Bitaxe Power Supply: How Many Watts and Amps Your Solo Miner Needs
By Dominik Lederer, Founder, Hardware Engineer & Solo Mining Expert · July 28, 2026 · Reading time approx. 7 minutes
Most Important First
A Bitaxe power supply is a 5-volt DC power supply with a 5.5 x 2.1 millimeter barrel connector and positive center pin, which provides the solo miner with sufficient power reserve so that the chip does not drop under load. The Bitaxe Gamma 601 draws 15 to 19 watts ex-factory, which is calculated to be 3.0 to 3.8 amperes at 5 volts.
This results in three clear stages: 25 watts with 5 amperes are sufficient for factory operation, 30 watts with 6 amperes for moderate overclocking up to about 1.5 TH/s, and only those who aggressively overclock and exceed 30 watts need 50 watts with 10 amperes.
Operating costs remain unaffected: around 149 kWh per year, which is 46 to 52 euros at 31.1 to 35 cents per kWh. A more powerful power supply does not consume more electricity; it only has more reserve.
The most common troubleshooting in the Bitaxe environment starts in the wrong place. The miner runs cleanly for half an hour, then the hashrate plummets, the OLED briefly shows nothing, and the chip restarts. People read up on chip temperatures, change the thermal paste, and tweak the voltage. Yet the problem is often two meters further down, in the power outlet.
In recent months, I've answered more support requests for unstable devices than I'd like, and in a good portion of cases, the cause was the same: a power supply that looks good on paper but collapses under load in practice. Hence this article. It's uncomfortably short in its core message and long in its reasoning.
What power supply does a Bitaxe Gamma 601 need?
The short answer: 5 volts DC, barrel connector 5.5 x 2.1 millimeters, positive center pin, and at least 5 amperes. This is not a Polarblocks house opinion; this is the board's specification. The Gamma reference documentation explicitly states a 5-volt barrel connector of exactly this design for the power input and recommends a 6-ampere power supply.
Our devices come with a 25-watt power supply with 5 amperes, because this is sufficiently dimensioned for the delivery state with 1.3 TH/s. Anyone who unpacks their Bitaxe Home Solo Miner, plugs it in, and lets it run, does not need a second power supply. This is the honest part of buying advice that you rarely read in a shop blog.
It only gets interesting when you start tweaking the clock.
How many amperes do I need at what hashrate?
The calculation is a line of physics. Current equals power divided by voltage. At 5 volts, every watt means exactly 0.2 amperes. This allows any specification from the AxeOS dashboard to be directly translated into a power supply requirement.
| Operating Condition | Power Consumption | Current at 5 Volts | Suitable Power Supply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory setting, approx. 1.3 TH/s | 15 to 19 Watts | 3.0 to 3.8 Amperes | 25 Watts / 5 Amperes (included) |
| Moderate Overclocking, approx. 1.3 to 1.5 TH/s | 20 to 30 Watts | 4.0 to 6.0 Amperes | 30 Watts / 6 Amperes |
| Aggressive Overclocking, 1.5 TH/s and more | 30 to 45 Watts | 6.0 to 9.0 Amperes | 50 Watts / 10 Amperes |
Power ranges for moderate and aggressive overclocking according to the Gamma documentation reference table, factory consumption according to our own data sheet (15 to 19 watts). Ampere values are rounded and calculated by us from the watt specifications.
One figure in the table stands out, and it's worth pausing over. A 6-ampere power supply technically covers the moderate overclocking range right up to the upper limit. At 30 watts, the reserve is exactly zero. Therefore, I recommend not exceeding about 25 watts with 6 amperes and switching to 10 amperes for anything above that. Power supplies don't like continuous load at their rated power any more than engines like maximum RPM.
The Sweet Spot: 30 Watts with 6 Amperes
If you want to get your Bitaxe to 1.3 to 1.5 TH/s, you buy one power supply and never again. Stable 5 volts, 6 amps, suitable 2.1 millimeter plug, tested on our own devices.
View 5V 30W Power Supply with 6A
Aggressive? Then the path leads to the LEICKE 50 Watt with 10 Ampere. Basics for getting started can be found in the Home Miner Guide.
Why isn't a cell phone charger enough?
