The Antminer L3+ is Bitmain’s classic Scrypt miner — the machine that powered a generation of Litecoin and Dogecoin mining. Unlike the Bitcoin-mining S- and T-series, the L3+ runs the Scrypt algorithm on the BM1485 chip, delivering about 504 MH/s at roughly 800 W, for an efficiency near 1.6 J/MH. It is long retired from the cutting edge, but L3+ units are abundant and cheap on the secondary market, and they remain a popular entry point into Scrypt mining and tinkering. This guide gives the real specs and internals, written from D-Central’s bench experience servicing these units.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | Antminer L3+ |
| Manufacturer | Bitmain |
| Algorithm | Scrypt (Litecoin / Dogecoin) |
| ASIC chip | BM1485 (12 Scrypt cores per chip) |
| Hashrate | 504 MH/s |
| Power draw | 800 W |
| Efficiency | ~1.6 J/MH |
| Hash boards / chips | 4 boards · 72 chips per board (288 total) |
| Release | 2017 |
| Dimensions | 352 × 130 × 187.5 mm |
| Weight | 4.4 kg |
| Board voltage | ~12 V |
| Operating range | 0–40°C |
Antminer L3+ specifications, explained
Hash rate and algorithm
The L3+ produces about 504 MH/s on the Scrypt algorithm. Scrypt is fundamentally different from the SHA-256 used by Bitcoin miners: it is memory-hard, so each hashing core needs its own SRAM scratchpad. That is why the BM1485 has only 12 cores per chip — the die is dominated by memory, not logic — and why Scrypt machines are measured in MH/s rather than the TH/s of Bitcoin ASICs. The L3+ mines Litecoin, and by extension Dogecoin, which is merge-mined alongside Litecoin.
Power and efficiency
At roughly 800 W the L3+’s efficiency is about 1.6 J/MH. It is a comparatively low-power machine by ASIC standards, which is part of why it stayed popular for home and hobby use long after it left the efficiency frontier. Whether it earns anything today depends entirely on the Litecoin/Dogecoin price, network difficulty, and your electricity rate.
Chip and hash-board architecture
The L3+ is built on the BM1485 across four hash boards, with 72 chips per board (288 chips total). On each board the chips are wired into series-powered voltage domains, with groups of chips sharing a regulated supply. As on Bitmain’s Bitcoin miners, that means a single failed chip can pull down its domain and silence a chain — the most common failure to diagnose on an aging L3+.
Cooling and environment
The L3+ uses front-to-back forced-air cooling and is rated for 0–40°C operation. It is more compact and a little quieter than a full-size Bitcoin miner, but it is still an industrial machine — plan for noise and ventilation, and keep the boards clean to extend their life.
Firmware and the open Scrypt ecosystem
One important difference for the L3+: the modern third-party autotuning firmware ecosystem — the projects pioneered by Braiins and carried forward by the wider community — targets SHA-256 Antminers, not Scrypt machines like the L3+. There is no broad custom-firmware scene for the L3+ comparable to what exists for the S19 generation, so tuning options are limited mostly to the stock interface and pool configuration. On the open-hardware side, the Scrypt equivalent of the open Bitcoin-mining movement is community work like the LiteAxe project, which adapts the BM1485 into open, hackable Scrypt hardware — a direct descendant of the open-source ethos behind devices like the Bitaxe, and worth following if you enjoy building.
D-Central’s own firmware work, DCENT_OS, is an open-source (GPL-3.0) project for SHA-256 Antminers and does not cover the Scrypt L3+. We mention it only so the line is clear: this page is about the L3+ as it actually is, not a pitch to flash something that does not exist for it.
Owning and repairing an L3+
We have serviced L3+ units on our Laval bench for years, and they are among the more forgiving Antminers to repair: simple boards, a well-understood chip, and abundant donor parts. When a board drops a chain or a unit stops hashing, we publish transparent flat-rate ASIC repair pricing, and we will tell you honestly when a low-value machine like the L3+ is past the point of being worth fixing. Tested refurbished units turn up in our shop from time to time. We build to order and stock lean, so availability of any given legacy model varies.
FAQ
What is the Antminer L3+’s hashrate and power consumption?
The Antminer L3+ produces about 504 MH/s on the Scrypt algorithm while drawing roughly 800 W, for an efficiency of about 1.6 J/MH.
What coins can the Antminer L3+ mine?
The L3+ mines Scrypt coins — primarily Litecoin, and Dogecoin by extension, since Dogecoin is merge-mined alongside Litecoin. It cannot mine Bitcoin, which uses SHA-256.
What chip does the Antminer L3+ use?
The L3+ uses Bitmain’s BM1485 Scrypt ASIC, which has 12 cores per chip. The miner carries 288 chips across four hash boards (72 per board).
Can the Antminer L3+ run custom firmware like BraiinsOS?
No. The modern autotuning firmware ecosystem targets SHA-256 Antminers, not Scrypt machines like the L3+, so there is no broad custom-firmware scene for it. Open Scrypt hardware interest centres on community projects such as LiteAxe rather than firmware for the L3+ itself.
Is the Antminer L3+ worth running in 2026?
It depends entirely on the Litecoin/Dogecoin price, network difficulty, and your electricity rate. Units are cheap and easy to repair, which keeps the L3+ popular for home and hobby Scrypt mining, but it is a legacy machine, not a serious earner at typical power prices.
