In an industry where efficiency, cost, and reliability determine long-term viability, the Bitcoin home mining market has seen a flurry of products attempting to bring professional-grade performance to a more accessible scale. Among these, the Bitaxe Gamma and the Braiins BMM 101 have recently captured the spotlight. Both aim to serve enthusiasts, hobbyists, and Bitcoin home miners who want to contribute their own hash power to the Bitcoin network—without emptying their wallets or turning their spare rooms into data centers.
In this detailed comparison, we’ll break down their technical specs, highlight their unique features, examine the price, size, weight, cost per terahash (TH), and see why the Bitaxe Gamma emerges as a standout choice. Along the way, we’ll also look at how both fare against other home mining rigs and dive deeper into the aspects that truly matter to a home miner: affordability, power, community support, and low electricity costs.
Technical Specifications Comparison:
- Hash Rate and Efficiency.
Bitaxe Gamma:
- Hash Rate: ~1.2 TH/s at default settings, with room for modest overclocking.
- Power Consumption: ~18W at 1.2 TH/s, translating to a stellar efficiency of about 15 J/TH (Joules per terahash).
- Cost per TH: With a retail price of approximately $150-$200, you’re looking at about $125-$167 per TH—an extremely competitive ratio for a small-scale home-focused Bitcoin miner.
Braiins BMM 101:
- Hash Rate: ~1 TH/s at default settings.
- Power Consumption: ~40W at 1 TH/s, working out to about 40 J/TH, which is significantly less efficient than the Gamma.
- Cost per TH: At $299 for the latest model, that’s $299/TH, making it more than double the cost per TH of the Bitaxe Gamma.
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Why This Matters.
The cost per terahash and joules per terahash are central metrics for miners. Lower cost per TH means your initial capital investment buys you more hashing power, while lower J/TH means your miner consumes less electricity for the same output. The Bitaxe Gamma leads in both, critical for home miners looking to get the most hashpower while maintaining low electrical usage.
- Chipset and Internal Components.
- Bitaxe Gamma: Utilizes modern ASIC chips (notably the BM1370 family from leading designs like the Antminer S21 Pro). This forward-looking chipset approach, combined with community-driven firmware, gives the Gamma flexibility for future updates and optimizations.
- Braiins BMM 101: Employs less powerful ASIC chips. While these are reliable and proven silicon components, they do not match the energy efficiency of newer-generation chips. This makes the BMM 101 feel slightly more “last-gen,” especially given its higher power draw.
- Size, Weight, and Portability.
- Bitaxe Gamma: Incredibly compact and lightweight. Measures roughly 4″ x 2.5″ x 1.5″ and weighs about 0.88 lbs, making it easy to position on a desk, shelf, or even a corner of your living room.
- Braiins BMM 101: Measures roughly 5.31″ x 2.76″ x 8.46″ and weighs about 2.76 lbs. While still not large compared to industrial-grade miners, it’s less “discreet” than the Gamma.
- Noise and Thermal Management.
- Bitaxe Gamma: Known for quiet operation, roughly 25 dB, produces a gentle hum rather than a roar.
- Braiins BMM 101: Around 40 dB of noise output, while notably lower than industrial mining machines, it’s a 60% increase in dB from the Bitaxe Gamma.
- Connectivity and Setup.
- Bitaxe Gamma: Supports Wi-Fi connectivity and offers an intuitive configuration panel through AxeOS. Its open-source firmware and community support mean you can tweak and update settings easily, experiment with pools, or run it as a compact solo-miner. The removable OLED display gives you instant readouts of key metrics without needing to log into a dashboard.
- Braiins BMM 101: Also offers Wi-Fi with additional ethernet support, and integrates tightly with the Braiins ecosystem, including Braiins OS+ and the Stratum V2 protocol. The face of the BMM 101 boasts a 3.5″ IPS Display with 480x320px which is beginner friendly, however Firmware updates come from a single, top-down source.
Direct Display Comparison: Bitaxe Gamma vs. Braiins BMM 101.
Bitaxe Gamma Display:
- Type: A removable 0.91″ SSD1306 OLED I2C Display Module.
