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Comment by sxp | Hacker News Reader

> thanks in part to the growing demand of Nvidia’s Tesla cards in those markets but also because cryptocurrency miners who can’t afford to etch their own ASICs are creating a huge demand for the company’s top-end GPUs.

This part is incorrect. Unless you need functionality specific to workstation & server GPUs, it can be an order of magnitude cheaper to buy a high end gaming GPU. Cryptominers normally use motherboards with 12+ PCI-E 1x-16x adapters and consumer cards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6gB7GYkkiA

The same performance/dollar math applies to anyone else who needs to do GPU processing and doesn't need:

* double-precision math

* high-bandwidth connection between the GPU and motherboard

* a setup that doesn't violate EULAs

* a warranty

In my testing with raytracers, there is around a 5-15x improvement in perf/$ with consumer cards.

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In data centers, nvidia seems to want to limit usage of consumer products [1].

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15983587

>* a setup that doesn't violate EULAs

This was a reference to what you're talking about.

Yes. but I am not sure if Nvidia is pushing it yet. But at least in Linux, you have to apply some patches to enable passthrough for consumer GPUs.

There is also less risk associated with purchasing gaming GPUs for mining, as some cost can generally be recovered in the event of a crash through resale. Especially now, where cards like the 1080TI are going for, what, double price, if you can find them.

Meanwhile an ASIC is useless outside of mining.

This is repeated a lot, but I don't know many that are interested in buying a used card these days due to mining and wear on them. I don't think the resale value is nearly as great as is implied. I could be wrong though. If we get to the point where resale starts to happen in mass, it'll be an interesting item to watch.

A returned 1080TI was the only option for me. Everything else was taken. So far so good. I was the ONLY one at Fry's NOT buying a graphics card for mining (deep learning for me). 4 other people were there to get cards for mining. Apparently they didn't want the 1080TI though because it was not as power efficient for mining compared to the 1070.

> Apparently they didn't want the 1080TI though because it was not as power efficient for mining compared to the 1070

I'm sure there's still a demand for them, because it's still possible to turn a profit over the lifetime of the card; it's just not as high as that of the 1070.

Are the GPU makers ramping up production to meet demand? I feel like this shortage had been going on for, what, at least 6 months?

current gaming GPUs are vastly over priced from normal because many are buying them for mining. it is one of the few times where buying a prebuilt PC is actually a better deal.

I do believe Nvidia does offer to sell at MSRP with limits by household yet even then those are not the cards many home builders prefer

This has got me thinking recently, even the second hand market is really strong for 5-year-old mid-level GPU's. Not the sort that are useful for mining either, just the knock on impact. Also it seems to me that a 5-year-old mid-range card is more than up to playing popular games like WOW or Overwatch. I wonder if there is an opportunity for either

a) AMD to offer something mid-market for a low price and steal a load of market share back from Nvidia, while they concentrate on the $900 plus market. I suppose AMD's CPU's with onboard graphics are sort of like this.

b) A new entrant?

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