BW.com as a complimentary item in my miner order).
I'd recommend at least a 1200W power capacity rating for the power supply.
HP DPS-1200 FBA with a good breakout board and good cables is one good choice, for example.
BW.com also manufactures their own official custom power supply which is available for sale in their web shop. Note: the power supply shown in this review is different, it is not the official BW.com custom power supply.
• C13 power cord suitable to your country's electrical socket
• Ethernet cable to go to your router/switch
• Computer to set initial pool and configuration settings.


2) Unpacking
The delivery was pretty quick via DHL. It was sent in Tuesday from Hong Kong and in same week Friday it arrived here Finland.

Because of my trip in Germany I was able to pick it in the following week Tuesday from a DHL Packstation where it was delivered to in Friday at my request.

Packaging was pretty good with lots of foam to protect both the miner and the PSU shipped together in the same cardboard box.
Normally BW.com actually ships two miner units in this same type of cardboard box, but
in my case it was used to ship one miner and one PSU.

I would have hoped though some ESD plastic bag for both the miner and the power supply.
They came inside the box without any plastic bag.

But both hardware came successfully in a mint condition so this was not a serious downside.

Packaging material. Click for a bigger version. Picture taken by HagssFIN.

3) Overview
Here are some pictures about the miner and the PSU that I got included with it.
The power cord and ethernet cable seen in the pictures were not included, I bought them separately.

Click the picture to show a bigger picture. Pictures taken by HagssFIN.




February 17, 2018 update:
I added here all the images released by the official distributor HyperBit at their Facebook page.
These images  show some more details that are not clearly visible in the images I took with my camera.
In these images you can also see the official BW.com custom power supply unit.

Click the picture to show a bigger picture. Picture copyrights reserved to HyperBit and BW.com.





4) Install
The installation was pretty quick and easy as it usually is with ASIC mining hardware.

You need to connect the Ethernet cable to your miner and the other end to the router or switch device (step 1).

And you need a proper power supply and then you install the six PCI-E 6-pin cables to the connectors found at the top side of the miner (step 2).

The miner uses DHCP to acquire an IP address and you can find it easily from your router configuration page
IP address list or by using software tools found online.

Knowing the miner IP address makes the next miner configuration part possible.


Step 1._______________________________________________Step 2. Click for a bigger version. Pictures taken by HagssFIN.


5) Configuration
First you need to go the miner IP address with your web browser.

Then you login to the configuration page.

Username is admin and the password is bw.com by default.

I tried changing the language to English, but I was unable.
Edit (February 17, 2018):
English GUI is available in the newest firmware version.

However, it has not too hard to go through the configuration pages when you have Google Translate as a helping hand.
The GUI is most likely the same as with the BW.com 14nm Bitcoin ASIC hardware, and there is a logo left saying that.


Login screen view. Click for a bigger version.

Then you need to setup your network settings.
Network settings can be found by clicking this logo:


My miner IP address is 192.168.1.138
My subnet mask is 255.255.255.0
My gateway IP address is 192.168.1.1 (my router).
My DNS address is 192.168.1.1 (my router).

Network settings view. Click for a bigger version.

Now it is time to setup mining pool settings.
Pool settings can be found by clicking left one of this logo:

My pool settings were for Nicehash.

Pool settings. Click for a bigger version. Picture taken by HagssFIN

You can put address and username for three pools in priority order from 1 to 3.
There was no possibility to input pool worker password for some reason.

It is sometimes an useful feature in more way than just a password, as few pools offer a possibility to input attributes in the password field.
Extranonce.subscription that I tried using (#xnsub after the pool address port number) used in Nicehash is not yet supported by the miner Cgminer software.
Edit (February 17, 2018):
This is fixed and now available in the newest firmware version.

The fourth and last field is for the miner frequency.
684 MHz was the default value when I received the miner.
It is possible to choose frequency between 384M to 1020M area, but I think I will keep it at the 684M.

6) Testing
After all the settings were made properly, it was time to test the miner.
The hash rate was around 580 Mh/s and it slowly but surely started to show the same at pool side.

Stats page. Click for a bigger version.

Being able to see what happens in the Cgminer in real time was a nice bonus feature.

Stats page. Click for a bigger version.

There was a small problem after logout and then logging in again.
The GUI showed hash rate as zero, but there was no actual problem with the hash rate when I checked pool stats page.
Stats just won't update for some reason in the GUI.
Edit (February 17, 2018):
This is fixed in the newest firmware version.

Also, it would be nice to be able to see miner hash board temperatures and to control fan speed manually.
These two things were unavailable.

7) Power consumption measurement
Both voltage and current measurements were done with HT-Italia HT7011 clamp multimeter.
Technical specs data sheet (.pdf document): https://mega.nz/#!5ssAiZQY!nuixMYOwoYImFX1zfzc9KibmhO2ig-Adav37rRt50AU

HT-Italia HT7011. Click for a bigger version. Picture taken by HagssFIN.

