A space heater burns about 1,500 watts to warm a room, and that is all it does. A home Bitcoin miner uses those same watts as heat, and it hashes while it works. Almost every watt becomes warmth. A useful rule of thumb: 1 kilowatt is about 3,412 BTU per hour.
The question is which miner you actually want sitting in that room this winter.
We sell more than one answer. Canaan's Avalon Q puts up to 90 TH/s in a desktop-sized case. The Avalon Nano 3S is a compact 6 TH/s heater for a shelf. Our best seller this fall, by a wide margin, was the Magic Miner 40T: people bought 356 of them from us in the last 60 days. It runs up to 50 TH/s in Turbo, and it is the one we keep recommending for most homes.
The Magic Miner 40T versus Canaan's Avalon Q, plus the Avalon Nano 3S if you want something smaller.
Heat plus hashrate, in plain terms
A miner does one job, very hard, all day. The energy leaves as heat, moved into the room by the fans. Wattage is the number that matters for heating. Hashrate is what you are mining with. Efficiency, in J/TH, tells you how many watts you spend for each terahash. When a machine has Eco, Standard, and Turbo modes, you are choosing how much heat, and how much hashrate, you want in that room.
A typical plug-in space heater is around 1,500 watts, or about 5,100 BTU/h. None of the machines below replace a furnace. Think of them as a steady boost for one room, a garage, or a basement. Electricity still costs money, mining income varies, and a solo block is rare. Buy a miner because you want to mine. Treat the heat as a useful side effect.
The comparison
Figures below use the rated or standard numbers published for each machine, except the 40T hashrate and $/TH, which also show Turbo. Heat output uses 3,412 BTU/h per kilowatt. Prices are current Helium Deploy prices. $/TH is list price divided by that hashrate.
| Model | Hashrate | Power | Efficiency | Noise | Heat (BTU/h) | Price | $/TH | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic Miner 40T | Up to 50 TH/s Turbo (Standard 40 / Eco 30) | 650W (Eco 450 / Turbo 850) | ~16 J/TH | ~50 dB in Eco | 2,218 (1,535 / 2,900) | $799 | $16/TH Turbo, $20/TH Standard | Helium Deploy |
| Canaan Avalon Q | 90 TH/s | 1,674W (modes 800 to 1,600W) | 18.6 J/TH | 45 to 65 dB | 5,712 | $1,349* | ~$15/TH | Helium Deploy |
| Avalon Mini 3 | 37.5 TH/s | 800W max | 21.3 J/TH | 33 to 55 dB | 2,730 | $1,150 | $30.67/TH | Helium Deploy |
| Harlo B30 | 30 TH/s Turbo (24 / 18) | 485W (350 / 230) | 16.2 J/TH Turbo (14.6 / 12.8) | ~50 dB | 1,655 (1,194 / 785) | $899 | $29.97/TH (30T) | Helium Deploy |
| Hammer Thor P2 | ~10 TH/s OC (~6.6 to 6.8 normal) | ~166W OC (~70 to 88 normal) | ~16.6 J/TH at OC | ~40 dB | 566 (239 to 300) | $385 | $38.50/TH (OC) | Helium Deploy |
| Avalon Nano 3S | 6 TH/s | 140W | ~23.3 J/TH | 30 to 40 dB | 478 | $250 | $41.67/TH | Helium Deploy |
*Our Avalon Q listing is $1,349. Canaan's official store lists it at $1,888. Check the product page for availability. The Nano 3S efficiency figure is 140W at 6 TH/s, from Canaan's published power and hashrate. $/TH uses our listed prices. For the 40T, $20/TH is Standard (40 TH/s) and $16/TH is Turbo (50 TH/s).
Why the Magic Miner 40T wins for most homes
The Avalon Q looks stronger if you only read the top line. 90 TH/s is more than twice the 40T's rated hashrate. It also draws 1,674 watts, costs more, and asks more of your electrical panel. For a house, the 40T is the better default.
Standard mode puts about 2,200 BTU/h into the room, on a normal household circuit.
Efficiency. The 40T is rated at about 16 J/TH at 40 TH/s and 650W. The Avalon Q is 18.6 J/TH. The Mini 3 is 21.3 J/TH. You get more hashrate for each watt, every hour the machine is on.
