$599 is quite expensive, I reliaze you need to make a profit but not $300 worth.
Just to address this issue of price, I want it to be known that our profit margin is extremely slim.
From the gold trace 4 layer PCB's to the $40 top of the line fan on the cooling system we did not skimp anywhere.
Not to mention the fact these boards are assembled in the USA, and include free express usps overnight shipping.
You might be able to manufacture these boards slightly cheaper than we are but they would have to be done in another country and with cheaper parts.
for $600 your getting an extremely well made product, with a 5 day build time.
If anyone is interested in 10 or 15 day build times I may be able to lower the price a little.
Thats the only way to get the price down, either that or a huge order at one time, but as we all know time is of the essence.
These boards cost me almost $400 each assembled and that is before the cooling system parts, and the time spent to load firmware , package and ship them out. When all is said in done we are making less than $100 profit per board, we are not doing this to get rich, we are doing it to provide a solution to the community to utilize these BFL chips in the best fashion possible. I have personallly purchased hundreds of these chips and have my own stake in this.
I hope this clears some mis-conceptions up.
If someone claims they can make these boards for $200-$300 they dont know what they are talking about. Sure I can provide a cheap PCB and use the lowest priced cheap chinese parts and assembly and save some money but your units wont hash long enough to even ROI in that scenario plus you will have to wait longer to get the unit which threaten ROI even further.
For people outside North America - you will need to talk to your sales rep Lucko about his assembly plant at what they can offer you.
thanks for listening!
-JJ
btw: for the cooling system we use these heatsinks
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/18193/(one over each cluster of chips)
and this fan which is distance bolted over the whole thing:
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8147/fan-500/Delta_Mega_Fast_120mm_x_38mm_Fan_-_252_CFM_-_Bare_Lead_PFB1212UHE-F00.html?tl=g36c15s562we even put little "feet" on the boards like this:
http://de.farnell.com/hammond/1421t2/feet-stick-on-pk24/dp/1876514