Asicminer USB Erupters...how do they even make sense?

[dominicus]

I ran several profitability calculators, and even at $85 cost and free electricity, these units don't seem to make any sense.

Even if you consider selling your GPU's, not sure it's a wise strategy to invest cold BTC or Cash to buy Erupters.

By the time they breakeven, they'll be yielding so little profit to even justify the attention to keep them running...and that's assuming they'll survive 10+ months of non-stop mining.

It's more like giving Asicminer an interest-free loan, or betting BTC will be >$500 in next two months, or a combination of both.

[west17m]

I ran several profitability calculators, and even at $85 cost and free electricity, these units don't seem to make any sense.

Even if you consider selling your GPU's, not sure it's a wise strategy to invest cold BTC or Cash to buy Erupters.

By the time they breakeven, they'll be yielding so little profit to even justify the attention to keep them running...and that's assuming they'll survive 10+ months of non-stop mining.

It's more like giving Asicminer an interest-free loan, or betting BTC will be >$500 in next two months, or a combination of both.

Here's how I look at it:

Should you transition away from GPU - definitely yes
Should you hold that money as USD/BTC/ or reinvest in asic - that's a judgement call.  The USB erupters are the only asic's on the market that anyone can readily get their hands on in a timely fashion.  I bought three when they were first released just to see how consistent they were and how much 'attention' they need (none really).

Long term, either the price of BTC has to continue to climb or the difficulty has to slow down.  Right now though, buy-and-mine is probably the most risky bitcoin-related investing strategy.

[zemario]

I have never contribute with a single hash nor am I planing to do so, so I am an absolute outsider. But given their relatively cheap price, could it be that some people are buying because they feel like they just want to be a part of the whole thing? I mean, if you are a bitcoin enthusiast, it is a way to contribute to the network distributed profile. Don't know... I guess this could account for a tiny percentage of usb erupters.

On the other hand, why would they ever be for sale if they were profitable?

[west17m]

On the other hand, why would they ever be for sale if they were profitable?

People sell massively profitable asic miners (blades, bfl, etc) on ebay because even if it looks like you'll break even in three months, a few shipments of large asics can dilute that pretty quickly.

I think you're right about the small miners though.  Few people are amassing 100's of these (unlike gpus several months back).

[Spendulus]

....

On the other hand, why would they ever be for sale if they were profitable?

Every tool in a hardware store is for sale, even though if used it would be "profitable".

[dominicus]

Well, if a friend wanted to gift me something in next couple months, I'll take an Eruptor over a tie....but I'm not looking to prepay 90% of what these units will ever yield only to end up with farm of flaming dongles in the garage running non-stop for years.

I guess there's a reason they're shipping quick.

[dominicus]

Should you transition away from GPU - definitely yes

I don't think "definitely" is right.  If you are set on moving on to ASIC's and continue mining, you might end up better position using whatever you recoup from your GPU's and playing roulette with a larger more efficient ASIC miner...or buying some cloud mining shares.

At least if you actually get the miner (way late for sure), you have something with a decent form factor to leave in a corner with 3x the hashrate...not a farm of USB hubs, wall transformers, dongles, external fans.

I think within 8 months, these sticks are going to be as useful and practical as 64Mb thumb drives.

[aigeezer]

My reason was less than rational. As the one-year anniversary of my prepaid BFL order came and went without a peep from them, I wanted to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING, so I ordered some Erupters. They will keep my mind off other matters for a while.       

[crazyates]

I'm waiting until those K1 units start becoming widely available, and then I'll pick up a few. Most just toys, but something little that later on I can give out for free to friends/families/colleagues that might be interested in BTC.

[Xer0]

I think within 8 months, these sticks are going to be as useful and practical as 64Mb thumb drives.

8 Months??
They're alreay going on eBay for under 100€, same day shipped
Thats only 15€ over actual buy-in price after all seller fees paid...

[west17m]

I'm waiting until those K1 units start becoming widely available, and then I'll pick up a few. Most just toys, but something little that later on I can give out for free to friends/families/colleagues that might be interested in BTC.

Did they change the pricing for the k1's?  I thought they were more expensive, slower, and still in preorders only ... but that might have been an old thread.

[Beastlymac]

I'm waiting until those K1 units start becoming widely available, and then I'll pick up a few. Most just toys, but something little that later on I can give out for free to friends/families/colleagues that might be interested in BTC.

Did they change the pricing for the k1's?  I thought they were more expensive, slower, and still in preorders only ... but that might have been an old thread.

We have k1's shipping in three weeks that can be clocked up to 450mh/s. They are also cheaper. Group buy is here https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=254358.0

[-ck]

We have k1's shipping in three weeks that can be clocked up to 450mh/s. They are also cheaper. Group buy is here https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=254358.0

Precisely 14 microseconds after the first one of these is actually delivered, the price of the Asicminer product will magically drop to match it in price/performance.

[rammy2k2]

USB erupters are gadgets, they are not made to make any profit, so treat them as gadgets

[Beastlymac]

We have k1's shipping in three weeks that can be clocked up to 450mh/s. They are also cheaper. Group buy is here https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=254358.0

Precisely 14 microseconds after the first one of these is actually delivered, the price of the Asicminer product will magically drop to match it in price/performance.

Yes they probably will but the k1 can still be clocked higher than the block eruptor USB.

[west17m]

We have k1's shipping in three weeks that can be clocked up to 450mh/s. They are also cheaper. Group buy is here https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=254358.0

Precisely 14 microseconds after the first one of these is actually delivered, the price of the Asicminer product will magically drop to match it in price/performance.

Yes they probably will but the k1 can still be clocked higher than the block eruptor USB.

My couple usb erupters are already too hot to touch if there's not a fan blowing over them.  Not sure what temps would be like on an overclocked unit of similar size.

[k9quaint]

Asicminer USB Erupters...how do they even make sense? Magnets. 

[dominicus]

My reason was less than rational. As the one-year anniversary of my prepaid BFL order came and went without a peep from them, I wanted to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING, so I ordered some Erupters. They will keep my mind off other matters for a while.       

You were not the only one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121115900494?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[aigeezer]

My reason was less than rational. As the one-year anniversary of my prepaid BFL order came and went without a peep from them, I wanted to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING, so I ordered some Erupters. They will keep my mind off other matters for a while.       

You were not the only one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121115900494?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Steep price, but magic words "May 28" and "in hand" helped to ease the pain, I imagine.

[Beastlymac]

We have k1's shipping in three weeks that can be clocked up to 450mh/s. They are also cheaper. Group buy is here https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=254358.0

Precisely 14 microseconds after the first one of these is actually delivered, the price of the Asicminer product will magically drop to match it in price/performance.

Yes they probably will but the k1 can still be clocked higher than the block eruptor USB.

My couple usb erupters are already too hot to touch if there's not a fan blowing over them.  Not sure what temps would be like on an overclocked unit of similar size.

The avalon chip is cooler than the asicminer chip