Nvidia has started taking measures to minimize possible damage,

Damage to them self, because now they will have to lower 1year old gpu back to original or a bit lower price? yeah sucks. Imo this was such a shady move to begin with, out of blue -very low stock.. now lets increase it for over +50%.. but hey at least most were smart enough not to buy this, unless forced by some natural power lol:D

schmidtbag:

Uh.... how exactly is buying 1 or 2 gaming GPUs for gaming purposes selfish? Are you suggesting miners aren't being selfish? I don't understand your logic.

Aura may be a bit over-the-top, but he has some valid points. Gamers act like GPUs are only for them to play games with, and other customers who buy them for other reasons are greedy parasites who are wasting electricity (even while gamers overclock to the max, often for the sake of benchmarks to inflate their ego). This sense of entitlement is not flattering, to say the least. I've also seen several people wishing that miners are arrested or outlawed (if not worse), which is also unwarranted. Although I also get upset when I see a miner with dozens of GPUs, I do not wish them any harm nor do I wish to outlaw what they do (if anything, I'm worried about their short-term future since the ROI is so low, and getting lower). I would say that it's foolish for miners to buy GPUs en-mass, not evil.

no not greedy parasites, but they somehow made this price hike happen, that and of course nv/amd fabs limiting supply and then go say hey its how it is, ram is too expensive, now we can't produce more and the price will be at least 50%, just for shits and giggles..

D3M1G0D:

Aura may be a bit over-the-top, but he has some valid points. Gamers act like GPUs are only for them to play games with, and other customers who buy them for other reasons are greedy parasites who are wasting electricity (even while gamers overclock to the max, often for the sake of benchmarks to inflate their ego). This sense of entitlement is not flattering, to say the least. I've also seen several people wishing that miners are arrested or outlawed (if not worse), which is also unwarranted. Although I also get upset when I see a miner with dozens of GPUs, I do not wish them any harm nor do I wish to outlaw what they do (if anything, I'm worried about their short-term future since the ROI is so low, and getting lower). I would say that it's foolish for miners to buy GPUs en-mass, not evil.

Yes, he is right in that the hostile attitude toward miners is unwarranted. However, if there's anything he said that's hypocritical, it's the part where he implied anyone (not just gamers) who aren't using GPUs for mining are being selfish. I'm not saying gamers aren't buying GPUs for selfish gains, but that's besides the point. Buying GPUs for mining is not less selfish.

-Tj-:

no not greedy parasites, but they somehow made this price hike happen, that and of course nv/amd fabs limiting supply and then go say hey its how it is, ram is too expensive, now we can't produce more and the price will be at least 50%, just for shits and giggles..

In my country, importers raised prices. Like, literally the first ones in the chain raised prices to obscene levels, and they sell everything that they import before they even can get the cards to the shops. I am convinced this is happening all over the world. I can also say that one of AIB partners of nVidia and AMD is now selling several models of popular cards, but without markings, in bulk in OEM boxes that count 100 cards each and give 3 months warranty on them. And that AIB (that I know of) is asking inflated price. Miners might have started this insanity, but everyone else, from the very top, is driving it now. And they are lying through their teeth if you ask them if they are doing it. Because they know (some, but enough of them) miners WILL buy them. They (AIBs, AMD, nVidia) don't care about who is buying as long as they are paying. For now. So, hate (or don't) the miners, but right now, they are not the ones behind the overpricing. Lowered supply and inflated prices at the start of the chain is. So go hate your favorite brand now instead. But it's pointless. They are business, trying to make most out of the situation.

I have pretty much always purchased video cards in the $200 to $300 price range, but now because of miners that segment of video cards is shifted up into the $400 to literally nearly $600 price range... I'm legitimately sick of all this mining crap and what it's done to video cards intended for gamers.... that is what they are, intended for gamers.

well, to be honest, you havent bought a GFX in a looong time. And this mining craze started 4 months ago. You had ample opportunity to change that aged card. Proveded you had the money, or you haven't had better card already but sold it to miners "for profit" (sorry, lots of people did this, so I apologize if my assumption is wrong).

I purchased my current card in March of last year because my previous video card died after a driver update... the 470 was the best priced / performing card available at the time for $279 on PC Case Gear.

Sorry, I was looking at 470, thinking nVidia, missed that it was AMD. So all in all, you wouldn't get a much better card for that money. Price hike went basically December last year. Unless you count the price hike done by nVidia and AMD themselves that forced you to buy a 200$ card for 279$ (my opinion).

gx-x:

Sorry, I was looking at 470, thinking nVidia, missed that it was AMD. So all in all, you wouldn't get a much better card for that money. Price hike went basically December last year. Unless you count the price hike done by nVidia and AMD themselves that forced you to buy a 200$ card for 279$ (my opinion).

