Antminer L3+ Review 2023 – Is It Worth It

As becomes more and more popular, many people are looking for the most suitable miner to mine it. In this post I will review Bitmain’s Antminer L3+, the world’s most popular Scrypt miner, so read on.

Antminer L3+ Technical Specifications

Antminer L3+ Review Brief Introduction

1. First, pay attention to our Bitmain Antminer L3 review. Here you can find useful information on how to mine Litecoin using this Scrypt miner.
2. Then, to make sure you can make a profit from mining hardware, you should check it out on the Litecoin profit calculator. It is best to do this BEFORE you buy the equipment.
3. The Antminer L3+ uses the BM1485 chip, unlike its older model, the Antminer L3. Its hardware components are Litecoin ASIC miners. They are used to mine the Scrypt algorithm. Its noise level is 70db.

This is the most concise information you need to know. Below we are pleased to present you with a more detailed review.

Antminer L3/L3+ Overview

The release of the Antminer L3 Scrypt revolutionized the mining hardware world. It was Bitmain’s first miner for Litecoin mining. But the fact that it was Bitmain’s first product of its kind did not stop it from crushing its competitors.

Today L3 can only be found in resale because all copies of this mining gear were sold out, and the company decided to go further. They released the Antminer L3 +.

They took the beloved L3 as a basis but improved it:

• Doubled the hash rate
• Doubled the power draw

Chips were left the same, already familiar to us, the BM1485. But the increase in performance is as if you were using two L3 in one package.

Below we will compare the Antminer L3+ with competitors and older products.

Antminer L3+ Size and Weight

Size and weight are important not only to calculate how much space the mining hardware will take on the shelf but also to understand the shipping costs.

Size of A4+ LTCMaster is 350mm * 125mm * 155mm. Antminer L3+ board dimensions are slightly higher — 350mm * 125mm * 155mm. This will help you calculate the correct dimensions for the shelves where your miners will be placed.

Also, Bitmain L3+ is slightly heavier than A4+. The former weighs about 5 kilograms, while the A4+ weighs only 4 kg. Not a big difference if you need to transfer a miner somewhere by yourself. But the difference is quite impressive if you want to order delivery or shipping of several products. This can significantly affect shipping costs.

Even so, the Antminer L3+ is still a better choice due to its pleasant price.

Antminer L3+ Efficiency

Let’s move on to the most important specifications of a miner — efficiency. Miner’s efficiency is expressed in hash rate VS. power consumption. Obviously, the higher the hash rate, the higher your return will be. But at the same time, greater hash rates ask for more power supply. This leads to an increase in power cost and a decrease in profit.

Let’s consider the hash rate in comparison with power consumption using specific examples:

• Antminer L3+ — hash rate is 504 MH/s, power consumption is 800W;
• A4 Dominator — hash rate is 280 MH/s, power consumption is 1050W;
• A4+ hash rate is 620 MH/s, and power consumption is 750W.

But only bare indicators of average hash rate and power efficiency will not give us a full-fledged picture. Yes, we can definitely say that A4 Dominator’s electricity consumption is 30% higher. But concerning A4+, everything is not so evident. This latest Scrypt mining ASIC shows significantly better power efficiency, but the price of these Litecoin miners plays a big role, too. A4+ costs almost 4 times more than Antminer L3+. Therefore, to get a positive ROI, you will have to spend a significant amount of time.

Therefore, according to these indicators, Antminer L3+ outperforms compared competitors.

Litecoin Mining Hardware Profitability

The next item in our Antminer L3+ review will be the profitability report.

Perhaps this is one of the most important factors when buying a Litecoin (or Bitcoin) miner. It is not hard to check profitability; just use a Litecoin mining calculator.

In its work, the calculator uses the following indicators:

• Difficulty Factor
• Hash rate
• LTC / USD Exchange Rate
• LTC / lock Reward
• Pool fees
• Hardware Cost
• Power
• Power cost

The user must indicate the hash rate and fill in the last 4 lines if one has this information. Use the data listed on the product page on the manufacturer’s website. After you have entered the data, the calculator will calculate the outcome of your possible return.

But That’s Not All

If you ask us if LTC mining profitable, we will most likely answer “maybe.” Why not give a clear answer? Because investment decisions depend on many factors. For instance, judging by the statistics of December 2020, with a power cost of 10 cents per 1 KW, LTC mining was not a profitable business.

Access to cheap electricity and a cool place (or a powerful fan, but this again increases consumption) is very important for profit.

Your calculation will only be relevant at the time you receive it because electricity prices change. And to our regret, they usually only grow.

In addition, the calculation does not take into account the costs of extra equipment:

• Cooling fan
• Power supply unit (PSU)

To get a figure that reflects a complete reality, you need to take into account all the points, problems, and factors, as the price for a miner is just a part of your costs.

Should I Get the Antminer L3+?

The Antminer L3+ is a very solid all-round performer. In terms of efficiency, it’s nearly identical to the newer, more powerful Innosilicon’s A4+ LTCMaster .

With the price difference at the time of writing (pre-owned L3+ can be found at as low as $190 while the A4+ doesn’t go lower than $1,100 on Amazon), it’s quite clear that the L3+ is still the “best cash for hash” miner out there.

In May 2018 Bitmain released the Antminer l3++, their most advanced Scrypt miner up-to-date. However, most reviews of this model are mixed, with the main complaint being that this is just a new firmware for the L3+ rather than an actual new model.

Since the hardware is virtually identical to the L3+, this may well be the case. Before spending all your hard earned money on mining hardware, make sure to run the numbers on a Litecoin mining profitability calculator. Mining is a risky business, it involves a significant initial investment. Don’t invest more than you can afford to lose.

To Sum Up

At the end of our review, we would like to say that the most important rule for obtaining a positive experience in mining (regardless of which currency person is mining — Litecoin, Bitcoin, or some others) is not to invest more money than one can afford to lose. Mining is a risky business that depends on many factors, most of which are beyond the control of the miner. Therefore, it must be treated with caution.

Specifically, Antminer L3+ is a good and reliable setup. It even matches the newer Scrypt mining ASIC from LTCMaster in terms of efficiency. That being said, the A4+ price is significantly higher than the Antminer L3+ price.

Even when compared with the next unit variation Antminer L3++, judging by the reviews, L3+ wins. And L3++ is the same variation but in new firmware.

If you still have any questions regarding L3+, do not hesitate to contact Bitmain customer support. People working there will honestly tell you about other L3 + features and answer your questions. We hope our review gave you the idea of Antminer ​​L3+.

FAQs