The present graphics card panorama could also be a barren wasteland, however there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon. On Tuesday, Nvidia introduced that the mining hash price limiter launched alongside the GeForce RTX 3060 will now be rolling out to newly manufactured RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3070, and RTX 3080 as nicely, by way of a brand new “Lite Hash Charge” sequence beginning in mid-Might. (The work onerous, play onerous GeForce RTX 3090 will not be receiving a nerf, nevertheless.) Gaming efficiency shouldn’t be affected.
“We imagine this extra step will get extra GeForce playing cards at higher costs into the palms of avid gamers all over the place,” Nvidia’s announcement states. We wouldn’t be stunned if most if not all new GeForce GPUs produced by Nvidia embody these protections going ahead. “Software program drivers are designed to detect particular attributes of the Ethereum cryptocurrency mining algorithm, and restrict the hash price, or cryptocurrency mining effectivity, by round 50 %,” Nvidia’s Matt Wuebbling stated when the know-how was first launched within the RTX 3060.
That sound you hear is 1,000,000 crypto coin miners gnashing their tooth.
Individuals utilizing GPUs to mine cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin are a giant half (however removed from the one half) of why graphics playing cards value a lot proper now. The costs of each of these cash are booming proper now.
By slicing the speed at which RTX 30-series GPUs mine crypto, Nvidia will take a number of the luster off these new playing cards for these seeking to generate income quite than play video games—that’s, assuming Nvidia doesn’t shoot itself within the foot by cracking its personal anti-mining safety once more.

Nvidia’s anti-crypto campaign began with the RTX 3060.
After all, it’s best to know if a given graphics card comes with the anti-mining measures in place before you purchase it.
“As a result of these GPUs initially launched with a full hash price, we wish to be certain that clients know precisely what they’re getting after they purchase GeForce merchandise,” Nvidia’s assertion continues. “To assist with this, our GeForce companions are labeling the GeForce RTX 3080, RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 Ti playing cards with a ‘Lite Hash Charge,’ or ‘LHR,’ identifier. The identifier will probably be in retail product listings and on the field. This lowered hash price solely applies to newly manufactured playing cards with the LHR identifier and to not playing cards already bought.”
Like we stated when the RTX 3060 mining limiter initially launched: Don’t count on miracles. An enormous quantity of pent-up demand for graphics card stays, this halved hash price solely applies to Ethereum, and sure, Nvidia did simply damage its first stab on the RTX 3060’s anti-mining tech. That is encouraging information although! Fairly quickly, avid gamers would possibly be capable of decide up a number of the finest graphics playing cards for the primary time in a very long time, whereas devoted miners should flip their consideration in the direction of Radeon GPUs, older GPUs with out a hashrate limiter, or Nvidia’s new CMP HX GPUs created for mining alone.
Fingers crossed.
And hey! If you happen to have been fortunate sufficient to snag one of many authentic GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs with out the limiter in place, earlier than lengthy you would possibly simply be capable of promote it to a miner for sufficient that you would afford an improve to a extra highly effective LHR mannequin. We’ll see how this goes.
Source link