Some days ago I’ve got my hands on the AvalonMiner 741, the new Bitcoin ASIC by Canaan. The Avalon 741 is an improved version of the Avalon Miner 721. It features higher hashrate and a much better cooling system to allow the 88 chips to function stable.

In this article, I am going to review the miner as well as provide you with a detailed set up guide. I’ve created this tutorial it since I haven’t found a working guide on the Internet and had to figure out some steps on my own. Now it’s all served, ready for you to enjoy!

Avalon Miner 741 Specs

Hashrate	7.3 TH/s (RTHS) (7.3-8 RTH/s in field)
Power Consumption	≈ 1150W, +0% ~ +15% (with 93% PSU efficiency @ 25 C)
Power Efficiency	0.16 Joules/GigaHash at the wall
Rated Voltage	Max 12.53
Chips	88 x A3212 16nm ASIC
Frequency	Smart Speed
Hash Error Rate	~1% on chip validation
PSU output pins	6 x 6PIN power connectors
Network Connection	Through AUC3 + AUC3 I2c to AvalonMiner Controller
Controller	AvalonMiner Controller *
AUC3	Each AUC3 may daisy-chain connect up to 5 devices
Operating Temperature	-5C-40C
Air-intake Temperature	-5 °C to 40°C
Cooling	Airform Cooling 1 rear fan 6000 RPM
Fan	1 X 12038 PWN
Noise	50-60db
Dimensions	320 mm x 136 mm x 150 mm
Net weight	4.3 kg

The Avalon Miner comes in a sturdy metallic box with one fan. The first thing I’ve noticed about the miner is that if you look through the fan grid, you will notice the weird shape of the heatsinks. Apparently, the AvalonMiner 741 features the Airforming Cooling technology that allows it to dissipate heat more efficiently. This is a great feature for a miner that functions 24/7.

What about noise levels? According to Canaan, the miner alone produces between 50 and 60 Db.In my case, I was not able to isolate the miner from other noises when measuring. My sound meter shows an average of 63 Db, however I was also picking the noise from my 1600 W PSU and PC.

Price-wise, the miner is accessible to the average mining enthusiast by being priced $798.00 USD on the official Canaan website. According to some calculations, the miner should be mining around Ƀ 0.05968 per month, which translates into $ 171 USD/mo income, electricity fees included. If we don’t take into account Bitcoin price and difficulty fluctuations, the AvalonMiner 741 has a ROI of around 6 months. This does not include the cost of a new PSU.

What Comes in the Package?

Back to my own experience with this miner. I’ve got it some days ago and have been testing it since then. It is worth mentioning that the miner came well-packed. Just as stated on Canaan’s website, here is what came inside the box:

You do not get a PSU or the AvalonMiner Controller. I recommend you using a 1600 W PSU – this way you avoid throttling. About the controller, I have used a RaspBerry Pi 3 Model B one instead, as described below.

AvalonMiner 741 recommended PSU and Controller

AvalonMiner 741 Installation and Setup

When I first got my AvalonMiner, the first thing I did was to google for a step-by step tutorial on how to set this thing up.

While Google did not fail me and shown me a couple of guides on how to connect the cables to the miner and turn it on, I haven’t found one that would cover all of the needed steps to set up the 741. In fact, it took me a couple of hours to make this thing work. So, without further ado, let me show you the exact steps I’ve followed to make the miner function as intended.

Here are the things I’m using besides the miner and what comes with it in the box:

1 RaspBerry Pi 3 Model B AvalonMiner 741 Firmware installation and setup
(Skip this step if you have the AvalonMiner Controller)

Now let’s make sure that the firmware is properly installed:

2 AvalonMiner 741 Firmware Configuration

After you’ve completed the previous steps, power up your AvalonMiner 741 and connect it with the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. It should start mining now.

You can check the hashrate reports on the Avalon Dashboard or pool dashboard:

If you are going to use Antpool you can install their app on your smartphone and check the reports from there:

Where to Buy!

In Conclusion

I hope you have found this review and guide helpful. So far, I am happy with this new miner. The AvalonMiner 741 is the kind of hardware that works as intended, which is all one can ask for.

I will keep you updated on how this ASIC works and will post anything new I learn about it, so stay tuned!

Thank you for reading. As always, your comments, suggestions and questions are welcome.

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