Every Bitmain Mining Chip Compared
From the BM1385 (28nm, 2015) to the BM1370 (5nm, 2024) -- a decade of ASIC evolution. Compare hashrate, efficiency, process nodes, and board architecture across every Bitmain SHA-256 mining chip.
Chip Generation Timeline
Efficiency Improvement Over Time
J/TH (Joules per Terahash) -- lower is better. Bitmain has achieved a 13x efficiency improvement from BM1385 to BM1370.
Full Specifications Comparison
| Chip | Process | Hashrate/Chip | Efficiency | Domains | Chips/Domain | Year | Used In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BM1385 | 28nm | ~32 GH/s | ~200 J/TH | — | — | 2015 | Antminer S5, Antminer S7 |
| BM1387 | 16nm | ~75 GH/s | 98 J/TH | 21 | 3 | 2017 | Antminer S9, Antminer T9+ |
| BM1391 | 7nm | ~111 GH/s | 57 J/TH | 12 | — | 2018 | Antminer S15, Antminer T15 |
| BM1393 | 7nm | ~166 GH/s | 45 J/TH | 12 | — | 2019 | Antminer S17, Antminer T17 |
| BM1397 | 7nm | ~200 GH/s | 36 J/TH | 12 | — | 2020 | Antminer S17+, Antminer T17+, Antminer S17e |
| BM1398 | 7nm | ~90 GH/s | 29.5 J/TH | 38 | 2 | 2021 | Antminer S19, Antminer S19 Pro, Antminer S19j Pro |
| BM1366 | 5nm | ~100 GH/s | 21.5 J/TH | 11 | 10 | 2022 | Antminer S19 XP, Antminer S19K Pro |
| BM1368 | 5nm | 600-750 GH/s | 17.5 J/TH | 12 | 9 | 2023 | Antminer S21, Antminer T21 |
| BM1370 | 5nm | ~750+ GH/s | 15 J/TH | 13 | 7 | 2024 | Antminer S21 Pro, Antminer S21 XP |
Chip Details
BM1385
The BM1385 was one of Bitmain's early 28nm SHA-256 mining chips, powering the popular Antminer S5 and S7 models. It delivered approximately 32 GH/s per chip at around 200 J/TH, which was competitive for its era but is now long obsolete for profitable mining.
BM1387
The BM1387 was the chip that made Bitcoin mining mainstream, powering the legendary Antminer S9 -- the most widely deployed Bitcoin miner in history. Its 16nm process delivered 75 GH/s per chip at 98 J/TH, and S9 units remain in operation today in low-cost electricity regions.
BM1391
The BM1391 marked Bitmain's transition to 7nm manufacturing, debuting in the Antminer S15 and T15. It nearly doubled the efficiency of the BM1387 at 57 J/TH and introduced Bitmain's first 7nm architecture that would dominate for several generations.
BM1393
The BM1393 refined Bitmain's 7nm process to deliver 166 GH/s per chip at 45 J/TH, powering the Antminer S17 and T17 series. These miners introduced multi-mode operation (Low Power, Normal, High Performance) but were notorious for reliability issues related to thermal management.
BM1397
The BM1397 represented the peak of Bitmain's 7nm evolution for the S17 platform, achieving 200 GH/s per chip at 36 J/TH. It is well-documented in open-source projects and used a QFN-34 package, making it one of the most studied mining ASICs.
BM1398
The BM1398 powered Bitmain's massively successful S19 series with 90 GH/s per chip at 29.5 J/TH. It used 38 voltage domains with 2-3 chips per domain and a lower per-chip hashrate compensated by higher chip counts, establishing the architecture pattern for modern miners.
BM1366
The BM1366 was Bitmain's first 5nm mining chip, delivering a significant efficiency jump to 21.5 J/TH. Used in the flagship S19 XP (140 TH/s), it proved 5nm manufacturing was viable for high-volume mining ASICs and set the stage for the S21 generation.
BM1368
The BM1368 represented a major architectural shift with 600-750 GH/s per chip -- a 6-7x jump in per-chip performance. Used in the Antminer S21 and T21, it moved to ~1.2V domain voltage (vs ~0.4V in predecessors) and eliminated the PIC controller, simplifying board design.
BM1370
The BM1370 is Bitmain's most advanced mining chip as of 2024, achieving 15 J/TH efficiency -- the best in the industry. Powering the S21 Pro and S21 XP (up to 270 TH/s), it uses 13 voltage domains with 7 chips per domain and represents the cutting edge of 5nm mining ASIC design.
Key Takeaways
13x Efficiency Gain
From 200 J/TH (BM1385) to 15 J/TH (BM1370) -- Bitmain achieved a 13x improvement in mining efficiency across 9 chip generations and a decade of development.
Architecture Shift in S21 Era
The BM1368/BM1370 generation moved to ~1.0-1.2V domain voltage (from ~0.4V), eliminated the PIC controller, and delivered 6-7x per-chip hashrate -- a fundamental redesign of hash board architecture.
5nm Dominates Current Gen
All current-generation Bitmain miners (S19 XP, S21, S21 Pro) use 5nm chips. The jump from 7nm to 5nm delivered the biggest single-generation efficiency improvement in Bitmain history.