- Functionality: Real-time readouts of hash rate, efficiency, power consumption, temperature, IP address, Pool data, fan RPM, error codes, and network connectivity. The high-contrast OLED panel is easy to read in both low-light and bright conditions.
- Customization: Since the firmware is open-source, display readouts can be customized. Users can potentially add their own metrics, modify refresh rates, or integrate creative animations.
Braiins BMM 101 Display:
- Type: 3.5″ IPS Display with 480x320px
- Functionality: The BMM 101’s screen displays real-time mining data including: hashrate, temperature, power consumption, uptime, alongside IP address, bitcoin price, block height, network difficulty, date, and time.
Verdict on Displays: The Braiins BMM 101 is the winner of this category due to its screen size and various dynamic screens which incorporate Bitcoin mining key metrics.
Ongoing Costs.
ongoing costs in Bitcoin home mining largely depends on two factors: the cost of electricity in your area and the efficiency of your device. Although both devices will cost <$10.00 per month to run in most areas, it’s important to note that the Bitaxe Gamma is 2.67 times more efficient than the BMM 101.
- Bitaxe Gamma:
- With 1.2 TH/s at only 18W, it’s sipping power at a rate that won’t make a dent in most home electric bills.
- Braiins BMM 101:
- At 40W for 1 TH/s, it consumes more than double the wattage for less hash power. Over time, those extra watts add up.
- While still relatively small and efficient compared to industrial miners, it’s simply less cost-effective than the Bitaxe Gamma.
Comparing the Bitaxe Gamma to other home mining rigs.
- Bitaxe Gamma’s Competitive Edge: By balancing a low-cost entry, minimal power draw, and community-driven firmware, the Gamma positions itself as the better option. It’s cheaper and more efficient than both the BMM 101 and many other “at-home” mining alternatives.
Why the Bitaxe Gamma Prevails.
- Best Cost-to-Hash Ratio.
With a cost of roughly $150-$200 for 1.2 TH/s, the Bitaxe Gamma’s ~$125-$167 per TH beats out the BMM 101’s $299/TH by a considerable margin. Lower capital expenditure means you can scale your operation or experiment more freely. - Superior Efficiency.
Using just 18W for 1.2 TH/s is a game-changer. The resulting 15 J/TH outperforms the BMM 101’s 40 J/TH by a factor of 2.67. Lower energy costs translate directly into a cheaper electricity bill. - Small Form Factor and Quiet Operation.
While both the Bitaxe Gamma and the BMM 101 are not noticeably loud, the Gamma’s portability and quiet hum make it ideal for home use. You can run it in a small apartment, on a bookshelf, at work, or even in a home office without any disruption. - Open-Source Community Support.
The Bitaxe Gamma’s open-source philosophy attracts a dedicated community that can push firmware updates, improve efficiency, and add new features over time. This ongoing development means you’re not just buying a miner—you’re joining a community that continuously refines and extends its capabilities light years faster.
Conclusion.
While both the Bitaxe Gamma and Braiins BMM 101 cater to Bitcoin home mining, their paths diverge significantly in terms of efficiency, cost per TH, and size. The Bitaxe Gamma stands out, offering:
- Cost-Effectiveness: Far lower initial retail price and cost per TH.
- High Efficiency: Less power per TH results in lower electricity costs.
- Compact, Quiet Design: Perfect for environments where space and silence are paramount.
- Community-Driven Development: Continuous improvements through open-source firmware.
In a world where Bitcoin mining typically conjures images of noisy warehouses and massive energy consumption, devices like the Bitaxe Gamma bring it back to basics—open-source, decentralization, accessibility, and the ability to run a Bitcoin miner to support the network from the comfort of your own home.
For Bitcoin home miners, hobbyists, or anyone curious about dipping their toes into Bitcoin mining, the Bitaxe Gamma doesn’t just outperform the BMM 101—it represents a more sustainable and affordable way to participate in securing the Bitcoin network.
You can shop the full line up of Bitaxe miners, including the Bitaxe Gamma at the Solo Satoshi online shop.
