Fine Tuning the Bitaxe Settings

Why might fine-tuning be needed?

  • Every Bitaxe has exactly one ASIC chip. Due to manufacturing tolerances, these chips differ slightly in efficiency and heat output. This is called the silicon lottery.
  • For the vast majority of devices the factory settings work without any change.
  • Some chips run cooler and quieter with slightly less core voltage, without losing noticeable hashrate.

How to do the quick check

  • Connect the device and let it run for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Open the AxeOS dashboard and watch temperature, fan speed and hashrate.
  • The automatic fan control regulates to a target temperature that you can set in AxeOS.
  • If the fan runs at 100 % permanently and the chip still does not reach the target temperature, fine-tuning the voltage is worthwhile. Up to 70 °C the chip is fine, from 75 °C the firmware throttles.

Fine-tuning in three steps

  • Step 1: Lower the voltage by one step
    • In AxeOS under Settings, lower the Core Voltage by one step.
    • Wait 5 minutes and check whether the temperature drops and the fan stays well below 100 %.
  • Step 2: If it is still too hot or too loud
    • Lower the voltage by another step and test again.
  • Step 3: Cross-check if throttled too much
    • If the hashrate falls well below the factory value, the voltage is too low.
    • Raise the voltage again by one step until temperature and hashrate are right.

Rules of thumb

  • Look first, then change: check the temperature before you change the voltage.
  • Only change one step at a time and watch the device for a few minutes after each change.
  • Your Bitaxe is well tuned when
    • the temperature hovers steadily around the target temperature,
    • the fan does not need 100 % permanently,
    • the hashrate is only slightly below the factory value.

If that does not help, stronger cooling is the better solution, for example a Noctua fan or the Copperzilla 2.0.