Voltage. _______________________________________________________________________________ _____Current.
Click for a bigger version. Pictures taken by HagssFIN.

Stable result for the voltage was 220 V_AC and 4.5 A for the current.
This means that the power consumption (at wall) equals about 990 W,
when the frequency setting is 684 MHz and the hash rate is 580 Mh/s.

8] Conclusion
BW-L21 is a great looking miner in my opinion and it is easy one to setup.
It performed as advertised and even a little better, without any need for me to do some tweaking.

Power consumption is reasonably in the 1kW area which I personally like and noise is not too bad when fans are rotating at 3000rpm speed.
Cooling design is done well and the miner didn't get too warm.

It is not as loud miner as Antminer S9 for example but it still produces quite a huge amount of noise, so you don't want it in the same bedroom with you.

I think that this makes a serious competitor in the Litecoin (scrypt algorithm) ASIC miner market for the Antminer L3+.

I would like to thank BW.com for a nice miner and for the chance to give a review for it here at the forum.
I've been interested in their products for a long time and now I finally had a chance to try one of their products.

Special thanks for Ronald from the BW.com team for the efforts to make this review possible,
and for the support via e-mail and Whatsapp.

If you got any questions, feel free to drop them here in this thread.

9) How to order

BW.com webshop:
In late 2017, BW.com released their new website and announced a webshop, in which you can make an order for the mining hardware.

BW Mall is now available

Provide mining machine online purchase service.

BW.com official webshop (English): en.shop.bw.com

BW.com official webshop (Chinese): shop.bw.com

Official distributor HyperBit:
HyperBit is an official distributor for BW-L21 miners and miners are available when they have a open batch for sale.

HyperBit website: https://hyperbitshop.io/

Follow their website or their Facebook page to know when they have the next batch for sale.

Worldwide Distribution License Announcement

Since the recent launch of the World’s Fastest ASIC Script Miner for Litecoin, The L21, Biwang Electronic Commerce Co., Ltd (BW) is pleased to announce that BW has formally appointed Block Assets Limited trading as HyperBit as our Worldwide Retail Distributor. Through this partnership, HyperBit will be responsible for supplying all our customers worldwide.

Customers will now have the opportunity to buy the World Fastest ASIC Script Miner for Litecoin, The L21, in any quantity they wish.
Hyperbit will be the only place to go to order The L21.
For more information connect with them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hyperbitshop/

For media information contact:

Louise Roberts
Sphere PR
blockassets@spherepr.com.au
Tel: +61(0)2 9958 0498

10) More information about the miner
More information about the miner is available in following web addresses.

Introduction video at BW.com Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BWCOM1/videos/1207481296022406/

Twitter post by BW.com: https://twitter.com/www_bw_com/status/874514190337163265

Product page #1 at BW.com website:
https://www.bw.com/pool/miner

Product page #2 at BW.com website:
http://en.shop.bw.com/prod_view.aspx?TypeId=66&Id=168&FId=t3:66:3

BW.com website: www.bw.com


11) Firmware upgrade instructions
Here are the firmware upgrade instructions, which I got from the official distributor Hyperbit back in November 2017.
Version date: November 17, 2017.


Link:https://i.imgur.com/lVBbNCL.png

[jwchong]

Thanks for the nice review.

[HagssFIN]

Thanks.   

[Searing]

Not a chance in hell we will see these in the world by the time a group buy is made. Not at 100 units.

If they offered them direct as a min of say TWO units. I'd get 2 just to diversify from bitmain. (bitmain: evil its what we do!) tm bitmain

But I just got some Bitmain's yesterday. This at a $1,650 usd price paid in LTC. (thru mostly luck 2 hr notice at 2am for a 4am USA sale ..and according to the thread they moved 10,000 units in 40 min)

I really, really can't get my head around it. You have 10K of units available and you announce 2 hrs ahead of time ...and you sell out in 40 min....jeez..it like they

don't even have to TRY anymore! (Let them eat cake..you asleep in the USA tough luck..our web site Jam's up tough luck...we are only game in town..screw you)



So hell, I guess if bw does not have any interest in overseas sales to consumers, bitmain is still the only option (sucky though it may be)

[kurbeks]

Did you test any other pools than Nicehash?

[kurbeks]

Not a chance in hell we will see these in the world by the time a group buy is made. Not at 100 units.

If they offered them direct as a min of say TWO units. I'd get 2 just to diversify from bitmain. (bitmain: evil its what we do!) tm bitmain

But I just got some Bitmain's yesterday. This at a $1,650 usd price paid in LTC. (thru mostly luck 2 hr notice at 2am for a 4am USA sale ..and according to the thread they moved 10,000 units in 40 min)

I really, really can't get my head around it. You have 10K of units available and you announce 2 hrs ahead of time ...and you sell out in 40 min....jeez..it like they

don't even have to TRY anymore! (Let them eat cake..you asleep in the USA tough luck..our web site Jam's up tough luck...we are only game in town..screw you)



So hell, I guess if bw does not have any interest in overseas sales to consumers, bitmain is still the only option (sucky though it may be)

You have to assume that big part of Bitmain orders where taken by resellers and scammers. Also BW is probably selling these so they can make more money and make more miners for themselves. I doubt they will really offer them is serious quantities to public. Most likley just big orders for farms.group buys and big resellers.

