- AMD may be taking on Nvidia in the race to create a cryptocurrency mining chip
- Details of a new AMD Navi 12 GPU chip suggest that the graphics element is missing, suggesting a crypto mining chip is in the works
- Nvidia announced their CMP crypto mining chip last month, but no cards have been made with it yet
Graphics card maker AMD could be on the verge of joining rival Nvidia in the battle to produce a cryptocurrency mining chip. According to computing website PC Gamer, the company has released details of a new GPU chip that has some of the same hallmarks as those on Nvidia’s new CMP crypto mining chip, although gamers are worried that Nvidia’s hashrate restrictions on their new cards could see miners turning to AMD, therefore reducing the supply and bumping up prices.
AMD Navi 12 GPU Chip Details Uncovered
Nvidia has been the card maker of choice among altcoin miners both professional and amateur for some time, with only the very top of the range AMD cards being comparable with Nvidia’s range. Now it seems however that the California-based outfit is ready to compete in the crypto mining game, if the details of their latest chip are anything to go by.
Computing website PC Gamer reported earlier this week that details of AMD’s new Navi 12 GPU chip suggested a mining-friendly focus, given that it seems to have no support for video output. This is something the Nvidia CMP chip also lacks, and there can be no other logical reason for a graphics card maker to not include graphical output support other than for a mining chip.
Gamers Worried About Impact on Availability and Price
Despite being Nvidia’s less attractive cousin, AMD has nevertheless experienced increased demand for its cards since crypto mining took off, with PC Gamer noting that “the launch of a specific mining SKU it could at least show that it’s [AMD’s] doing something to try and keep gaming GPUs in the hands of gamers.”
PC Gamer also notes that demand for AMD cards could even grow when Nvidia’s range of new RTX 3060 cards come out, given that they will have a hashrate limiter in place to stop the mining of Ethereum. Gamers are concerned given that “we don’t think…that AMD is able to do the same sort of Ethereum limiter Nvidia looks to be doing on its future GeForce cards.” This could mean that the new range of AMD cards is snapped by hashrate-hungry miners, leaving gamers facing either higher prices or disappointment.
