Batch
Also called: production batch, shipping batch
A batch is a production lot of ASIC miners. It indicates the planned manufacturing or delivery period, especially for pre-orders.
In the mining world, a batch is a lot of machines manufactured and shipped together by the manufacturer. ASIC makers such as Bitmain, MicroBT and Canaan often sell their new models in several successive batches, each tied to a planned delivery month. That is why you see offers reading "March batch" or "June batch delivery".
The batch matters for two reasons. First, it gives an idea of when the machine will be available: a pre-order on a distant batch means waiting several weeks or months, during which the network difficulty keeps changing. Second, two batches of the same model can show small differences, such as a revision of the chips, the control board or the stock firmware.
On a product page, check whether the machine is in stock or on pre-order, and which batch it belongs to. For a used machine, the batch or the manufacturing date printed on the label helps estimate its age and the remaining warranty. A machine already in stock removes this uncertainty about lead time.
In our ASIC collection, feel free to ask us for a machine's batch before ordering.