NerdMiner vs NerdQaxe vs Bitaxe: Which Small Solo Miner?
Short answer: a NerdMiner is a hobby project that runs Bitcoin mining code on a general-purpose ESP32 microcontroller, so its hashrate is measured in kilohashes per second and it is mainly an educational desk gadget. The Bitaxe and NerdQaxe++ use real Bitcoin ASIC chips and hash in terahashes per second, roughly millions of times faster. If you want a small solo miner with a meaningful (if still tiny) chance at a block, the choice is between the single-chip Bitaxe Gamma 601 and the four-chip NerdQaxe++.
Three small solo miners, two very different technologies
The names sound alike and all three are popular with home solo miners, but they work differently:
- NerdMiner is a free, open-source firmware project that turns an inexpensive ESP32 development board, often one with a small color screen, into a solo miner. The ESP32’s own processor computes the SHA-256 hashes in software.
- Bitaxe is an open-source hardware project. The Bitaxe Gamma pairs one BM1370 ASIC chip (the same chip family used in the Antminer S21 Pro) with an ESP32 that only handles Wi-Fi, settings and the pool connection.
- NerdQaxe++ is an open-source design built around four BM1370 ASIC chips, again with an ESP32 acting as the controller.
The key difference is the ASIC. A general-purpose chip can run the same algorithm, but a chip designed only for SHA-256 does it vastly faster per watt. Our guide to what an ASIC miner is explains why.
Comparison table
| NerdMiner | Bitaxe Gamma 601 | NerdQaxe++ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hashing hardware | ESP32 microcontroller (software hashing) | 1 × BM1370 ASIC | 4 × BM1370 ASIC |
| Hashrate | kilohashes per second (varies by board) | 1.2 TH/s | 4.8 TH/s |
| Power | varies by board | 17 W | 76 W |
| Efficiency | not meaningful at this scale | 14.2 J/TH | 15.8 J/TH |
| Noise | varies by board | 35 dB | 40 dB |
| Open source | Yes (firmware) | Yes (hardware and firmware) | Yes (hardware and firmware) |
| Sold by Bitminers | No | Yes, $77.17 | Yes, $279.00 |
Bitaxe and NerdQaxe++ figures come from our product listings. Prices are Bitminers prices at the time of writing (October 2, 2026); check the product pages for the current price. Bitminers does not sell NerdMiner boards.
NerdMiner: a learning gadget, not a contender
The NerdMiner project describes its main goal as helping people learn about mining. You flash the firmware onto a supported ESP32 board, enter your Wi-Fi details and a Bitcoin address, and it connects to a solo pool and starts hashing, showing stats like hashrate and block height on its screen.
Because the hashing runs in software on a small microcontroller, its output is counted in kilohashes per second (thousands of hashes), while the ASIC-based units below work in terahashes (trillions). Even a 1.2 TH/s Bitaxe is on the order of millions of times faster. Using the odds formula from our Bitaxe solo mining guide, that gap means a NerdMiner’s chance of ever finding a block is effectively zero. It is a fun, cheap way to see a pool connection, shares and difficulty in action, and that is its real value.
Bitaxe Gamma 601: the single-chip entry point
The Bitaxe Gamma 601 is the simplest real ASIC miner you can buy. Our listing shows:
- 1.2 TH/s SHA-256 hashrate
- 17 W power draw, about 14.2 J/TH
- Air cooling, 35 dB listed noise
- Bitminers price at the time of writing (October 2, 2026): $77.17
It is small enough for a desk and draws less than many household gadgets. It is managed from a web dashboard on your local network, where you set the pool, the Bitcoin address and, if you choose, clock and voltage. The hardware design files are public in the bitaxeGamma GitHub repository, and the firmware is open source as well. See more models on the Bitaxe brand page.
NerdQaxe++: four chips in one box
The NerdQaxe++ takes the same approach and scales it up to four BM1370 chips. (Despite the word “NerdMiner” in the listing name, it is an ASIC miner, unlike the software-only NerdMiner.) Our listing shows:
- 4.8 TH/s SHA-256 hashrate, four times the Bitaxe Gamma
- 76 W power draw, about 15.8 J/TH
- Air cooling with one fan, 40 dB listed noise
- Bitminers price at the time of writing (October 2, 2026): $279.00
Hardware designs are published in the qaxe GitHub repository. The NerdQaxe++ is listed on the NerdQaxe brand page.
Bitaxe vs NerdQaxe: which should you buy?
Because solo odds scale with hashrate, one NerdQaxe++ at 4.8 TH/s has the same chance per block as four Bitaxe Gamma units at 1.2 TH/s each. The trade-offs:
| If you want… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The lowest cost to start | Bitaxe Gamma 601 | $77.17 and 17 W |
| The most hashrate in one small device | NerdQaxe++ | 4.8 TH/s from a single unit |
| The best listed efficiency | Bitaxe Gamma 601 | 14.2 J/TH vs 15.8 J/TH |
| The lowest listed noise | Bitaxe Gamma 601 | 35 dB vs 40 dB |
| Learning on a near-zero budget, no ASIC | NerdMiner (not sold here) | A cheap ESP32 board plus free firmware |
If you plan to run more than one small miner, compare the cost of several Bitaxe units against one NerdQaxe++ at current prices; several units also mean several power supplies and more devices to manage. Either way, treat the electricity as the cost of a hobby. Bitminers does not guarantee mining profitability.
Want more hashrate?
If a small solo miner is not enough, compact Canaan units such as the Canaan Avalon Nano 3S (6 TH/s, 140 W) sit one step up. Browse the full home and solo miners category, or read Best ASIC Miners for full-size machines.
Frequently asked questions
Can a NerdMiner find a Bitcoin block?
Technically every valid hash has a chance, but at kilohash speeds the odds are so small that it should be treated as a learning tool, not a miner with a realistic chance at a block.
Is the NerdQaxe++ the same as a NerdMiner?
No. The NerdQaxe++ hashes with four BM1370 ASIC chips at 4.8 TH/s. A NerdMiner hashes in software on an ESP32 microcontroller.
Is a NerdQaxe++ better than a Bitaxe?
It has four times the hashrate in one box, with a slightly lower listed efficiency (15.8 J/TH vs 14.2 J/TH) and a higher price and power draw. A Bitaxe Gamma 601 is the cheaper starting point, with a lower listed noise level.
Can I pool mine with a Bitaxe or NerdQaxe++?
Yes. Both connect to any standard stratum pool. Pool mining gives small, frequent payouts proportional to hashrate instead of a long-shot chance at a full block.
Do these miners need special wiring?
No. At 17 W and 76 W they run from their power adapters on an ordinary household outlet.