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Tracking GPU Crypto mining activity via software / hardware?

Associate
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Yeah, I tried on my laptop for a few days, saw the temperatures at ~75c and fans at 100% and decided it was probably not a good idea! :cry:
Actually for me GPU temperature was under 60C all the time (it was on a cooling pad) but like I said memory power draw was exactly double of what it is when gaming and that was worrying.
It was pushing 60MH/s so not bad at all.
 
Soldato
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Considering they are able to make LHR versions without impacting gaming performance, I assume they are able to identify when mining algorithms are running?

That's a bit of an assumption; just because they can configure hardware to prevent something doesn't mean they can record when that something is happening. That's a whole different process and would require R&D budget to come up with a solution, plus additional cost to purchase the card. Effectively what is being suggested here is that we make GPU purchases even more expensive just so that someone can get a second hand bargain a few years down the line when the card is EOL. :rolleyes:

Like I say, why stop at mining when there is a host of other use cases that could affect second hand performance e.g. thermal pad replacement if it's not done properly, people running Furmark with maximum overclocks to bench with and so on..

This talk of mining ruining cards is a circular argument about power cycles etc. The real question should be how many cards have failed specifically due to mining? Is there even a single post from a user of this forum seeking help with repair or warranty issues? Some people need to get over the fact that they can't get a GPU in this current market and maybe spend less time creating villains in their head to blame.
 
Soldato
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That's a bit of an assumption; just because they can configure hardware to prevent something doesn't mean they can record when that something is happening. That's a whole different process and would require R&D budget to come up with a solution, plus additional cost to purchase the card.

Of course it would take additional R&D. Just like making LHR cards, which they have done.

And what benefit does Nvidia get from LHR cards other than maybe making their cards more attractive to customers who know they can sell them on for more 2nd hand as buyers will know they haven't been mined on.

Logging mined hours would have a similar effect, except the cards would be attractive to both miners and non-miners. Miners would still get the hashrate, non-miners would still be able to sell them for higher prices 2nd hand because they could prove to a buyer it wasn't mined on.

Everyone wins.

Of course the point is moot because it still hasn't been shown that mining is any more or less damaging than gaming; personally I'd rather a 2nd hard card which was under clocked and mined on in a well ventilated case at 60c 24/7 than a card overclocked to the max in a poor case and thrashed in games at 90c+ for a few hours each day
 
Soldato
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Of course it would take additional R&D. Just like making LHR cards, which they have done.

And what benefit does Nvidia get from LHR cards other than maybe making their cards more attractive to customers who know they can sell them on for more 2nd hand as buyers will know they haven't been mined on.

LHR was implemented for the same reason that Founders drops happen periodically via a single cherry picked UK distributer; PR. And it's very effective - you couldn't buy an advertising campaign where literally thousands of customers worldwide where standing by their phones awaiting an update on the product's availability.

Nvidia would not waste their time with the costs involved with the OPs silly suggestion due to your quoted text below..

Of course the point is moot because it still hasn't been shown that mining is any more or less damaging than gaming

Mining is proven to damage the market equilibrium with an obvious affect on [potential] customer satisfaction, hence the LHR solution.
 
Soldato
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LHR was implemented for the same reason that Founders drops happen periodically via a single cherry picked UK distributer; PR. And it's very effective - you couldn't buy an advertising campaign where literally thousands of customers worldwide where standing by their phones awaiting an update on the product's availability.

That has nothing to do with LHR though, people would still be waiting by their phones/PCs ready to buy if they were full hash rate, because they are currently the only cards available at msrp
 
Permabanned
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What's the point?
People’s Bank of China issued fresh guidelines to eliminate all forms of crypto use in mainland China. The Chinese Central Bank deemed all crypto-related transactions illegal and ordered authorities to take strict action against existing crypto mining farms in the country. It also prohibited any foreign crypto exchanges from offering services in the country.
 
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And what benefit does Nvidia get from LHR cards other than maybe making their cards more attractive to customers who know they can sell them on for more 2nd hand as buyers will know they haven't been mined on.

Except people are mining on LHR cards, so there is no guarantee that the LHR card you buy won't have been mined on.
 
Soldato
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I'm a bit staggered that some seem to be suggesting that running a graphics card at high temperatures (particularly the VRAM) for long periods, is not what harms graphics cards. I wonder what standard of evidence or data collection would be required to convince people otherwise?

What I said about high power consumption still stands, some higher end models will still be running at high power consumption (and corresponding temps) while mining, even if clock rates and other settings are altered.

