Acorn M.2 FPGA based GPU Accelerator

[Hueristic]

My understanding is that the X2 and X4 nests serve the same basic function, i.e. hosting multiple Acorns on a single x8/x16 PCIe. So I don't understand why the X2 has USB connectors but the X4 doesn't. Wouldn't it be just as helpful to connect your X4 nest via 4x USBs as it would for the X2?

They don’t serve the same function.

The 2 card works well with boards that don’t have lots of USB ports.


The four card is designed for boards that have lots of ports.


The 2 card is really good for threadripper boards which are short ports.

The four card is good for 1 full slot board with 13 ports.

I have a threadripper 1920 board it can do only five cards.

Add 1 two port jumps me to eight cards.
Add 2 two port jumps me to eleven cards.

And the four port does not help with this board.

I guess if you have a threadripper and the four card added lots of ports you may want it over the two port.
So I can see you complaint.

This makes no sense to me. How is the number of USB ports on the mobo relevant? I thought this was all about pcie lanes and x8/x16 connections.

Yah I don't think it has anything to do with usb ports on the mobo.  As mentioned higher, I'm sure the reason is due to the increased cost of shoving 4 m.2 ports and 4 usb ports on the same card!

Yes, I believe they are referring to the cost of the controller chip that provides the interface of the m.2 ports and usb. Usually a newer chip with higher functionality has a higher cost, that will come down shortly I'm sure.

[philipma1957]

so nest egg 2 with 2 acorns 215+ right.

now do i need to use the usb ports on it?? is that the purpose. to not use the 1x risers and just plug right into the usb vs the 1x adapter?

or am i missing it. cause honestly this whole thing is very very very.......... something ..

but as a serious buyer i need a lil guiding light if u can shine on how i would go about setting it up.

no I think  you are in need of 1

 4 card with 4 acorns


your board has tons of usb ports.

you have no need of   more of them

and I believe  that you board has a full slot that is 16x  so it can handle  4 acorns fully  and spread their power to all the usb jacks your board has.

But I could be wrong  so you may want to wait.

Now While I am pretty sure I am right about that board let me link the board.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2W06P37326

so is this your board?


http://www.biostar-usa.com/app/en%2Dus/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=884#specification


a 4 card  should be better with that board.  but I could be wrong as I often am.

[ZedZedNova]

so nest egg 2 with 2 acorns 215+ right.

now do i need to use the usb ports on it?? is that the purpose. to not use the 1x risers and just plug right into the usb vs the 1x adapter?

or am i missing it. cause honestly this whole thing is very very very.......... something ..

but as a serious buyer i need a lil guiding light if u can shine on how i would go about setting it up.

no I think  you are in need of 1

 4 card with 4 acorns


your board has tons of usb ports.

you have no need of   more of them

and I believe  that you board has a full slot that is 16x  so it can handle  4 acorns fully  and spread their power to all the usb jacks your board has.

But I could be wrong  so you may want to wait.

Now While I am pretty sure I am right about that board let me link the board.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2W06P37326

so is this your board?


http://www.biostar-usa.com/app/en%2Dus/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=884#specification


a 4 card  should be better with that board.  but I could be wrong as I often am.

What? That's not right. (the line in bold above, re: the USB ports)

The USB ports on the Next X2G are not actually USB, but rather PCIEx1 that just happen to use USB cables to connect to normal USB-type riser cards. Think of the USB ports on the Nest like they are USB ports on PCIEx1 adapters for risers.

Take a look at this image:

The USB ports on the Nest X2G are like the port that is circled in red.

The whole idea of the Nest X2g is to use the two Acorns to accelerate GPUs on risers plugged into the ports on the next without having to eat up PCIE slots on the mobo. How many USB ports you have on you mobo doesn't mean anything in the context of Nests an Acorns.

[androstan1234]

Product was supposedly shipped on Monday. Anyone received anything?

[gamegenie]

Product was supposedly shipped on Monday. Anyone received anything?

ACORNS have not been shipped yet.

[NiklasFalk]

How many USB ports you have on you mobo doesn't mean anything in the context of Nests an Acorns.

Except when you have a mining mobo with USB connectors instead of 1xPCIE slots

When in history were Mining GPUs connected to a real USB (x2 x3) connector (ignore eGPU through Thunderbolt)?   

[Exoskeleton]

Im still waiting on someone to actually test one of these before I buy one. More specifically I want to see how it runs on the new Verthash. Or if they even update their proprietary software to mine Verthash in a timely fashion. It was pretty disappointing to see that they only have a few algorithms running on it so far.

Basically the only reason for me to buy one of these was to mine Vertcoin. Ive been on it since day one and I'm looking forward to the move to Verthash more than I can say. It's the only coin I mine so until these units show they can help me mine VTC, as promised, Im out.

That being said. If they do ship these and they work as intended with Verthash support, Ill buy plenty of them. Plenty.

But first I'll need some solid benchmark proof. On Verthash. When/if its ever supported on their miner.

[ZedZedNova]

Im still waiting on someone to actually test one of these before I buy one. More specifically I want to see how it runs on the new Verthash. Or if they even update their proprietary software to mine Verthash in a timely fashion. It was pretty disappointing to see that they only have a few algorithms running on it so far.

