How to Clean and Replace Thermal Paste on your Bitaxe
- Published on
- Guides
It may be a good idea to clean and replace the thermal paste on your Bitaxe when you first get it, especially if it was shipped by air, as it might’ve shifted during transport.
Also, redo the paste every so often if you notice higher temps. Over time, the old paste can dry out and lose its effectiveness, making cooling worse.
Just clean off the old paste with isopropyl alcohol, apply a small amount of new paste, and reattach the cooler evenly. This helps keep your Bitaxe running cool and stable.
Not really into reading blog posts? No worries. We put together a quick video that walks you through the paste swap in under 10 minutes. Check it out below:
👉 Buy the DTV Electronics Bitaxe (Gamma, Supra & More) on Amazon (USA, Mexico, EU, UK, Canada & More) 🇺🇸🇲🇽🇪🇺🇬🇧🇨🇦
What You Need To Get Started
To get started with the thermal paste replacing program, you need to have the following infos:
- A Bitaxe
- Thermal Paste
- Thermal Paste Spatula (usually included with the original)
- A screwdriver (to remove the cover)
Removing The Case
First of all you need to remove from the power your Bitaxe, wait around half an hour that the temperatures will normalize to ambient temperature, then you will need to remove the case by removing the 4 feet and then the 4 screws underneath. Put that aside.
Getting Started
First things first: power down your Bitaxe and unplug it. Give it a good half-hour to cool off and reach room temperature. You don’t want to be wrestling with hot components.
Once it’s nice and cool, flip it over and unscrew the four rubber feet. Underneath, you’ll find four more screws holding the case together, remove those too.
Now you’ll need to detach the fan. Take out the four screws holding it in place and carefully unplug the connector. Easy does it.
With the fan out of the way, the heatsink comes next. It’s clipped onto the board using spring-loaded pins. Gently push these clips from the backside of the board until the heatsink pops loose.
Cleaning the Old Paste
Now comes the messy part, but honestly, it’s pretty satisfying.
Grab your isopropyl alcohol and a few cotton swabs. Start by cleaning the old thermal paste off the heatsink. Then move onto the chip itself. Take your time here; you want both surfaces nice and clean before moving forward.
Once everything looks fresh and shiny, you’re ready for the new paste.
Applying New Thermal Paste
Squeeze a small dab of new thermal paste onto the chip. If you’ve got a spatula (often bundled with the paste), use it to spread a thin, even layer across the surface. No need to overdo it, a little goes a long way.
Before reassembling, it’s a good idea to give the heatsink a quick once-over with a brush, just to clear out any lingering dust.
Now, reinstall the heatsink carefully, making sure those spring clips snap securely back into place.
Reconnect the fan, tighten everything down, plug the connector back in, and finally reassemble the case by reversing the steps you took earlier.
How Did It Turn Out?
Once everything’s back together, power up your Bitaxe and jump into AxeOS to check the temperatures. In the example from the video, the ASIC temperature dropped from 60.4°C to 54.3°C, a solid 6° improvement. The voltage regulator cooled off slightly too.
Even better, the fan slowed down noticeably, dropping from around 9,300 RPM to about 7,300 RPM. That makes the Bitaxe Gamma not just cooler but quieter too. Always a bonus.
Final Thoughts
Swapping the thermal paste turned out to be a simple, quick fix that delivered real results. Cooler temperatures, quieter operation, better efficiency: definitely worth the effort.
If you’re interested in grabbing a Bitaxe Gamma yourself, you can order directly from DTV Electronics using Bitcoin, or find it on Amazon if you prefer traditional payment methods. Check the links for more details.
Until next time, happy solo mining!
👉 Buy the DTV Electronics Bitaxe (Gamma, Supra & More) on Amazon (USA, Mexico, EU, UK, Canada & More) 🇺🇸🇲🇽🇪🇺🇬🇧🇨🇦
