The Top 5 Things to Consider about Bitmain’s Antminer L3

In the Bitcoin universe, Bitmain is famous for producing the fastest and most efficient ASIC rigs available. Known for their innovative L3+ Scyrpt miners, the manufacturer has recently expanded its prowess into the Litecoin mining market. Unsurprisingly, their powerful Litecoin products still offer the best hash-to-cash ratio, although the L3 sold out quickly. Fortunately, Bitmain offers miners a new and improved model - the L3+. The Top 5 Things to Consider about Bitmain’s Antminer L3+ Rarely, you may be able to find an old 2.5 kg L3+ being sold on eBay, but don’t bet on it. While both the new and old-school versions use the same BM1485 chips, the L3+ is essentially the same rig as its predecessor with twice the hashrate and half the power requirements. Either way, it’s still tough to decide which one to buy. To direct your choice, consider the following points:

1. Both the Antminer L3 and L3+ Have Competitive Hashrates With an approximate 255 MH/s hashrate, the L3+ is strong and impressive. In fact, it surpasses the approximate 280 MH/s of the Dominator by Innosilicon and smashes the approximate 504 MH/s hashrate of the L3+. However, that’s only half the story. Whether you opt for the original L3 or the newly designed L3+, you’ll still get better efficiency than other miners on the market (especially the A4, the KnC Titan, or any of the remaining GPU rigs out there). This superior efficiency produces a considerable profit margin, given that you find an L3 model with a reasonable price tag. NOTE: In one year, the L3+ could potentially make as many as 183 LTC (about $8641 USD). Although achieving those results is somewhat unlikely, Litecoin’s difficulty will probably rise as more products like the L3+ become available.

2. The Antminer L3 Consumes Less Electricity According to calculations, the modest power consumption of the L3 is affordable if not surprising. On average, it should only amount to about 10% of your gross profits. Comparatively speaking, the L3 is twice as energy efficient as the A4 Dominator which burns approximately 1000 watts to achieve an unimpressive 280MH/s. The L3 boasts a similar hashrate (albeit slightly better) from consuming only 400 watts of electricity. Over time, that savings translates into increased revenue. On the other hand, the L3+ consumes about 800 watts to get around 500 MH/s - essentially, double the power of the original L3 for double the hashrate. The L3+ doesn’t come with its own power supply unit (PSU), so it’s best you get an electrically-efficient one before attempting to run it. The PSU needs at least five 6-pin connectors and requires plenty of extra capacity. The manufacturer recommends between 600 watts and 750 watts for best results. NOTE: Efficiency also depends on the PSU’s performance.

3. Antminer L3s are Lightweight and Compact With a weight of just 2.5 kilograms (or about 5 ½ pounds), the Antminer L3+ is much lighter than the 9.2 kg (or 20 pound) A4 Dominator. The L3+, at a still somewhat hefty 6.5 kg (or 14 pounds), weighs in somewhere down the middle of the two, making the original L3 the winner, even with its packaging included. The reduced weight also cuts down on shipping costs and promotes safer stacking, especially when multiple miners are in use. The L3 is super compact as well, with dimensions as small as 23 cm x 13.5cm x 16 cm. Compared to the larger A4, which measures 28 cm x 26 cm x 13 cm, it’s relatively tiny. However, the L3+ is the biggest of the three, coming in at a chunky 35 cm x 13 cm x 19 cm. Depending on your space, it may be pertinent to consider the size of the rig you choose.

4. The L3s Are Quiet (by Comparison) With a single-fan design, Bitmain’s L3+ is both pretty quiet when compared to other models. The lowered decibels - about 60dB - are far less obtrusive than the dual fan L3+ model which emits around 75-95 dB, depending on its ambient temperature. Don’t mistake the lowered decibels for complete silence, however. It’s not quiet enough to run in the background while you sleep, but then again, it won’t keep your neighbors up all night either.

5. Antminers Are Expensive Because They Are Scarce Unless you pre-ordered your rig, you won’t find an Antminer L3 or L3+ for less than a few thousand dollars. Because of the miners’ scarcity, some online marketers will gouge prices, charging customers far more than Bitmain does. Beware of scam sites as well, which promise Scrypt ASICs but never deliver, and buy your rig from reputable dealers only.

In addition, it wouldn’t be wise to pay more than $1000-$2000 for the L3+ due to its relative power. However, depending on where you buy it, the rig may take weeks to ship. Still, Bitmain offers a limited 90-day warranty on both the L3+ and the upcoming L3+ when you buy directly from them, and financing is usually available through a third party for those who qualify. Disclosure: This article was written by TopCryptoMiners.com. All Rights Reserved. Contact 786-471-0568 for more information or email us at Support@TopCryptoMiners.com.