Basically the only reason for me to buy one of these was to mine Vertcoin. Ive been on it since day one and I'm looking forward to the move to Verthash more than I can say. It's the only coin I mine so until these units show they can help me mine VTC, as promised, Im out.

That being said. If they do ship these and they work as intended with Verthash support, Ill buy plenty of them. Plenty.

But first I'll need some solid benchmark proof. On Verthash. When/if its ever supported on their miner.

I've been watching the Acorn thread here and on Discord and I do not recall any talk about verthash at all.

[Exoskeleton]

I've been watching the Acorn thread here and on Discord and I do not recall any talk about verthash at all.

No, they never explicitly mentioned Verthash by name but they implied it. This was by stating that the benefit of buying an Acorn was that it could follow algorithm changes. That it was not some ASIC that would be stuck. VTC was the algo out of all that were listed to work that had any plans to change so I figured they were going to release new mining code optimized for it. We will see when Verthash is available what they have to say. If I can't mine VTC with it, Im out.

I know I am not alone expecting this. Almost all the GPU miners I know mined VTC until recently and are waiting for the Verthash fork to come back to it.

VTC will probably once again soon be the most profitable GPU coin to mine now that Nicehash will be nerfed. And it will be very, very ASIC resistant again.

[Iamtutut]

Still no bankcard payment on mineority, I'll have to pass.

[Xazax310]

Just received an Email about refunding my ETC I paid with for the Acorns. I was really excited to see something like this but now that it's 3+ ? months behind with very little communication unless you browse the bitcoin.talk forums or discord.

[gamegenie]

Still no bankcard payment on mineority, I'll have to pass.

Wouldn't a general purpose "Bank" card be just an ATM card?  Those are hardly offered as accepted online payments.
I rarely ask for those cards since you can only use them at mainly brick and mortars checking out and supplying your PIN number at purchase.

You should be able to electronically transfer money to Mineority for payment from your Bank's online account services.

[Iamtutut]

My bank card I mean visa / mastercard.

Wire transfer between EU and US is more and more a pain in the ass due to over regulation.

I don't spend crypto to buy stuff, I do FIAT -> Crypto for investment purposes.

[gamegenie]

My bank card I mean visa / mastercard.

Wire transfer between EU and US is more and more a pain in the ass due to over regulation.

I don't spend crypto to buy stuff, I do FIAT -> Crypto for investment purposes.

I understand now.  Here we call those VISA/mastercard issued bank cards "Debit" cards.  Since they can be used anywhere where VISA/Mastercard credit-cards are accepted and they will withdraw directly from your bank as oppose to an actual credit-card.  

The problem I read up on this is that most merchants that sell mining hardware cannot offer credit-cards as transaction choices since credit-card companies refuse to accept transactions that involved anything to do with cryptocurrencies including hardware that help distribute it  

They've drawn the line in the sand as they clearly see cryptocurrency as something that make them become extinct.

[ZedZedNova]

They've drawn the line in the sand as they clearly see cryptocurrency as something that make them become extinct.

That may be true in some cases, but I suspect the real reasons have more to do with the level of fraud on both sides of the transaction(s) (i.e.: seller really did not deliver; or buyer claims the seller did not deliver even when they did), as well as liability in an uncertain regulatory environment. Some countries have accepted (some) crypto currencies as legitimate forms of payment, while others have taken a "wait and see" stance, and others have banned it outright.

From the perspective of the banks, there just is not enough reward to justify the risk at this point in time. That could change in the future, but for now, all we've got is a big can of nope.

[cbrrider]

I feel like alot of these FPGA devs make prototype's that show promise, but either cant bring it to fruit or the technology as it stands now just isn't the golden goose people think it is. I think its a little bit of the latter and the fact the market tanked by 50% since these guys started development. People are gonna get these things and go.."Wtf why did I pay 400 bucks for a 'nest' when the damn thing is making 75 cents a day?".

Anyway, I just have a bad feeling that there's gonna be alot of disappointed people when these things finally ship.  I do hope I get proved wrong though. FPGA's are pretty dope.

[philipma1957]

Well  they were due in august it is november   a 90 day delay.

I would have no problem  but now all the bigger more powerful fpga's arrived making these lessor acorns worth less.

I am glad I took the refund.  Which they paid to me in full.

[mfurman]

Well  they were due in august it is november   a 90 day delay.

I would have no problem  but now all the bigger more powerful fpga's arrived making these lessor acorns worth less.

I am glad I took the refund.  Which they paid to me in full.

Well, said. I agree with you completely. Time is everything in crypto mining

[vapourminer]

Well  they were due in august it is november   a 90 day delay.

I would have no problem  but now all the bigger more powerful fpga's arrived making these lessor acorns worth less.

I am glad I took the refund.  Which they paid to me in full.

the word on discord looks to imply shipping this week. we shall see.

my initial orders in mid july were for two 215+, a 101 and a nest2x . so hoping im earlyish in the que if they ship in order of purchase.

EDIT: viewing my orders just now the acorns show "September batch" heh

[styleshifter]

They started to ship the BCU-1525.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjpLhY6hnII