NVIDIA to launch a new GA106-302 GPU for GeForce RTX 3060 to reintroduce Ethereum mining limiter

NVIDIA preparing GA106-302 GPU to tackle mining

But seriously, this time for real.

NVIDIA GA106-302 GPU (concept), Source: HKEPC

According to HKEPC, NVIDIA is set to launch a new Ampere GPU variant with a better cryptomining limiter. The new GPU codenamed GA106-302 would replace the GA106-300 in GeForce RTX 3060 graphics cards. This new chip would receive a new PCI Device ID which would render any existing drivers useless.

NVIDIA has made a big announcement earlier this year that their mid-range GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card will be the first to feature Resizable BAR support and cryptomining algorithm limiter. Despite good intentions, it was quickly discovered that the graphics card was still profitable even with the limiter in action. To make matters worse, NVIDIA accidentally released a driver that removed the very same limiter that the manufacturer has implemented. This has rendered the whole anti-mining campaign useless.

It is said that the new GA106-302 GPU will not only not work with the new driver but it will also feature ‘further mechanisms’ to ensure that Ethereum mining on RTX 3060 will still be problematic (let’s see for how long this time).

The new GA106-302 GPU is now expected to launch around May, which indicates that NVIDIA has made the decision to shift to a new variant recently. What may be important to customers is that NVIDIA will not differentiate the new variant of RTX 3060 from the already existing one with GA106-300 GPU.

Update: A known leaker “kopite7kimi” claims that NVIDIA might also launch new variants of GA102 and GA104 GPUs:

Source: HKEPC via Igor’sLAB