This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this folio. Terms of use.

VegaRX1

On the heels of its Vega launch terminal week, AMD has released a new driver for its GPUs that focuses on cryptocurrency mining. The new driver is supposed to make Vega faster when mining, though AMD too notes that the driver "is provided every bit a beta level support commuter which should be considered 'as is' and will non be supported with further updates, upgrades or bug fixes."

AMD and Nvidia have taken different approaches to cryptocurrency during this latest cycle. Earlier this year, AMD reported that cryptocurrency might have driven a short-term spike in sales, but that the company did not include information technology in their future forecasts. AMD has said that it continues to monitor the cryptocurrency business, but that it has no plans for a major pivot. The driver being labeled as a beta "as-is" product certainly supports this analysis.

Nvidia, on the other paw, has a different accept. Jen-Hsun Huang has told investors that "Cryptocurrency and blockchain are here to stay. Over time, it will become quite big. Information technology is very clear that new currencies will come up to market. It's clear the GPU is fantastic at cryptography. The GPU is really quite well positioned."

2016-Market

This disparate take on mining may reflect certain realities both companies have faced. Back in 2022 – 2022, when Bitcoin and Litecoin mining were still existence done on GPUs, AMD was the just company that really benefited–and at the same time, it didn't do good much at all. GPU sales to gamers fell like a rock. By the fourth dimension the cryptocurrency mining craze had pased, Nvidia had the GTX 980 and 970 ready to go. The window of opportunity for Hawaii had passed. Some of y'all may besides recall that AMD'southward GPU prices simply blew through the roof, with an R9 280X, which should have been a $300 card based on AMD's MSRPs, actually selling for $489.

2014-Price

Nvidia, on the other hand, was locked out of this market place altogether. During the same fourth dimension frame, Kepler and fifty-fifty Maxwell were not a match for AMD'due south cryptocurrency performance. Now, with Ethereum and Pascal, Nvidia's functioning is much stronger. That'due south likely part of the reason why the two companies see things differently. AMD got burned by this market once already, and Nvidia may feel that its stronger relationships with board partners or greater manufacturing capacity via contracts with TSMC will go on them in a leadership position in graphics.

ExtremeTech recommends that anyone interested in cryptocurrency mining arroyo the topic the same way you should approach gambling. If y'all want to take a shot and try to make some profit, experience free–just don't risk any funds you can't beget to lose. Cryptocurrency prices are famously volatile and you may not be able to count on sustained, long-term profits.

There's a written report from Overclock3D that nosotros oasis't been able to ostend or debunk, claiming that AMD's GPU pricing of £449.99 in the UK ($499 in the US) was only for the launch. Overclockers UK's Gibbo writes:

Now the adept and bad news, the good news is AMD are rebating early launch sales to permit us to striking £449.99 on the stand alone black bill of fare which has no games. This is a launch only price which AMD at present are saying will be withdrawn in the well-nigh time to come, when if it happens is unknown, but recollect do not be shocked if the price jumps near £100 in a few days.

We have requested confirmation or explanation of this from AMD, simply the company was not able to provide usa with a response by the fourth dimension this story went to press. We will update information technology when nosotros take more information on the future of Vega'south cost. It also isn't articulate that these toll increases, if truthful, are a global shift or merely reflect UK pricing. And finally, there's the take chances the the data given was only incorrect. A $128.76 price increase on Vega would make information technology far likewise expensive to recommend, given its power consumption and functioning–unless, of course, the GTX 1080 is kicked up into the stratosphere long-term as well.