The Canaan Avalon A1246 has been in circulation since early 2021 — practically ancient in ASIC terms. It's a 90 TH/s SHA-256 machine with a 3420W power draw and 38 J/TH efficiency. In its day it was a solid mid-range workhorse. But this is 2026, network difficulty has climbed, newer hardware has arrived, and Australian electricity prices remain among the highest in the world.
So is the A1246 still worth buying? Here's an honest breakdown.
Canaan Avalon A1246 Specs at a Glance
- Algorithm: SHA-256 (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash)
- Hashrate: 90 TH/s (±5%)
- Power consumption: 3420W (±10%)
- Efficiency: 38 J/TH
- Cooling: Air cooling, 4 built-in fans
- Noise level: 75 dB
- Operating temperature: 5–40°C
- Dimensions: 331 × 195 × 292 mm
- Weight: ~12.8 kg
- Connectivity: RJ45 Ethernet
- Chip: Canaan A3205
- PSU: Integrated
You can view full details on our Canaan Avalon A1246 product page.
The Efficiency Problem: 38 J/TH in a 15 J/TH World
This is the central issue with the A1246 in 2026, and there's no point dancing around it.
The current benchmark for high-performance Bitcoin mining hardware is around 15–20 J/TH. The Bitmain Antminer S21 Pro runs at 15 J/TH. The Antminer S21 sits at approximately 17.5 J/TH. The A1246's 38 J/TH means it consumes roughly 2.5× more electricity per terahash than a current-generation machine.
In practical terms: to produce 90 TH/s of SHA-256 hashrate, the A1246 burns 3420W continuously. A modern miner producing the same hashrate would use closer to 1350–1600W to do the same work. That gap comes entirely out of your electricity bill — every day, all year.
For a deeper look at how J/TH figures translate to real costs at Australian electricity rates, see: Electricity Prices in Australia and the Real Cost of Crypto Mining in 2026
Profitability at Australian Electricity Rates
Australian residential electricity typically runs between $0.28–$0.38 AUD per kWh depending on state and retailer — one of the most challenging environments for running older hardware. Even converting to USD (roughly $0.18–$0.25 USD/kWh), the A1246's 3420W draw creates a significant daily electricity cost.
At $0.20 USD/kWh, the A1246 consumes approximately $16.40 USD per day in electricity alone. At current Bitcoin prices and network difficulty, gross mining revenue at 90 TH/s is in the range of $4–6 USD per day — meaning the machine operates at a significant daily loss on standard Australian residential power.
The A1246 becomes a viable proposition only if your electricity cost drops to approximately $0.05–$0.06 USD/kWh or below — rates accessible via commercial power purchase agreements, off-grid solar setups, or mining hosting facilities, but not typical residential tariffs.
This isn't unique to the A1246 — it reflects the broader challenge of running 2021-era hardware in 2026's difficulty environment. For context on how electricity rate affects break-even thresholds across hardware generations, see: Home Mining in Australia: What Electricity Rate Makes It Profitable?
How It Compares to Other Bitcoin Miners
Here's how the A1246 sits relative to other SHA-256 machines available in Australia:
Canaan Avalon A1346 — The Direct Upgrade
The Canaan Avalon A1346 delivers 110 TH/s at 3300W — that's 22% more hashrate at slightly lower power draw, giving meaningfully better efficiency. If you're weighing up Canaan hardware, the A1346 is the stronger pick at a comparable price point.
Bitmain Antminer S19K Pro — Comparable Hashrate, Better Efficiency
The Antminer S19K Pro produces 120 TH/s at 2760W — 33% more hashrate than the A1246 at significantly lower power consumption. If budget is the primary constraint and you want S19-generation hardware, the S19K Pro is a better allocation of capital.
MicroBT WhatsMiner M30S — Same Era, Similar Trade-offs
The WhatsMiner M30S at 94 TH/s and 3400W occupies roughly the same efficiency class as the A1246. If you're comfortable with 2020–21 generation efficiency, either machine carries similar risk; choice comes down to brand preference and price.
