Nobody has been able to fully get around the hash rate limiter NVIDIA implemented on its GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards, though the developer of NBMiner has figured out a way to restore some of the performance. And with the latest NBMiner update, the developer is claiming their software can restore up to 70 percent of the maximum unlocked hash rate.
This is good news for miners, and obviously bad news for gamers who are frustrated at the lack of GPUs that are available for anywhere close to MSRP. To be fair, the shortage is not entirely the fault of GPU mining, though it has definitely contributed to some extent. Things could ease in the coming months too, though, between China’s crackdown on cryptocurrency, and Ethereum’s planned switch to a proof-of-stake model.
For anyone who has not been following the situation, NVIDIA imposed a hash rate limiter on its Ampere cards, to help direct more GPUs into the hands of gamers, and coax miners into purchasing cards purpose-built for the cryptocurrency scene (specifically, its CMP HX cards).
Consequently, NVIDIA cut the hash rate in half on every GeForce RTX 30 series graphics card, save for the flagship GeForce RTX 3090, which is essentially this generation’s Titan card (minus the Titan label). These cards carry an LHR identifier, which stands for Lite Hash Rate.
“This reduced hash rate only applies to newly manufactured cards with the LHR identifier and not to cards already purchased,” NVIDIA announced in May.
Over on GitHub, the updated NBMiner software aims to unlock some of the restricted mining performance. The developer recommends setting the value at 68 percent. They also note that at present, this only applies to mining Ethereum via the ethash algorithm, though it is possible that other mining algorithms could be supported at a later date.
We have not tested this, but apparently it works in Windows and Linux with the latest GeForce drivers (except for version 471.11). Assuming it works as advertised, it is probably not enough of a difference to reinvigorate miners who may have gotten out of the game or are thinking about it, so fingers crossed this won’t be something that further contributes to the shortage of graphics cards.