Crypto mining is a tiresome topic for many players. After all, it is one of the reasons for the general shortage of graphics cards. Nvidia promised a bit of hope for improvement about a week ago:
The market for graphics cards for gamers is to be relieved with a product range specially tailored to mining cryptocurrencies. At the same time, the new Geforce RTX 3060 is equipped with a mechanism that slows down the calculations that are important for mining and is intended to make the map less attractive for the prospectors.
The RTX 3060 was actually a bit more available at launch
more on the subject
From when and where you can buy them at the RRP
In the comments under the article on Nvidia’s mining solution, it quickly became clear: You are not really convinced of it. And we shared the concern about the chances of success. Because where should all the extra chips come from at once?
The answer to that can be found in the latest graphics driver from Nvidia. It contains information about the new mining graphics cards and actually gives cause for hope:
Turing instead of Ampere
In the driver with version number 461.72, two of the total four announced mining graphics cards
The designation indicates the graphics chip used: CMP 30HX is identified as »NVIDIA_DEV.2189«. All models with the sequence “218x” in their name are based on the TU116, a chip from Nvidia’s Turing series (GTX 1600, RTX 2000). However, all graphics cards from the RTX 3000 lineup are based on the newer Ampere architecture.
The same applies to the CMP 40HX: The sequence »1F0« identifies the mining graphics card as a TU106 chip, which, among other things, accelerates the RTX 2060 Super.
RTX 3060 Upgrade-Guide: Against all expectations, did you get hold of an RTX 3060? Now do you want to update the rest of your system as well, so as not to let the performance lie idle? Then take a look at our Plus Guide to the RTX 3060:
more on the subject
Geforce RTX 3060 Upgrade-Guide
Higher production capacities
If Nvidia actually converted old stocks of Turing chips into mining graphics cards for the mining graphics cards, that would be a real relief for the graphics card market. And even if the chips have to be produced first, older production processes can be used. The Turing chips are manufactured in a 12nm process, amps in an 8nm process.
Other resources such as silicon wafers and printed circuit boards would then still have to be shared between the two production lines, but at least higher capacities would be available. We are curious and will keep you up to date!
8:24
Hardware & Tech News – Gamers spend 3x more money than all Star Wars films cost
Hardware-News: Our colleague Andy Sperling has more exciting news about technology ready for you in the new video format.