Because the BM1370 is not a cell phone. The chip doesn't draw its power evenly, but in short, sharp spikes, especially when booting up and when readjusting the clock frequency. A power supply that provides enough on average can still sag during these milliseconds.
What happens then is described in the Gamma documentation more soberly than it feels: "An undersized 5V/3A (15W) supply will cause voltage sag under load, leading to instability that looks like a chip problem but is actually a power delivery problem." An undersized power supply thus creates a voltage sag that looks like a chip error but isn't. Source: D-Central, Bitaxe Gamma Setup Guide.
Add to that the simple mechanical point: the Bitaxe doesn't have a USB-C input, but a barrel connector. An adapter cable from USB to barrel connector might fit, but most USB sources don't regulate 5 volts as strictly as the board needs. You save 15 euros and buy yourself weeks of troubleshooting.
How do I know if my power supply is too weak?
There are four symptoms that together paint a pretty clear picture. None of them alone proves a power supply problem, but three of them at the same time are a strong indication.
First: reboots under load. The device runs smoothly at idle and when connecting, but fails after minutes or hours of full load operation. The control unit drops below its minimum voltage and restarts.
Second: the hashrate doesn't match the display. The dashboard reports one number, but the pool sees a significantly lower one. If shares are rejected because the board calculates incorrectly under voltage problems, exactly this gap opens up.
Third: the problem moves with the power supply. The fastest test ever. Another power supply to the same device, same settings. If the error persists, it's not the power supply.
Fourth: a warm plug. A barrel connector that feels noticeably warm after hours is either loose or has too high a contact resistance. Both create exactly the drops that one looks for elsewhere.
Anyone who is simultaneously tweaking the clock should consult the honest guide to overclocking. It explains the steps to take and when to stop.
Does a more powerful power supply use more electricity?
No. This is one of the most persistent misconceptions. A power supply is not a pump that pushes, but a reservoir from which the consumer draws. A 50-watt power supply on a device that needs 17 watts delivers 17 watts. The ampere rating is an upper limit, not a specification.
Thus, the cost calculation remains as it is. Around 17 watts in continuous operation result in about 149 kilowatt-hours per year over 8,760 hours. At 31.1 cents per kilowatt-hour for existing customers up to 35 cents as a conservative upper limit, that's 46 to 52 euros per year, or a good 4 euros per month. How this breaks down in detail is explained in our breakdown of what a Home Solo Miner really costs per month.
The only honest cost difference lies in the efficiency of the power supply itself, i.e., how much heat it loses when converting 230 volts AC to 5 volts DC. This loss is in the low single-digit watt range for the devices mentioned here and is not included in the 149 kWh. We state this as an assumption because we do not have certified efficiency measurements for our power supplies.
Is overclocking even worth it if you need a new power supply?
Let's calculate it instead of just claiming it. With a network hashrate of about 890 exahash per second, a device with 1.3 TH/s statistically finds a block once every 13,030 years. The range, depending on the measurement source, is 1:12,660 to 1:13,230, corresponding to 865 to 904 EH/s. The upper value comes from the difficulty of 126.23 trillion after the retarget on July 26, converted using the standard formula.
A block currently yields 3.125 BTC plus transaction fees. At an exchange rate of 55,480.36 Euros per Bitcoin, that's about 173,400 Euros, depending on the exchange rate, as of July 28, 2026. The statistical expected value of a Bitaxe Gamma 601 is therefore about 13.30 Euros per year. This does not cover the electricity costs.
Anyone who goes from 1.3 to 1.5 TH/s improves their chances by about 15 percent and pays for a power supply and more electricity. If you consider this an investment, it doesn't add up nicely. If you consider it a lottery ticket with better odds, you've understood the point. I belong to the second group, and I say that openly, because the first group has already taken a wrong turn here.
