We’ve known for a while that Nvidia wants to fit its entire GeForce RTX 30-series range with an Ethereum cryptocurrency mining limiter, after trying it out on just the GeForce RTX 3060. Now we have our first look at partner versions of these anti-mining cards, starting with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 3070.
As spotted by VideoCardz, Galax has revealed new “LHR” (Lower Hash Rate) versions of its GeForce RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 3070 cards. These should make the GPUs only about half as effective at mining Ethereum, without affecting gaming performance.
The idea, as with Nvidia’s hash-rate-lowering efforts on other GPUs, is to discourage miners from snapping up what previous little stock will be available, thanks to production problems caused by an underlying semiconductor shortage. Ordinary PC owners, who’ve likely been struggling to find where to buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, could therefore have a better chance of buying one.
For its part, Galax is making it clear that these new models are mining-limited by adding a new “FG” suffix. It’s not clear…
