NVIDIA Silently Relaunching RTX 30-series with "Lite Hash Rate" Silicon Edition

[Raevenlord]

Remember that story regarding NVIDIA relaunching a new RTX 3060 SKU that actually does limit the hash rate for Ethereum mining workloads? Well, not only has it been cemented, but it also has been expanded. Reports are coming in that all but confirm that NVIDIA is on its way to provide its partners with updated silicon that should put mining performance of their RTX 30-series cards into a less palatable price-performance territory for would-be miners. That, in turn, should bring them closer to NVIDIA's CMP (Crypto Mining Processor) cards instead - and as wanted by both the company and consumers.

According to the sources, the new graphics cards will be indistinguishable from those that are still in transit or in stock (all two of them worldwide, of course). NVIDIA is internally describing the revised silicon as "Lite Hash Rate", and that is the message they communicate with AIBs. Apparently, the new "Lite Hash Rate" graphics cards will range throughout the entirety of NVIDIA's already-released RTX 30-series portfolio, from the ill-fated RTX 3060 up to the RTX 3080 Ti - the only absent graphics card is the RTX 3090, apparently, which could mean that NVIDIA is confident enough on that graphics card's cost being too high to be attractive to miners - especially when you consider how much more they are going for above the MSRP that was half-heartedly slapped on it. The new chips carry an update to their SKU identification - the GA102-200 chip that powers the RTX 3080 is being revised to GA102-202, as will all other chips made "lite" in this way. Expect the new cards to start hitting retail come June.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[r9]

Now we only need Light Scalper Rate silicon.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

For the Gamer's or the way it's meant to be played.

I can't decide ,not.

 

[kraven54]

WTT original 3070 to "lite" 3080ti

 

[sepheronx]

Huh, hope my Alienware I ordered to come by June doesn't have this limiter. If so, I guess I'll have to cancel my order.

 

[xkm1948]

Nice. I think it is a good attempt to segment the market.

 

[qubit]

Give it 5 minutes and the hash rate limiter will be hacked again.

 

[WhitetailAni]

Give it 5 minutes and the hash rate limiter will be hacked again.

People figure out that if you write the old die part number on the die it's an original chip again LOL

 

[AusWolf]

As much as I'd like to be positive about this, I'm afraid the hash rate limiter will always be broken unless the architectural characteristics of the silicon make it unsuitable for mining.

Now we only need Light Scalper Rate silicon.

If there were enough graphics cards in retail, we wouldn't see scalping at all.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Give it 5 minutes and the hash rate limiter will be hacked again.

In silicon? Good luck

 

[Dr_b_]

Not sure the value proposition for a card costing over $500 is there when the only thing it can do is game, think ill skip this generation entirely
crypto only cards are also an environmental disaster ontop of an environmental disaster


Nvidia could attempt to, if possible but probably not in current supply constrainment and low chip yields, supply more cards to the market until the current crypto waves crashes, and it will crash

 

[zinixo]

So everyone with a preorder will not be getting the card they ordered ,bait and switch....class action lawsuit anyone

 

[Space Lynx]

Huh, hope my Alienware I ordered to come by June doesn't have this limiter. If so, I guess I'll have to cancel my order.

don't worry, they will "accidently" release drivers to help ya out lol

 

[RedelZaVedno]

IF Nvidia would really want to solve the DIY market GPU shortage problem for 90% of gamers, it should flood DIY retail market with 4 gigs 3050 /3050TI GPUs priced at $149/199.
7.2/8.7 Tflops performance (probably even better because these are mobile versions), should be enough to get us through mining craze cheaply. But it looks like NVidia has no interest in doing that.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

So 'Silently Re-Launching' means "HEY LOOK AT US !! Our lips are moving but nothing is coming out"

 

[sepheronx]

don't worry, they will "accidently" release drivers to help ya out lol

there is always that lol.

Contacted the Dell sales guy. He put my system on priority so he says hopefully by mid to late May now.

So I am all good.

 

[Diverge]

This really doesn't change much other than make pre-gimped cards more valuable.

 

[Parn]

So basically the solution Nvidia have come up with is to gimp the compute performance of the RTX30 series but still sell them for the same amount of money? What about those users who genuinely need the raw compute power for other purposes? Do they now have to buy the pre-gimped cards at an even more inflated prices?

 

[newtekie1]

So basically the solution Nvidia have come up with is to gimp the compute performance of the RTX30 series but still sell them for the same amount of money? What about those users who genuinely need the raw compute power for other purposes? Do they now have to buy the pre-gimped cards at an even more inflated prices?

The limit only applies to the algorithm used to mine eutherium. The compute power of the card for other purposes has not changed.

 

[london]

good, now remove the useless BS fake 4k DLSS2 tensor cores, bs RT cores, shave 100W of tdp, increase raster performance 200% and lower the price and im in.

 

[xorbe]

So everyone with a preorder will not be getting the card they ordered ,bait and switch....class action lawsuit anyone

This is exactly why evga has a queue for ordering. Being in the queue is not an order.

I assume after they effectively gimp Etherium, nVidia will in time expand the block to the top 4 or 5 popular coins. I'm thinking the 4000 series will expand those efforts at that time. Right now they are just getting it working on the 3000 cards.

 

[Legacy-ZA]

Yes yes, I know this is an unpopular opinion; As a gamer only, I am glad. Miners will get their dedicated product range, yes, your re-sell value won't be much, but I am glad the secondary market will luck out in the sense that, no cards have been mined to death with and will not be circulating causing gamers harm that thinks they scored a great deal.

Gamers get the cards they want, new or second hand, knowing that they didn't work in the mines 24/7.

All in all, this situation was caused by greed only, people only have themselves to blame. Scalpers and Miners, you can't expect to buy up the whole inventory and not get backlash eventually, the products don't reach their intended audience.

 

[xkm1948]

Not sure the value proposition for a card costing over $500 is there when the only thing it can do is game, think ill skip this generation entirely
crypto only cards are also an environmental disaster ontop of an environmental disaster


Nvidia could attempt to, if possible but probably not in current supply constrainment and low chip yields, supply more cards to the market until the current crypto waves crashes, and it will crash

Entire big navi are not that good at mining, yet they sell way over $500 (6800. 6800XT and 6900XT). Not just miners are there trying to get GPU, legit gamers are trying too

 

[renz496]

vote for number 4. but i do hope nvidia keep doing this even if they are going to fail with this attempt.

IF Nvidia would really want to solve the DIY market GPU shortage problem for 90% of gamers, it should flood DIY retail market with 4 gigs 3050 /3050TI GPUs priced at $149/199.
7.2/8.7 Tflops performance (probably even better because these are mobile versions), should be enough to get us through mining craze cheaply. But it looks like NVidia has no interest in doing that.

nah even if nvidia do that people will still going to complain. "why 4GB in 2021? nvidia is greedy to not give at least 8GB on their low end".

So basically the solution Nvidia have come up with is to gimp the compute performance of the RTX30 series but still sell them for the same amount of money? What about those users who genuinely need the raw compute power for other purposes? Do they now have to buy the pre-gimped cards at an even more inflated prices?

need the compute raw power? just buy those A4000 or A6000.

 

[randompeep]

nah even if nvidia do that people will still going to complain. "why 4GB in 2021? nvidia is greedy to not give at least 8GB on their low end".

+1 on this, they're always corny on sth and a certain criteria of customers deserve this drought
I can't stand those who complain about VRAM like they have to add some beefy chips to their collection of memory modules after the GPU dies.