The world’s leading graphics card manufacturer wants to put more new GPUs into the hands of gamers at a time when cryptocurrency miners and scalpers are scooping up new hardware before anyone else gets a chance.
More Crypto Mining Restrictions for Nvidia GPUs
Newly manufactured Nvidia GPUs will come with a special label identifying them as “Lite Hash Rate” or “LHR” models. As with the RTX 3060, anyone attempting to use an Nvidia LHR model GPU to mine cryptocurrency will find their hash rate effectively halved.
In the official blog post confirming the crypto mining restrictions, Nvidia VP of Global GeForce Marketing, Matt Wuebbling, said:
The system is clear enough and follows the existing pattern set down with the RTX 3060.
However, in a later statement made to PC Gamer, Nvidia also confirmed that their first-party Founders Edition GPUs wouldn’t come with LHR enabled.
While that sounds good in theory, Founders Edition Nvidia GPUs are already nigh-impossible to find, it might not make much difference to the overall lay of the GPU land.
Nvidia LHR GPUs Seek to Rebalance Market
For all of Nvidia’s efforts to bring top-tier RTX GPUs to the hands of gamers, the introduction of the LHR model and dedicated cryptocurrency mining GPUs have made little difference.
The core issue facing GPU manufacturing (and other critical system hardware) is a lack of manufacturing capacity across semiconductor facilities. Until those issues are addressed and capacity returns to its pre-COVID levels (or higher), demand will continue to outstrip supply significantly.
Some websites have taken additional steps to stop scalpers snatching up stock as soon as it arrives. For example, Newegg runs a daily raffle featuring a mixture of in-demand hardware, covering GPUs, CPUs, consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and more. The prices for a new GPU remain despite this approach, but at least those with the funds to spare can attempt to pick up a GPU—even at an eye-watering three times the MSRP.