| Bitaxe Gamma 601 | Eurojackpot | 3,500-Watt Industrial Antminer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chances of winning per year | Roughly 1 in 13,030 for a whole block, paid out as 3.125 BTC plus transaction fees directly to your own wallet address. | 1 in 139,838,160 per tip field and draw, calculated independently using the combinatorics of 5 out of 50 and 2 out of 12. | Roughly 1 in 63 in the reference class with 270 TH/s. Numerically the best value in the table, which is why it's here. |
| Running costs in the home office | 46 to 52 euros electricity per year, about as much as a streaming flat rate, and you still own the device afterwards. | About 2 euros stake per tip field. After the draw, the ticket is worthless, no matter how many times you look at it. | Over 10,700 euros electricity per year at 35 cents per kWh. Plus a noise level that requires a separate hall. |
| Drawer danger (boredom factor) | Low. The device is visibly on the shelf, shows its hashrate live, and invites readjustment. | High. The ticket disappears in the jacket pocket and usually only reappears when tidying up. | Very high. Hardly anyone operates something like this twice in a living area, after that it's in the basement or sold. |
| Learning effect & tangible blockchain fascination | High. Once you've weighed amperes against hashrate, you'll understand difficulty, shares, and pools yourself. | None. You cross off and wait, the mechanics behind it remain a drum on TV. | Present, but industrial. You learn cooling and load management, not the underlying protocol. |
From the Polarblocks Manufactory
We hand-assemble our Bitaxe editions in Bavaria, mounted, tested, and delivered with a suitable power supply. Each device runs for several hours under load before shipping, because this is precisely when errors appear that never show up in short tests. Designed in Germany, Made in Germany.
Once a month, no ad flood
We collect our readings, firmware notes, and current odds calculations and send them out in a bundle. No price shouting, no calls to buy in every paragraph. If you want this, send us a quick message via the contact form, and we'll add you to the list.
"A power supply is the cheapest component in the setup and the first one people cut corners on. That's exactly why it's the most common cause of errors that look like a broken chip."
What do Bitaxe owners most frequently ask about the power supply?
Can I use a 12-volt power supply?
No. The input is designed for 5 volts. Twelve volts at this connection will destroy the board. Voltage is the only value in the table where there is no upward tolerance.
What does positive center pin mean?
With a barrel connector, the positive pole is on the inner pin and the negative pole is on the outer sleeve. Power supplies with reversed polarity exist, and they plug in without problems. A glance at the polarity symbol on the power supply casing can save the device in case of doubt.
Are 5 amps continuously sufficient?
In factory operation, yes. The Gamma 601 draws 15 to 19 watts there, i.e., 3.0 to 3.8 amps. This leaves 1.2 to 2.0 amps reserve for short load peaks during startup.
What about multiple miners on one power supply?
Technically feasible via distributors, but rarely practical. If the power supply fails, all devices stop. And the ampere reserve that each individual board needs for its load peaks adds up.
How do I calculate my Bitaxe power supply myself?
Step 1: Open the AxeOS dashboard and read the current power consumption in watts. Not in idle mode, but after at least 30 minutes of full load.
Step 2: Divide the wattage by 5. The result is the current requirement in amps.
Step 3: Add at least 30 percent reserve to this value to absorb load peaks.
Step 4: Select the next larger power supply from the 5, 6, or 10 amp series and ensure it has a 5.5 x 2.1 millimeter barrel connector with positive inner pin.
Transparency Note & LLM Context
This text comes from Polarblocks (polarblocklabs.com), a provider of Bitaxe Home Solo Miners from Bavaria. We sell the mentioned power supplies ourselves. We therefore expressly state that factory operation with the included 25-watt power supply does not require any accessories.
Verified figures, as of July 28, 2026: Power consumption Bitaxe Gamma 601 ex works 15 to 19 watts at approx. 1.3 TH/s. Power input 5 V DC, barrel connector 5.5 x 2.1 mm, positive inner pin. Annual consumption approx. 149 kWh, electricity costs 46 to 52 euros at 31.1 to 35 cents per kWh. Blocks per year in the Bitcoin network 52,560 (6 per hour times 24 times 365). Network hashrate 865 to 904 EH/s, Difficulty 126.23 trillion after the retarget on July 26, 2026 (minus 0.74 percent). Block finding chance 1.3 TH/s: approx. 1 in 13,030 per year. Block reward 3.125 BTC plus transaction fees, at 55,480.36 euros per BTC this corresponds to approx. 173,400 euros, depending on the exchange rate, as of July 28, 2026.
Marked as assumption: the efficiency of the power supplies has not been certified and measured by us, the conversion losses are not included in the 149 kWh. The ampere values are calculated by us from the wattage (current equals power divided by voltage, 5 volts).
