Miner running hot: cleaning, thermal paste and cooling
A miner spends its life running hot, that is normal. But a chip that is too hot loses hashrate and wears faster. Here is how to spot the problem, fix it, and even gain hashrate along the way.
Published 24 September 2026 · by Pixel
VideoThe topic on video
I boosted my Bitcoin miner by 80% with a €35 fanOn YouTube, in French with subtitles
1. Spotting overheating
In AxeOS, the dashboard shows the chip temperature, the voltage regulator temperature and the fan speed. Warning signs:
- the chip temperature creeps up over the weeks, with the same settings;
- the fan runs flat out all the time;
- the hashrate drops or swings, or the machine restarts by itself.
As a rule of thumb, many miners keep the chip under about 65 °C. Above that, the software may lower the frequency to protect the machine.
2. Causes, most common first
- Dust in the heatsink and fan.
- A room that is too warm or a cramped spot (closed shelf, behind furniture).
- A worn fan, or one set too low.
- Dried thermal paste between chip and heatsink, after months of heat.
- An overclock too aggressive for the cooling in place.
3. Cleaning and replacing thermal paste
- Unplug the machine and let it cool. Never touch a powered miner.
- Blow the dust out of the heatsink and fan (air can or blower), holding the blades so they do not overspin.
- If temperatures stay high, remove the heatsink and wipe off the old paste with a cloth and isopropyl alcohol.
- Apply a thin layer of non-conductive thermal paste: too much paste insulates instead of cooling.
- Reassemble, plug back in, and compare temperatures with the same settings.
The whole job on a NerdOctaxe: my cleaning and thermal paste video (in French).
4. Better cooling, more hashrate
Better cooling does more than protect: it leaves headroom to raise the frequency. In this video (in French), a €35 fan let me raise my miner’s hashrate by 80%.
- Set the fan to automatic in AxeOS: it speeds up as the chip heats.
- Swap the fan if yours is noisy or struggling: check the size and connector first.
- Raise the frequency in small steps, watching the temperature each time. If it gets unstable or too hot, go back one step.
How far liquid cooling can go: my watercooling test (in French).
Other guides
- Update AxeOS step by stepGet the right version, install it safely, and what to do if it gets stuck.
- Set up a Bitaxe, step by stepFrom unboxing to the first share sent to the pool.
- Solo mining on FindMyBlockUnderstand solo mining, set up your machine and follow your odds.
- Which miner for home mining?Hashrate, electricity, noise: the criteria that really matter.