I did try a bit of mining myself for a few days in February and it was possible to reduce power usage on a RTX 3070 significantly, but at a reduced hash rate.

I would guess that if you can use a power efficient model, and keep the VRAM temps to 60 or below this should reduce the likelihood of degradation, but there's no evidence to confirm what a safe mining operating temperature would be, for long term use.

Obviously an ideal solution would be auto throttling of memory clock speed /power usage to keep VRAM temps always at 60 degrees or lower, during mining sessions.

There's also been some anecdotal reports of clock rates degrading over many months/years of GPU mining, so the effects do not appear to be limited to the graphics memory (tbf, this could be caused by gaming eventually also).
 
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Soldato
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Like I asked previously, where's all the posts from miners complaining about broken cards and warranty woes? You're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

I've run my 3080 for months with the memory at 104C and I've run my 3060ti for so long that it's paid for itself plus about 30% profit. Both cards are running absolutely fine for gaming and "normal" use now that I've stopped mining.
 
Soldato
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I'm a bit staggered that some seem to be suggesting that running a graphics card at high temperatures (particularly the VRAM) for long periods, is not what harms graphics cards. I wonder what standard of evidence or data collection would be required to convince people otherwise?

That's not how it works, you're the one making the claim, so the onus is on you to back it up.
 
Soldato
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I would guess that if you can use a power efficient model, and keep the VRAM temps to 60 or below this should reduce the likelihood of degradation, but there's no evidence to confirm what a safe mining operating temperature would be, for long term use.

I have 8 cards running for 5 years, lots of other miners have way more than this, how much evidence would you like that random YouTubers know f all about mining safely
 
Soldato
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Well, there isn't any evidence, if people only believe what they want to believe. It's not me saying it either, if you don't believe what's been said that's entirely your choice. There's degrees of degradation, the changes will be slow and gradual under the conditions mentioned, and no one can say they will definitely occur.

There's no onus on me, because it has nothing to do with me.
 
Soldato
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I thought from thread title this was going to be a constructive use of blockchain technology tracking GPU stock so that it doesnt end up in a warehouse farm... :cry:

Oh how wrong I was!

For the record, as pointed out well enough above, a conservative mining setup that looks after their GPU's will not stress the cards out any more than a kid gaming on it on/off - if anything the cold/hot cycles as pointed out (which we have discussed this before in many threads) from the gamer marathon sessions to then off when asleep will likely cause more harm to the card.
 
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2070 Super has a vram temperature reading.? Didn't know that.
I was mining a bit on my laptop but it doesn't have memory temperature reading and only showing memory power draw which was twice as high as when gaming so I gave up on that as it is a bit worrying.
Laptops don't have great cooling in general so probably not as safe to do as it is on a desktop GPU.


Apparently so.... the super is a slightly cut down 2080 (TU104) as opposed to the 2070 which is a TU106

siqglL1.png
 
Soldato
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Well, there isn't any evidence, if people only believe what they want to believe. It's not me saying it either, if you don't believe what's been said that's entirely your choice. There's degrees of degradation, the changes will be slow and gradual under the conditions mentioned, and no one can say they will definitely occur.

There's no onus on me, because it has nothing to do with me.

You forget they all have a vested interest in protecting their investments.OFC,they will say mining causes zero effect on their GPUs,because they want to sell them on at the lowest possible loss,when more profitable GPUs are released. What did you expect,miners to ever say anything negative about mining? OFC,not they are making money from it!! I am not saying they are lying but then they will have a natural bias towards defending it!! :p;)

In the last 20 years,almost all of the GPU failures I have seen in the realworld have tended to be VRAM related. Even the one GPU I had to return in the last 10 years,literally had its VRAM go south within a week of me owning it(and running it at stock).

This is why I have avoided secondhand GPUs in more recent years - whether its a miner,or some kid overclocking the VRAM to get moar gaming performance,its not worth piddling away £100s unless there is a warranty on top. Unless you can quantify how someone has used it,you simply have no clue whether they have pampered the GPU or pushed a lot of voltage through it.

Hardware enthusiasts on tech forums also seem to not understand most normal gamers are not having their GPUs on that much under load,as most are not dorks who game 24/7.

Literally every PC gamer I know plays a few hours a week at most,and during summertime hardly games because there are things to do outside,and there are other hobbies people do.

Compare that to a miner who will be having their GPU under load 24/7 for much longer periods,its definitely getting far more use,than most PC gamers outside the hardcore types who just play games all the time. Maybe,a hardcore PC gamer is worse on their GPUs,but most people simply don't have the time anyway IMHO. The GPUs will be running at idle for most of their lifespan.
 
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