Antminer S21 and S21 Pro — Current Generation
The Antminer S21 (151 TH/s, ~17.5 J/TH) and Antminer S21 Pro (234 TH/s, 15 J/TH) are in a different efficiency league entirely. The upfront cost is higher, but the operating cost per terahash is dramatically lower — which compounds over a 12–24 month operational horizon.
Browse the full range in our Bitcoin Miners collection.
What the A1246 Does Well
Despite the efficiency gap, the A1246 has genuine strengths that explain why it still moves units:
Proven reliability. The A1246 has an established track record of uptime. Canaan's A3205 chip and four-fan cooling system have been running in farms globally for five years without widespread failure patterns. When you're buying used hardware, that reliability history matters.
Integrated PSU. Unlike many commercial ASIC miners that require a separate power supply unit, the A1246 ships with an integrated PSU. That simplifies installation and reduces the total component count for a new setup.
Low entry price. The A1246 is one of the more affordable ways to get 90 TH/s of SHA-256 hashrate. If you have access to cheap electricity and want to maximise hashrate per dollar of capital outlay — rather than per watt — this machine can make sense as a volume play.
Simple operation. Canaan's firmware and management interface are well documented. For miners new to ASIC hardware, the A1246's setup process is straightforward. If you're just getting started, see our guide: How to Set Up Your First Bitcoin Miner in Australia
Who Should Buy the Canaan Avalon A1246?
The honest answer is: a narrow group of buyers.
The A1246 makes sense if you can check all three of the following boxes:
- Your electricity cost is genuinely low — not residential tariff low, but sub-$0.06 USD/kWh low. This means solar with negligible feed-in, a managed hosting arrangement, or an industrial rate.
- You're prioritising low upfront cost over efficiency — you have capital constraints and want the cheapest path to a given hashrate total.
- You're comfortable with the hardware's age — a 2021-era machine is closer to the end of its productive life than the beginning. You're betting that BTC price appreciation offsets the efficiency disadvantage before the machine becomes obsolete.
If you're on standard Australian residential power and expecting the A1246 to generate meaningful income, the numbers don't support it at current difficulty and price levels.
Who Should Look at Something Else?
If any of the following applies, your capital is better deployed elsewhere in our ASIC Miners range:
- You're on residential electricity at standard Australian rates
- You want your hardware to remain viable for 2–3+ years
- Efficiency (J/TH) matters more to you than hashrate per dollar of purchase price
- You're building a new setup from scratch and want current-generation economics
For a broader comparison of how hardware generations affect long-term mining economics, read: Mining vs Buying Crypto: Which Is Better in 2026?
A Note on Mining Difficulty
One factor often overlooked when evaluating older hardware is the ongoing increase in Bitcoin's network difficulty. As newer, more efficient machines come online globally, the difficulty target adjusts upward — meaning each individual terahash produces less Bitcoin over time. A machine like the A1246 that is already operating at the margin of profitability becomes increasingly marginal as each difficulty adjustment passes.
For a full explanation of how this mechanism works and why it matters, read: Understanding Bitcoin Mining Difficulty: Why Hashrate Isn't Everything
The Verdict
The Canaan Avalon A1246 is not a bad machine — it's a machine whose time has largely passed for anyone paying Australian residential electricity rates. Its 38 J/TH efficiency is functional but belongs to a prior generation, and in 2026's competitive mining environment, efficiency is what determines whether you're earning or losing money every day.
If you have access to low-cost electricity — through solar, hosting, or a commercial arrangement — the A1246's low purchase price and proven reliability can still make it a reasonable volume play. If you're on standard grid power, the daily electricity cost will exceed your mining revenue and the machine will run at a loss.
For most Australian buyers, a current-generation machine like the Antminer S21 or Avalon A1346 will produce better economics over a 12–24 month horizon, even accounting for higher upfront cost.
Not sure which miner fits your setup and electricity situation? Get in touch with our team — we're based in Australia and can walk you through the numbers before you commit to hardware.