Modes you can actually live with. Eco is 30 TH/s at 450W. Standard is 40 TH/s at 650W. Turbo is 50 TH/s at 850W, and that overclock voids the warranty, so treat it as optional. Those steps fit a normal household circuit. The Q's modes run 800W, 1,300W, and 1,600W. That is a different class of load.
Price. The 40T is $799. That is $20/TH at the rated 40 TH/s, or $16/TH if you run Turbo at 50 TH/s. The Avalon Q at our $1,349 listing is about $15/TH, a little cheaper per terahash than a single 40T. The 40T still wins on the check you write ($799 vs $1,349) and on efficiency (~16 J/TH vs 18.6). Buy two and take $100 off, and a pair is $1,498, or $749 each: $18.73/TH at Standard, and $15/TH in Turbo, about even with the Q. The Mini 3 is $1,150 for 37.5 TH/s, about $30.67/TH, and it uses more power. Canaan lists the Q at $1,888, about $21/TH.
Heat you can use. Standard mode puts about 2,200 BTU/h into a garage or basement. Eco is about 1,540 BTU/h. Turbo reaches about 2,900 BTU/h. That is real heat, without space-heater amperage. The Q at 1,674W is about 5,700 BTU/h, close to a 1,500W heater, which only helps if you have the room and the circuit.
What people actually bought. Over the last 60 days, the Magic Miner 40T was our best-selling home miner by a wide margin: 356 units. It sells in batches, and those batches move. It is a desktop tower with a built-in 1,400W power supply, Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and a rated Eco noise around 50 dB.
Buy 2 Magic Miner 40Ts, get $100 off.
$100 off applied automatically at checkout when you add 2 Magic Miner 40Ts. A pair is $1,498 instead of $1,598, or $749 each. That is $18.73/TH at Standard, or $15/TH in Turbo, about even with the Avalon Q's ~$15/TH.
If you want one miner this winter, start with the Magic Miner 40T.
Shop the Magic Miner 40T
Where the Avalon Q is the better fit
The Avalon Q is a serious home machine, and we carry it for a reason. Canaan built it as a professional-grade unit that still plugs into household power, including 110V. Choose it if you want 90 TH/s in one box, closer to space-heater heat (about 5,700 BTU/h at the 1,674W rating), and a circuit that can hold a continuous 1.7 kW load.
The Canaan Avalon Q: 90 TH/s at 1,674W, about 5,700 BTU/h. Plan on a 20-amp circuit on 120V, or a normal 230V circuit.
On 120V that is about 14 amps, more than a standard 15-amp circuit should carry all day. Plan on a 20-amp circuit, or a normal 230V circuit. Super mode can reach 65 dB, fine in a garage and loud for a living room. The floor of 45 dB is quieter if you run it that way.
How the Avalon Q stacks up as a home miner, from the HeliumDeploy YouTube channel.
If that is your setup, look at the Avalon Q and confirm stock on the product page. It is a good miner. It is just not the one most homes should start with.
Want something smaller? Look at Canaan
If the 40T is more machine than you need, you do not have to leave our shop. We also sell Canaan's home miners (you'll hear people say Cannon). Start with the Avalon Nano 3S, a portable heater that also mines.
The Avalon Nano 3S: 6 TH/s at 140W, about 480 BTU/h, $250. Quiet enough for a desk, at 30 to 40 dB.
It is rated at 6 TH/s and 140W, about 480 BTU/h, at $250. Canaan lists the noise at 30 to 40 dB, the quietest of this group. It will not heat a large room, and it is less efficient than the 40T, but on a desk or in a small office it is a compact way to get some warmth and some hashrate. Check the product page for availability, including region.
If you want something closer to the 40T's hashrate in Canaan's heater-first design, we also have the Avalon Mini 3.
The Avalon Mini 3: 37.5 TH/s at up to 800W, 21.3 J/TH, $1,150, with heater, mining, and night modes.
It uses more power than the 40T for slightly less rated hashrate, and it costs more.
