Firms Discover New Use for Cryptomining GPUs

Based on a social media insider, some Chinese language graphics card producers have found a option to refurbish and promote cryptocurrency mining GPUs made initially by Nvidia and AMD. That is carried out by modifying them to incorporate extra VRAM and promoting them as new to offset the prices, with the GPUs in query being the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 and AMD Radeon RX 580, each of which have lengthy been succeeded by future fashions such because the RTX 40 collection.

In the course of the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, PC players who had been trying to construct or improve their rigs had been hard-pressed to discover a graphics card. This was compounded by heavy utilization of cryptocurrency mining rigs, and by scalpers trying to capitalize on the state of affairs by reselling sure fashions of RTX 20 and Radeon RX 500 and 5000 collection graphics playing cards at a premium. Nevertheless, beginning in September 2022, the Ethereum cryptocurrency switched to a proof-of-stake mannequin that decreased energy utilization, which compelled miners to dump their graphics playing cards. Whereas a few of these graphics playing cards ended up within the arms of PC players, their strained utilization and specs made them a far cry from among the finest graphics playing cards obtainable.

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Nevertheless, one social media insider indicated that the marketplace for former mining GPUs has not light but. On Twitter, an insider named “I_Leak_VN” posted screenshots of an RTX 3080 that featured modified VRAM kits and a blower-style fan just like those utilized by Radeon RX 5000 collection GPUs. This GPU was reassembled by a Chinese language firm referred to as Jieshuo with the intent of including extra VRAM, repackaging the playing cards in new coolers, and reselling them as AI accelerators. Initially, the RTX 3080 was offered with 10 GB and 12 GB of reminiscence, however these Jieshuo fashions have upped that to twenty GB. As well as, Jieshuo is promoting Radeon RX 580 playing cards with 16 GB of VRAM, which is double the capability of the unique fashions, so each AMD and Nvidia customers must be looking out for these fashions.

This transfer was made as a result of GPUs just like the RTX 4090 have develop into ridiculously costly in China because of the US authorities’s restrictions on shipments of sure merchandise similar to graphics playing cards to China. Whereas that is unlikely to succeed in past the borders of mainland China simply, the OP stated that these GPUs have been noticed on websites similar to AliExpress that promote globally.

Nevertheless, the affect these Jieshou playing cards could have on the PC gaming market stays to be seen. With applied sciences similar to ray tracing and compatibility with AI-related purposes, solely time will inform what potential graphics card consumers will do with the data of those playing cards.

MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ventus 3X Plus LHR 10GB

The MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ventus 3X Plus graphics card relies on the high-performance NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. It is some of the highly effective GPUs available on the market, though NVIDIA has already launched its successor. Offering glorious 4K efficiency, the cardboard has 10 GBs of GDDR6X reminiscence utilizing a 320-bit reminiscence interface and a lift clock pace of as much as 1740 MHz. This graphics card helps ray-tracing, DLSS 2.0, and comes with 3 DisplayPort 1.4a ports and 1 HDMI 2.1 connection.

Model

MSI

Cooling Technique

Air

GPU Pace

1,740 MHz

Interface

PCI Categorical 4.0

Reminiscence

10GB GDDR6X

Energy

320 watts