NVIDIA isn't clear with AIBs on making GPUs gimped for crypto mining

NVIDIA made a big deal about its stance on crypto mining, and then gimped GPU drivers to hurt crypto mining... and then pushed out the LHR (Lite Hash Rate) series... but is it that big of a deal? It seems AIB partners don't give a sh*t.

In his latest video, Tom from Moore's Law is Dead has had sources reach out to him and say: "You know now that you mention it Tom, the overwhelming majority of our arriving [GeForce RTX] 3070 stock is non-LHR. Last week I thought this was just the last remaining stock... but now it's late July, and most of our arriving 3070s remain as non-LHR models. The majority of upcoming deliveries are non-LHR as well".

An anonymous AIB source said: "Keep in mind that we are buying these dies from NVIDIA, and they are different from the LHR dies. So NVIDIA has to be mindful of what is going on, and letting some AIBs drag their feet more than others. LHR might be the standard for every SKU eventually, but we (AIBs) are going to drag this process out if they let us..."

As Tom points out, the AIB said that "they know the non-LHR models are going to sell for a higher price -- far longer -- so they want to keep making as many non-LHR 3070s as possible, for as long as possible".

• Read more: NVIDIA announces GeForce RTX 30 LHR series GPUs: gimped ETH mining

NVIDIA is aware of all of this, as they're the ones that are providing the GPU dies to AIBs -- and they're shipping non-LHR GPUs without helping -- or forcing -- AIB partners to re-tool their production lines to make their custom GeForce RTX series graphics cards compliant with the Lite Hash Rate gimping.

It is great to see that AIBs are dragging this process out because it shows that the AIBs still have power -- against NVIDIA, and that NVIDIA's stance on crypto mining is most likely very PR-focused. They are telling the world "ZOMG you can't buy a new GeForce RTX series card, damn those miners! Let us react to that by gimping the cards so miners don't buy them... see everyone, we helped you!"

In the background, this isn't happening -- non-LHR GPU dies are being shipped to AIBs without any force of them making them LHR models. Whatever, that is nothing for a gamer -- who cares if it has gimped mining if you're gaming on it. But... if you're a crypto-miner then you're going to buy that GPU and that is what the issue is here.

Mass crypto farms buying huge amounts of non-LHR GPUs, especially when they find out this news that most of the RTX 3060s and RTX 3070s -- and the ones coming in the months ahead, will be A-OK for crypto mining.