Nvidia restricts the use of its gaming chips for cryptocurrency mining (2024)

The restriction is aimed to prevent the shortage of Nvidia's GPU units for its gamer community.

Nvidia restricts the use of its gaming chips for cryptocurrency mining (1)

Noida,UPDATED: May 19, 2021 17:27 IST

Nvidia has announced that it is limiting the capabilities of its latest RTX 30 series graphics cards such that they can’t be used for cryptocurrency mining. The move comes amid the shortage of graphic card units for the company’s major consumer base of gamers.

The US-based graphics chip maker has announced that its GeForce RTX 3080, RTX 3070, and RTX 3060 Ti graphics cards will have reduced cryptocurrency mining capabilities. Prior to this, Nvidia imposed a similar restriction on its budget offering RTX 3060.

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Nvidia stated that the move is deliberate and will cut back on the cards’ ability to perform calculations for validating transactions on the Ethereum network. The decision highlights how cryptocurrency miners have turned to gaming chipsets for carrying out mining operations.

The company noted how its video gaming cards can be easily adapted for mining Ether over Bitcoin. Since Ethereum has seen substantial growth in the market since the start of the year, such repurposed GPUs are even more in demand by miners of the cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency mining essentially involves maintaining the crypto transaction ledger. This is done by solving complex mathematical problems, usually on heavy processing units. Miners get some amount of cryptocurrency in return for solving these problems.

Even though the demand because of crypto mining has led to a surge in profits for Nvidia, the company faced a dilemma because of its obligations to its gamer community. Video gamers, who had long been waiting for its graphics cards, were unable to purchase the new units when they were launched earlier this year.

A report by Financial Times points out that Nvidia's earnings are also increasingly being tied up with the cryptocurrency market with its new user base. As and when the market falls or rises, the demand for its products dwindles.

For now, Nvidia is clear on its stand to cater to the two user bases separately. It launched its Cryptocurrency Mining Processors earlier this year dedicated to crypto mining. With its latest step, it asks the miners to stick to those for their demands and leave its gaming offerings alone.

Published By:

Sarthak Dogra

Published On:

May 19, 2021

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Nvidia restricts the use of its gaming chips for cryptocurrency mining (2024)

FAQs

Nvidia restricts the use of its gaming chips for cryptocurrency mining? ›

Graphics card-maker Nvidia says it will deliberately reduce the efficiency of its latest card by 50% when it is used to mine the crypto-currency Ethereum. Crypto-currency enthusiasts have contributed to a shortage of graphics cards by snapping up supplies to use for non-gaming purposes.

Does Nvidia support crypto mining? ›

NVIDIA GPU architecture allows you to mine more efficiently and recoup your mining investment faster.

Why can t you mine Bitcoin with GPU? ›

Reasons for the Shift: Efficiency: ASICs are specifically designed for Bitcoin mining, making them far more efficient than GPUs. They achieve significantly higher hash rates at lower power consumption, leading to better profitability.

Why are Nvidia cards better at mining? ›

How to get the most out of your NVIDIA graphics card in your mining server. NVIDIA graphics cards are highly sought after in the mining industry because of their capabilities and performance. Unlike other GPUs, NVIDIA cards have a higher number of processing cores that allow for faster calculations and computations.

Does crypto mining damage graphics cards? ›

Can mining Bitcoin damage my GPU or a PC? If you do not know what you are doing, yes. If you run your graphics card at 100% load for a long period of time without proper power or ventilation, it can damage your computer.

Are NVIDIA chips used to mine Bitcoin? ›

Bitcoin Mining and AI GPU

High-performance tech like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT are often used because they can efficiently handle these complex cryptographic tasks for mining.

What does NVIDIA have to do with crypto? ›

NVIDIA's Influence in Crypto Mining

When it comes to crypto mining, NVIDIA's GPUs provide the computational processing power and energy efficiency required to swiftly process transactions and solve cryptographic challenges. This efficiency boosts the profitability of mining operations.

Which coin can I mine for free? ›

Top 5 Free Mining Coins in 2023.
  • Pi network. The Pi Network is a platform that allows users to mine Pi cryptocurrency from their mobile phones without draining the battery. ...
  • Avive Coin. ...
  • ICE network. ...
  • Sidra Bank. ...
  • Bondex Orign.
Sep 4, 2023

Is crypto mining legal? ›

Is Bitcoin Mining Legal? In many jurisdictions, Bitcoin mining is legal. However, there are still some countries where it is illegal, so it's important to check the activity's status in your country before you start mining.

What is the best crypto to mine right now? ›

What's the best crypto to mine in 2024?
CryptocurrencyMining rewards per blockHardware requirements
Bitcoin (BTC)6.25 BTC (due to halve soon)ASIC
Monero (XMR)0.6 XMRCPU or GPU (ASIC-resistant)
Litecoin (LTC)6.25 LTCGPU, but ASIC recommended
Zcash (ZEC)3.125 ZEC (due to halve this year)GPU, but ASIC recommended
6 more rows

How long does it take to mine 1 Bitcoin? ›

How Long Does It Take to Mine 1 Bitcoin? The reward for mining is 3.125 bitcoins. It takes the network about 10 minutes to mine one block, so it takes about 10 minutes to mine 3.125 bitcoins.

Is GPU mining dead? ›

The once dominant Ethereum mining via GPUs has ceased, prompting miners to search for alternate cryptocurrencies. The current market reveals a diversification of mining activities, but the dominance of GPU mining remains uncertain amidst the rise of ASIC miners, which are more efficient for certain coins.

How many GPUs are needed to mine 1 Bitcoin? ›

There is no minimum or limit to the number of GPUs you can use when mining, and can even start with 1. However, if you are into a serious mining business, a rig of 6 GPUs is recommended.

Does crypto mining use a lot of electricity? ›

Our preliminary estimates suggest that annual electricity use from cryptocurrency mining probably represents from 0.6% to 2.3% of U.S. electricity consumption.

Does mining crypto hurt your PC? ›

The Risks of Crypto Mining

The first risk is that mining can damage your computer hardware. If your computer isn't properly ventilated, the heat generated by the mining process can damage components. This is why it's important to use a dedicated mining rig or a cloud-based mining service.

Is it safe to buy a mining GPU? ›

Again, it's worth noting that all these GPUs were probably used by miners at some point in their life cycle. So, at least according to LTT's testing, it appears that buying a second-hand mining GPU isn't as dangerous and dodgy a proposition as it might appear to be.

What is the best crypto to mine NVIDIA? ›

Most Profitable Crypto to Mine with GPU (Best Coins to Mine)
  • Monero.
  • Ravencoin.
  • Bitcoin Gold.
  • Feathercoin.
  • Dogecoin.
  • Litecoin.
  • GRiN.
  • Zcash
Mar 9, 2024

Which crypto partnered with NVIDIA? ›

Vanar Chain is thrilled to welcome NVIDIA, the latest addition to the ecosystem! Thanks to NVIDIA's infrastructure, all projects that are part of the Vanar AI, metadata and gaming ecosystem will gain access to the latest technology.

What is the best miner for NVIDIA GPU? ›

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti

It's particularly effective for mining various cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum (ETH), Conflux (CFX), and Zano (ZANO). With 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM and an impressive 10,752 CUDA cores, the RTX 3090 Ti not only excels in crypto mining but also provides an exceptional gaming experience.

Which GPU Cannot be used for mining? ›

Nvidia has announced that it is limiting the capabilities of its latest RTX 30 series graphics cards such that they can't be used for cryptocurrency mining.

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