[HagssFIN]

Did you test any other pools than Nicehash?

Yeah, I moved to Prohashing.com and it is working ok as well.

[Mr_Snipes]

nice review, i hope they give it to you a bit more for some "in depth testing"
Too bad they don't lower the minimum qty. Would be nice to see some competition for bitmain in the small ops segment.
Any word on warranty-handling from their side ?

[HagssFIN]

nice review, i hope they give it to you a bit more for some "in depth testing"
Too bad they don't lower the minimum qty. Would be nice to see some competition for bitmain in the small ops segment.
Any word on warranty-handling from their side ?

Thanks. 
In the introduction video BW.com mentions that there is a six month warranty, in which you can send it back for them to do the needed repairs that are because of quality issues.

[quick1unc]

Is this machine worth the extra cost if you get an l3+ at retail price? I'm assuming no, it seems to fill a gap based on the aftermarket selling price of l3's.

[mammon]

Very nice review, seems to be a good competitor for the L3+

Wonder how did do 900W @28nm instead of Antminers 800W @16nm...

Really would like to get my hand on some of these

Also send you a PM

[HagssFIN]

Very nice review, seems to be a good competitor for the L3+

Wonder how did do 900W @28nm instead of Antminers 800W @16nm...

Really would like to get my hand on some of these

Also send you a PM

PM replied.

I'm pretty sure that BM1485 chip in L3+ is 28nm node process  too.

[kurbeks]

Very nice review, seems to be a good competitor for the L3+

Wonder how did do 900W @28nm instead of Antminers 800W @16nm...

Really would like to get my hand on some of these

Also send you a PM

PM replied.

I'm pretty sure that BM1485 chip in L3+ is 28nm node process  too.

Highly doubt that. Most likely all their lineup is L3+/S9/D3 is done on same process to cut costs. Most  likely they are also very similar, most differences coming into chip codebase.

[HagssFIN]

Very nice review, seems to be a good competitor for the L3+

Wonder how did do 900W @28nm instead of Antminers 800W @16nm...

Really would like to get my hand on some of these

Also send you a PM

PM replied.

I'm pretty sure that BM1485 chip in L3+ is 28nm node process  too.

Highly doubt that. Most likely all their lineup is L3+/S9/D3 is done on same process to cut costs. Most  likely they are also very similar, most differences coming into chip codebase.

Your argument is invalid, it is actually cheaper to make 28nm node process chips.

Bitmain is not mentioning the node process any where visible. If it was 16nm they would use it in advertising just like they use it a lot in the Antminer S9 advertising.

I tried a lot of Google searching but I was unable to find which process BM1485 is done.

[kurbeks]

Producing costs are actually lower. Wafer itself will cost more, but 16nm will have much more usable chips than 28nm waffer. Although developing costs for 16nm will also be higher. So might be 28nm.

Probably should just ask Bitmain about it, wonder if they will answer.

[Searing]

Sigh. Need about 10 of these. But no way to get any. Damn this
Review is like a ASIC centerfold. FML

[Longsnowsm]

Very nice review, good pictures.  Is there a way to change the language for the setup page at all? 

So the power consumption per MHS is roughly in line with the L3+.  Interesting.  Too bad the price is $2500 at a volume of 100 units. 

Did you get a chance to check the sounds levels?  How many DB are coming from these?  Thanks.

[HagssFIN]

Bulletdodger wrote in this another thread https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1918895.60

Minimum order is 100 pieces? If I got that right from the FB page.

If that's the case, anybody interested in a group buy?
I'd get 10 to 20 of them.
Thanks

Very nice review, seems to be a good competitor for the L3+
Wonder how did do 900W @28nm instead of Antminers 800W @16nm...
Really would like to get my hand on some of these

Sigh. Need about 10 of these. But no way to get any. Damn this
Review is like a ASIC centerfold. FML

You guys really should get together for a group buy and ask some other people too.
I'd bet that there are more people interested buying these.
You could even ask if philipma1957 would be interested in this,
I know that he's looking for more gear at the moment to his expanding solar farm with buysolar.

Just some of my thoughts.

Very nice review, good pictures.  Is there a way to change the language for the setup page at all?  
So the power consumption per MHS is roughly in line with the L3+.  Interesting.  Too bad the price is $2500 at a volume of 100 units.  
Did you get a chance to check the sounds levels?  How many DB are coming from these?  Thanks.

No, I was unable to have it in English.

Yeah it is competitive in power efficiency with the L3+.

I don't unfortunately have a proper dB meter, but I would estimate about 60-65 dB.

[tpj99]

thanks bro.

[Bulletdodger]

I'm gathering people for a group buy, I'm located in EU and would like to purchase at least 10-20 miners.
Anybody interested pls PM me.