Nvidia has announced that it will begin limiting ethereum mining efficiency or any other encryption using its new range of graphics processing units (GPUs).
In a blog post published on February 19, the US hardware manufacturer said that this limitation will appear first on its new Geforce RTX 3060 card, which is scheduled to launch on February 25.
Nvidia revealed that the new GPU software drivers are designed to detect specific attributes of the ether mining algorithm (ETH) and to limit the hash rate, or cryptocurrency mining efficiency, to about 50%.
However, the software will not limit the efficiency of all cryptographic mining activities, Itpro reported, “with the limiter activating only when processes use Dagger Hashimoto or Ethash-type algorithms”.
The Nasdaq-listed company expects the restriction to discourage the purchase of gaming-oriented graphics cards for major ethereum mining operations. ETH is one of the few coins that can still be mined with graphics cards.
GPUs, which are used primarily in video game consoles, are reportedly in short supply due to the backlog of ETH miners, manufacturing limitations and supply chain problems resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, prices soared.
“We are players, completely,” said Nvidia. “We are obsessed with new game features, new architectures, new games and technology. We designed Geforce GPUs for gamers, and gamers are crying out for more, ”he added.
However, Nvidia revealed that it is planning to produce GPUs specifically targeting ethereum miners, called the Cryptocurrency Mining Processor (CMP). He said the new mining processor, due for release in March, will not “make graphics” and will “not meet the required specifications for a Geforce GPU and therefore will not affect the availability of Geforce GPUs to players”.
The company stated that the CMP “lacks display vents, allowing for better airflow during mining, so that they can be compacted more densely”. CMPs also have a lower core peak voltage and frequency, which improves the energy efficiency of mining, he explained.
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