To help ensure the RTX 3060 reaches PC gamers when it launches next week, Nvidia is tweaking the graphics card's software to handicap its ability to mine cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency miners have been buying up the already-limited supply of RTX 3000 series graphics cards, making it nearly impossible for the average consumer to get one. Mining surged in recent months, as the value for Bitcoin and Ethereum tripled.
In response, Nvidia will restrict the RTX 3060’s mining capability through the card’s official software driver. The computer code has now been redesigned “to detect specific attributes of the Ethereum cryptocurrency mining algorithm, and limit the hash rate, or cryptocurrency mining efficiency, by around 50%.”
“With the launch of GeForce RTX 3060 on Feb. 25, we’re taking an important step to help ensure GeForce GPUs end up in the hands of gamers,” the company wrote in a Thursday blog post.
An Nvidia spokesperson says the handicapping should not affect the RTX 3060's gaming capabilities.
Cryptocurrency Mining Processor
The change promises to free up supplies for the RTX 3060, the most affordable desktop graphics card in the series. But on the flip side, it does nothing to stop cryptocurrency miners from buying the other GPUs in the RTX 3000 generation. (A single RTX 3080 card, for instance, can generate about $357 a month in Ethereum.)
Knowing this, Nvidia created a dedicated line of GPUs specifically designed for professional Ethereum mining. The company calls the upcoming products Nvidia CMP, which stands for Cryptocurrency Mining Processor.
“CMP products—which don’t do graphics—are sold through authorized partners and optimized for the best mining performance and efficiency. They don’t meet the specifications required of a GeForce GPU and, thus, don’t impact the availability of GeForce GPUs to gamers,” Nvidia says.
The CMP graphics cards should also appeal to the cryptocurrency crowd by stripping away the PC gaming-related features while optimizing the hardware for mining. “For instance, CMP lacks display outputs, enabling improved airflow while mining so they can be more densely packed. CMPs also have a lower peak core voltage and frequency, which improves mining power efficiency,” Nvidia adds.
The company plans to release the first CMP cards this quarter, with more to follow in Q2.
As for why Nvidia isn't tackling Bitcoin mining, an Nvidia spokesperson says "Ethereum has the highest global mining yield for any GPU-mineable coin at the moment and thus is likely the main demand driver for GPUs in mining. Other algorithms do not contribute significantly to GPU demand and cannot change quickly due to network effects within a given cryptocurrency."