Two other small options we sell a lot: the Hammer Miner Thor P2 at $385, about 10 TH/s at 166W in overclock (or 6.6 to 6.8 TH/s at 70 to 88W), at about 40 dB, and the Hammer Miner BC04 at $249, about 6 TH/s at 100W. The BC04 is the better 6 TH/s pick on electricity if you do not need the Nano 3S's heater design. The Thor P2 was our second best-selling miner this fall.
Room-by-room quick picks
A desk or a small office. Start with the Thor P2 or the Avalon Nano 3S. You will feel a little extra warmth, not a blast of heat, and both stay relatively quiet.
A living room or a den. Run the Magic Miner 40T in Eco (450W, about 1,540 BTU/h) or the Harlo B30 in Eco or Balanced (230W or 350W). Leave Turbo for when the room is actually cold. We would not put a miner in a child's bedroom.
The Harlo B30, a strong Eco or Balanced pick for a larger indoor room: 18 to 30 TH/s, 230 to 485W.
A garage, a basement, or a workshop. This is the 40T's home, in Standard or, if you accept the warranty tradeoff, Turbo. If you have a 20-amp or 230V circuit and you want more hashrate and more heat in one box, that is the Avalon Q's case.
Power, noise, and safety
Before you plug one in
- Almost all of the watts become heat. Size the room by wattage, and size the mining by hashrate.
- The Nano 3S, Thor P2, and BC04 are fine on a normal outlet, used alone. The 40T at 650W or 850W should not share an outlet with another heater or a heavy tool. The Avalon Q at 1,674W needs a dedicated 20-amp circuit on 120V, or a standard 230V circuit. Never daisy-chain extension cords.
- Leave clearance around the fans, and give a basement or garage some airflow.
- The Nano 3S is the quiet one, at 30 to 40 dB. The Thor P2 is about 40 dB. The 40T is about 50 dB in Eco. The Avalon Q ranges from 45 to 65 dB depending on mode.
- Check the surface under the miner, and anything nearby that can burn or melt. These run 24/7.
A simple electricity example, at $0.15 per kWh, if the machine runs all the time: the 40T at 650W is about $70 a month. The Avalon Q at 1,674W is about $181 a month. The Nano 3S at 140W is about $15 a month. Your rate will differ. The point is the gap, not a promise about your bill.
This is not a promise that your power bill will go down, or that you will mine a block. If you were going to heat the room anyway, some of the electricity is doing two jobs. If you were not, you are adding load. Mining income varies, and solo blocks are rare. Buy the machine because you want to mine, and treat the heat as a useful side effect.
FAQ
Can a miner replace my space heater?
Not as a whole-home heater. The 40T in Standard or Turbo is a strong boost for a garage or basement. The Avalon Q at full power is the only one in this group that gets close to a 1,500W plug-in heater.
Why not just buy the Avalon Q? It has more hashrate.
It does: 90 TH/s versus 40 TH/s rated. It also uses about 2.5 times the power, needs a heavier circuit, costs more, and is less efficient (18.6 J/TH versus about 16). For most homes, the 40T is the better first miner.
I want something smaller than the 40T. What should I get?
The Canaan Avalon Nano 3S, at 6 TH/s, 140W, and $250, is the compact heater pick. If you care more about efficiency than the heater design, the Hammer BC04 does 6 TH/s at about 100W for $249.
How much will this add to my power bill?
At $0.15 per kWh, a 40T at 650W is about $70 a month if it never turns off. A Q at 1,674W is about $181 a month. Your rate and mode will change that. The watts you choose are the heat you get, and the line on the bill.
Will I actually find a Bitcoin block?
Maybe, and you should not plan on it. Solo odds are long, and returns vary. The heat does not depend on finding a block.
Ready to run one this winter
For most homes, buy the Magic Miner 40T. If you want something smaller, look at the Avalon Nano 3S or the Thor P2. If you have the circuit and you want 90 TH/s, look at the Avalon Q.
Buy 2 Magic Miner 40Ts, get $100 off.
$100 off applied automatically at checkout when you add 2 Magic Miner 40Ts. Two for $1,498. That is $15/TH in Turbo, or $18.73/TH at Standard.
Shop the Magic Miner 40T Join Harlo Pool
When it arrives, point it at a pool. The heat will be there the first hour it is plugged in. The rest is up to the hashes.