Asus creating the uber miner barebones?

[nelisky]

http://event.asus.com/server/2011/esc4000/

I'm not sure about heat dissipation, but it does have 8 PCIe x16 slots and 1400W PSU with optional redundant extra PSU...

[Sukrim]

....and space for only 4 GPUs as well as Dual-Socket CPU support (which is crazy expensive).

Nice idea, but in 4U and with a bit different hardware focus it might be more interesting.

Most minig rigs look like a bunch of hardware plugged wildly together though, so I wonder if at current prices anyone would consider something like that just for some nice looks. If BTC <--> USD climbs to 20 USD per BTC soon (= within the next difficulty increase) this might be an option though.

[MysteryMiner]

I see only four slots for double slot videocards. And yes, it is meant for GPU calculations in first place, thats why it is preconfigured with Tesla cards. I can imagine how these machines can be stacked for serious computing power and maximum of 50 bitcoins every 10 minutes.

If BTC <--> USD climbs to 20 USD per BTC soon (= within the next difficulty increase) this might be an option though.

Bitcoin price is not tied to difficulty. Only available supply and demand for bitcoins drives the price.

[nelisky]

That is all true and under the proposed config / price tag it makes little sense. But we're talking major player almost getting it, imo, so getting a 4 PCIe card with single low end CPU is not something they'd think of without 'stepping out of the box'... but the 2U case with place for 2 PSUs is there, think 2x750 which is cheaper than 1x1400.

Does anyone know anyone on Asus R&D?

[Sukrim]

Bitcoin price is not tied to difficulty. Only available supply and demand for bitcoins drives the price.

Yes, but mining payoff depends on price and many people (still!) assume, that if difficulty grows, price will go up too.

With the next increase in difficulty, if the price stays stable at ~6-8 USD/BTC, mining starts to get quite close to being unprofitable - even with low electricity costs.


Back on topic, it might however really be an interesting solution to have a 4U case (or any other "Desktop"-style case) with 8 GPUs arranged like in this case in the rear connected via PCIe extenders/multipliers.

[CydeWeys]

With the next increase in difficulty, if the price stays stable at ~6-8 USD/BTC, mining starts to get quite close to being unprofitable - even with low electricity costs.

That's not necessarily true.  If you're mining on hardware you already have then it's still quite profitable.  Is it profitable to put together entire new systems for the sole purpose of mining?  No.

[Sukrim]

Well, at a difficulty of 400000, 100MH/s give you ~25 bitcents per day.
Times 6 to 8 = 1.5 to 2 USD/day
You need to know your Watt per MH/s ratio yourself, but a ratio of 1 (including other peripherals/CPU/RAM...) is already quite ok.

This would mean that you use up 4*2.4 kWh to mine 1 BTC --> 9.6 kWh need to be worth less than 6-8 USD.

You can also do these calculations backwards to see at which difficulty you pay more just for electricity than what you get in BTC.