As Litecoin (LTC) becomes more and more popular, many people are looking for the most suitable miner to mine it. In this article, we will review Bitmain’s Antminer L3+, which offers better value for most, especially considering lower power draw and purchase cost.
Antminer L3+ Review: Summary
Litecoin ASIC miners are hardware components dedicated to mining the Scrypt algorithm. Based on the BM1485 chip is Bitmain’s Antminer L3+, a newer version of the Antminer L3. The Antminer L3+ is way ahead of the competition when it comes to hashrate vs. power draw and price.
If you already own an Antminer L3, you can proceed to our beginner’s guide to Litecoin mining. Equally important, before buying Litecoin mining hardware, make sure you use a Litecoin mining profitability calculator to see if, overall, you can make a profit mining Litecoin.
Antminer L3/L3+ Overview
The Antminer L3 Scrypt miner was the first Bitmain ASIC miner designed to mine Litecoin. Its release into the market dealt a deadly blow to the competition, Innosilicon’s A4 The Dominator.
However, Antminer L 3 was quickly sold out on Bitmain’s store, and today there are very slim chances you will be able to get your hands on one—your best chances are looking for the used ones on eBay.
Bitmain Antminer L3+ is essentially an L3 with twice the hash rate and twice the power draw.
Both L3 types use the same BM1485 chips, so the L3+ is essentially two L3s boxed together. In the following chapters, I will review the Antminer L3+ by comparing it to older models and competing products.
The Antminer L3 Profitability in 2026
Let’s have a straightforward look at how viable the L3 types are today:
- Antminer L3+: With electricity at $0.10/kWh, users see daily losses of up to –$1.9, depending on the pool.
- Antminer L3++: Just slightly faster but still unprofitable in most cases—typically, –$1.49/day, or –$44.70/month.
Bitmain Antminer L3+ Efficiency
The most important comparison criteria for a miner is efficiency, which measures the miner’s hashrate VS. its power usage. Greater hashrate will get you more of a return but entails more power costs, which can end up eating your earnings.
An efficient miner gets you better hashrate for less power.
Bitmain Antminer L3+ boasts a hashrate of ~504 MH/s for a power consumption of 800W. For comparison, its retired competitor, the A4 Dominator by Innosilicon, was able to deliver a hashrate of 280 MH/s for 1050 watts, which is about half the hashrate for 30% more power draw.
Interestingly enough, the A4+ “LTCMaster”, Innosilicon’s latest Scrypt mining ASIC, performs better than the L3+, with a hashrate of 620MH/s for a power consumption of 750W.
However, the LTCMaster’s price is at least four times the price of the L3+, so it might take you a significant amount of time before you get a positive ROI on it.
Bottom line: Raw hashrate doesn’t tell the full story; you need to seek efficiency. All things considered, the L3+ has an advantage compared to other Scrypt miners.
Antminer L3+ Specifications: Weight and Size
The L3+ shipping weight is ~5 kgs, making it fairly chunky compared to the A4+’s ~4 kgs. This difference might not look like much when sitting on the rack; however, when calculating shipping costs (especially for multiple items), this makes the L3+ significantly more expensive.
The L3+ is a bit bigger (352mm*130mm*187.5mm) than the LTCMaster (350mm*125mm*155mm). This is another thing to consider when deciding how to stack your rack.
Still, when taking into consideration the very uncompetitive price difference, the L3+ is still the leading choice.
Litecoin Mining Hardware Profitability
A very important step before you decide if it’s a good time to buy your miner is to test it for profitability. To do that, you can use a Litecoin mining calculator.
Just fill in the data for your hardware’s price, electricity costs, and the miner’s specs as they appear on the manufacturer’s page. The outcome of your possible return per these parameters will appear below the calculator.
Conclusion: Antminer Litecoin Mining
The Antminer L3+ is a very solid all-around performer when it comes to mining Litecoin. In terms of efficiency, it’s nearly identical to the newer, more powerful Innosilicon A4+ LTCMaster.
With the price difference at the time of writing, it’s quite clear that the L3+ is still the “best cash for hash” miner out there.
A final word of advice: 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, as it involves a significant initial investment. Don’t invest more than you can afford to lose.
See also:
Antminer L3+
Pros
- Great miner efficiency
Cons
- Not the most efficient miner
- Currently not profitable for most people
FAQs
Is Antminer L3+ the best choice for Litecoin mining?
Overall, the L3+ offers better value for most, especially considering lower power draw and purchase cost.
What's the best Litecoin mining hardware in 2026?
The best Litecoin mining hardware in 2026 includes Bitmain Antminer L9, VolcMiner D1, ElphaPex DG1+, and Goldshell DG Max. Do your research and consider your options—after all, the choice is yours.
Is mining Litecoin profitable in 2026?
Yes, if you have access to inexpensive energy and strong ASIC miners.
Is the Antminer L3+ still profitable?
Let’s be honest about Antminer L3+ profitability: Not under typical electricity costs—most miners break even only in locations with subsidized or free power.
How does the L3++ compare to the L3+?
The L3++ offers ~580 MH/s but consumes more power (~942 W), which translates to similar or worse profitability.
Should I buy a used L3+?
Yes. Its lower cost makes the “hash per dollar” value hard to beat if electricity is cheap, but always run the numbers using a mining profitability calculator.
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