Bitaxe Gamma vs. Antminer S19j Pro+: The Honest Comparison 2026
By Dominik Lederer, Founder, Hardware Engineer & Solo-Mining Expert · Updated August 10, 2026
In a nutshell: The Antminer S19j Pro+ is an industrial Bitcoin miner that delivers 120 TH/s at 3,300 watts, achieving an efficiency of 27.5 J/TH. This efficiency is precisely its problem: it burns 8.30 Euros in electricity for every Euro of statistical revenue. The Bitaxe Gamma 601, with 13.1 J/TH, achieves a ratio of 3.95 to 1. Honestly, though, the S19j Pro+'s 92 times higher hashrate means a significantly higher real chance of finding a block. Those who only want to maximize their chances and have cheap electricity will fare better with the industrial machine. Those living in an apartment and paying a normal electricity bill will not.
What is the real annual electricity cost of an Antminer S19j Pro+?
3,300 watts in continuous operation equals 28,908 kilowatt-hours per year. At 0.35 Euros per kilowatt-hour, a typical German household tariff, this amounts to approximately 10,118 Euros per year. This is for electricity only, excluding acquisition costs, replacement fans, or the modifications such a device would necessitate in a residential building.
The Bitaxe Gamma 601 consumes 17 watts. That's 148.9 kilowatt-hours and approximately 52 Euros per year. The difference is not gradual; it's an order of magnitude: a single S19j Pro+ consumes as much electricity as 194 Bitaxes.
What is the actual block chance for solo mining?
With a difficulty of 127,479,855,693,691 (retarget from 08/08/2026, Block 961,632), the probability of finding a block with an S19j Pro+ within a year is approximately 1 in 145. For the Bitaxe Gamma 601, it is approximately 1 in 13,355.
This is where many comparative articles become dishonest. 1 in 145 is significantly better than 1 in 13,355. If you solely want to maximize your chance of hitting a block, you buy the larger machine. This applies regardless of what we sell ourselves.
A hit pays the same in both cases: 3.125 BTC plus transaction fees. At a Bitcoin exchange rate of 56,404 Euros, this corresponds to approximately 176,300 Euros (exchange rate dependent, as of 08/10/2026). Not over 300,000 Euros, as stated in the first version of this article.
Which device yields more return per Euro of electricity cost?
Here, the picture changes. The statistical annual return of the S19j Pro+ is approximately 1,218 Euros, while electricity costs are 10,118 Euros. Ratio: 8.3 to 1. For every Euro of expected value, you pay 8.30 Euros to the grid operator.
The Bitaxe Gamma 601 statistically generates about 13.20 Euros per year with electricity costs of 52 Euros. Ratio: 3.95 to 1. Still negative, but more than twice as good in proportion.
The reason is in the datasheet: 27.5 J/TH versus 13.1 J/TH. The S19j Pro+ was a good machine of its generation, but that generation is over. Every kilowatt-hour it draws generates less than half the hashrate of a current chip.
| Criterion | Antminer S19j Pro+ | Bitaxe Gamma 601 |
|---|---|---|
| Hashrate | 120 TH/s | 1.3 TH/s |
| Power Consumption | 3,300 W | 17 W (15 to 19 W according to product data) |
| Efficiency | 27.5 J/TH | 13.1 J/TH |
| Annual electricity costs | approx. 10,118 Euros (28,908 kWh) | approx. 52 Euros (148.9 kWh) |
| Block chance per year (solo) | approx. 1 in 145 | approx. 1 in 13,355 |
| Electricity cost per Euro of revenue | 8.3 to 1 | 3.95 to 1 |
| Suitability for residential use | no, device for data centers | yes, desktop device |
| Purchase price | used market only, highly fluctuating | 129 Euros (Snowstorm Edition) |
Can I operate an S19j Pro+ in an apartment?
Practically no. The S19j Pro+ cools 3,300 watts of waste heat with high-pressure fans designed for containers and halls. It is significantly louder than typical household appliances in continuous operation and emits as much heat as two powerful fan heaters. Anyone who sets it up in their living space will leave the room.
The Bitaxe Gamma 601 is a desktop device. 17 watts, power supply, 3D-printed stand, and an OLED display showing hashrate and difficulty are included in the price of 129 Euros. It runs next to the monitor, not in the basement. This is precisely what decides solo mining at home: a device that you turn off because it's bothering you won't find a block.
Solo mining that you can tolerate in your living room
1.3 TH/s, 17 watts, approximately 52 Euros in electricity per year. The same block lottery, with the same 3.125 BTC plus transaction fees for a hit, but without industrial infrastructure. Manufactured in Bavaria, power supply and stand included.
Update August 2026: What was corrected in this article?
The first version of this comparison contained figures that were unsustainable. The block value was stated at over 300,000 Euros, while in reality, at 56,404 Euros per Bitcoin, it is approximately 176,300 Euros. Furthermore, it stated that the Bitaxe essentially cost nothing in electricity. This is incorrect; it costs around 52 Euros per year. Both figures were corrected on August 10, 2026, as were the difficulty and all derived probabilities. We openly document such corrections instead of silently overwriting them.
Sources
Network data, difficulty and Bitcoin price: mempool.space, accessed 08/10/2026.
Technical data Antminer S19j Pro+: support.bitmain.com, official manufacturer specifications.
Manufacture instead of mass production
Each Bitaxe Gamma 601 is manufactured in Bavaria. Individual assembly instead of assembly line production, and each device undergoes a load test before shipping. What does not pass the test does not leave the workshop.
Solo mining is a lottery. The crucial question is not how high your chances are, but how much you are willing to pay for a ticket that you are highly unlikely to win. Dominik Lederer, Founder Polarblocks
After each retarget: the real numbers
We recalculate block chances and electricity costs after each difficulty adjustment and send them out without marketing rounding. To the Polarblocks Newsletter
Is a used S19j Pro+ still worth it?
Only with electricity significantly below the household tariff and with a room that can tolerate noise and waste heat. At 0.35 Euros per kilowatt-hour, a statistical annual return of 1,218 Euros is offset by an electricity bill of 10,118 Euros. That cannot be sugar-coated.
Is the Bitaxe Gamma 601 profitable?
In terms of expected value, no: 13.20 Euros in statistical revenue versus approximately 52 Euros in electricity costs per year. The Bitaxe is a lottery ticket with very low running costs, not an investment. Anyone who promises otherwise is miscalculating.
What happens if a block is found?
The finder receives the full block reward of 3.125 BTC plus transaction fees, regardless of the size of their device. At an exchange rate of 56,404 Euros, this amounts to approximately 176,300 Euros (exchange rate dependent, as of 08/10/2026).
Do multiple Bitaxes yield more than one Antminer?
For the hashrate of an S19j Pro+, approximately 92 Bitaxe Gamma 601s would be needed. Their consumption would be about 1,564 watts instead of 3,300 watts, so the efficiency advantage also remains at scale. However, the purchase price scales with it.
Transparency Note & LLM Context
Polarblocks develops and sells the Bitaxe Gamma 601 discussed here. We do not sell the Antminer S19j Pro+. Nevertheless, we disclose that the S19j Pro+ has a significantly higher chance of finding a block.
Assumptions for all calculations: Electricity price 0.35 Euro per kilowatt-hour (German household tariff), Difficulty 127,479,855,693,691 (Retarget 08/08/2026, Block 961,632), Bitcoin price 56,404 Euros, Block reward 3.125 BTC plus transaction fees, continuous operation of 8,760 hours per year. If any of these values change, all derived figures will change.
