Newer versions of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, as well as the GeForce RTX 3070 and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti graphics cards are all getting cryptocurrency mining limiters added to them to curtail their appeal to people hungry for digital money.
Well, Nvidia has announced that it will be building upon the a mining limiter to the It put in the GeForce RTX 3060 to help ensure the aforementioned cards aren't snapped up by crypto miners. "We believe this additional step will get more GeForce cards at better prices into the hands of gamers everywhere," Nvidia said.
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This new hash limiter does not affect cards out on the market right now. These new hash-limited cards will begin shipping in late May. This could make finding where to buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 a little easier once more stock arrives.
"Because these GPUs originally launched with a full hash rate, we want to ensure that customers know exactly what they’re getting when they buy GeForce products," said Nvidia's global head of GeForce Marketing Matt Wuebbling. "To help with this, our GeForce partners are labeling the GeForce RTX 3080, RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 Ti cards with a 'Lite Hash Rate,' or 'LHR,' identifier. The identifier will be in retail product listings and on the box."
It should be noted that Nvidia made no mention of the doubly expensive RTX 3090. It seems that the $1,500 card will not have limiters, which is probably a good thing considering the card costs so darn much. It's likely that Nvidia would have met backlash from enthusiast miners not wanting any restrictions on their expensive purchase. It's likely that the rumored upcoming GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will also have LHR enabled, though.
With the surge in Bitcoin and Ethereum value during the Covid-19 pandemic, Nvidia's latest graphics cards have become the model tool for mining cryptocurrency. It's not just professional miners either. Even average consumers that do get their hands on a card figure that if they use their new GPUs to mine, they can recoup the cost within a few months, depending on how much they spend.
Nvidia does offer Crypto Mining Processors (CMP) which are ideal for mining. Unfortunately, these cards do not push graphics.
The ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic will continue to make the RTX 3080 stock disaster an ever lingering nightmare for gamers. It's not just computer hardware that's being affected by manufacturing woes in Korea, Taiwan and China, but also everything from iPads to cars.
According to Taiwanese chip maker TSMC CEO Dr. C.C. Wei, chip manufacturing isn't likely to catch up with demand until at least sometime well into 2022 or even 2023. TSMC is working on creating new manufacturing facilities, and Taiwan is doing everything it can, including diverting water away from farmers, just so that silicone can be produced.