Video Cards have always been a bit more expensive in Australia in comparison to the same card being sold in the US or UK for example.... the price of shipping or tax or something *shrugs*

Aura89:

For people buying and using their hardware for perfectly legal reasons?

Bitcoin is a "Pyramid Scheme" and in some countries such a scheme is considered illegal. Bitcoin was dogged by it's association with known illegal activities such as when Greece arrested Russians suspected of laundering $4 billion bitcoin. The issue is intrinsic value .. investors look at intrinsic value, speculators however look for buying without consideration for it's underlying value or appropriateness. Big investors see no intrinsic value in Bitcoin ... we already have currency world wide and the systems in place to deal with that, there is no need for more. Bitcoin is also NOT stable (again another bad sign for adoption/investment) Dec 16th 2017 Bitcoin's value at $19,343 and by Feb 5th, 2018 its down to $6,914 and today around $9,118 as miners try to keep it alive and kicking. Add the infusion of regulatory agencies world wide and it's becoming increasingly difficult to make money from this "Pyramid Scheme". Could nVidia stop mining, absolutely they could and relatively easily with some simple firmware updates and/or detection algorithms to slow down the GPU when mining activity is detected (which is easy to do considering the activity of mining has a very specific set of requirements so it's easy to detect). nVidia is doing lip service, I think everyone understands that ... but propaganda seems to work for those that don't want to do any research. Is it illegal for people to buy GPUs, no. Is it illegal to operate a Pyramid Scheme, in some countries yes. Is it illegal to use a GPU to operate a Pyramid Scheme ... possibly, depends on the laws in place for each country. Is it illegal for nVidia to sell GPUs for a Pyramid Scheme ... again probably depends on the country but in the US (where nVidia HQ is) I don't think there could be any legal recourse towards nVidia (I'm sure nVidia lawyers have reviewed all the possibilities). But the legal challenges are many: 1. Prove that Bitcoin is a Pyramid Scheme 2. Prove that nVidia couldn't stop mining 3. Prove that nVidia held back on supply as to inflate prices and increase profits But as far as nVidia or NewEgg or anyone else pretending to stop bitcoin mining, no, not a chance that's really happening in any meaningful way ... heck NewEgg sell Mining PCs: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA3526JW2933&Tpk=9SIA3526JW2933 Gaming industry revenue is around $90-100 Billion, Bitcoin is no where near that amount of revenue ... so nVidia will at some point in time have to decide what is more important to them, but this current article seems to indicate they're staying in a "holding pattern" and have no real plans to do anything. My 2 cents, Cheers, Rob.

This statement makes me sick. I feel like the husband that wife went to flirt with someone else.... and now that thing doesn't seem to work out, she wants back in.... Nvidia should know from the begging that they are where they are because of us, and even if another opportunity arises they shouldn't never leave their core market (us) sold out without much we cant do. I really hope Intel finally develop a competitive dedicated desktop gpu, personally im sick of Nvidia and AMD not valuing us.

abula:

This statement makes me sick. I feel like the husband that wife went to flirt with someone else.... and now that thing doesn't seem to work out, she wants back in.... Nvidia should know from the begging that they are where they are because of us, and even if another opportunity arises they shouldn't never leave their core market (us) sold out without much we cant do.

I can see why you'd think that way, but I don't agree. Nvidia themselves were not really catering to miners, the AIB partners and retailers were. Keep in mind Nvidia doesn't profit from this as much as people think, because they aren't really inflating the price of the chips themselves. Obviously, Nvidia is not going to turn down oodles of cash being handed to them. If I were in Nvidia's shoes, I'd be like "I'll engineer this hardware for gamers and professionals, but I'm not going to restrict miners". All this goes for AMD, too.

I really hope Intel finally develop a competitive dedicated desktop gpu, personally im sick of Nvidia and AMD not valuing us.

I hope a 3rd major competitor comes along, but I don't want it to be Intel. Unfortunately, I'm not sure we'll ever see one. Intel has had the potential to be a 3rd competitor for years, and yet they're hardly trying, which is very un-like Intel. I think both AMD and Nvidia (and maybe even VIA) own too many patents for more competitors.

Them mean ol miners gonna pay! https://thumbs.gfycat.com/NextAcrobaticEgg-size_restricted.gif :D

Nvidia is right to be cautious. The experts all say that the bitcoin bubble is going to burst very soon; when that happens there's gonna be a lot of used mining rigs for sale.