Someone defeated the anti-crypto-coin-mining protection for Nvidia's 'gamers only' RTX 3060 ... It was Nvidia
- Reference: 1615962787
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/03/17/nvidia_cryptocurrency_fail/
- Source link:
A day before its 3060 went on sale, Nvidia announced the GPU would require a GeForce driver designed to detect whether the hardware was running proof-of-work algorithms used to mine Ethereum. If this code was observed, the driver would force the chipset to [1]slash its mining efficiency , or hash rate, crippling its ability to produce digital currency.
[2]
It was hoped that these measures would deter crypto-miners from snapping up all of these relatively cheap cards at launch, and leave a few more for gamers. It was a little bit obvious that miners would just buy the RTX 3060s anyway in hope that the driver-level protection would be defeated eventually.
Nvidia cripples Ethereum mining on GeForce RTX 3060 to deter crypto bods from nabbing all the kit at launch [3]READ MORE
[4]
And not only did the miners get their hands on the gear, they discovered a way, in some circumstances, to subvert the driver to successfully mine Ethereum. The trick is surprisingly trivial: use another driver. Nvidia recently released a technology preview driver, compatible with the RTX 3060, that included CUDA support for the latest Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL 2), allowing applications to tap into the graphics processor to accelerate things like machine-learning algorithms.
This driver also doesn't impose the Ethereum hashing limitations, and so switching to this software evades Nvidia's crackdown, depending on how you've set up your rig. “A developer driver inadvertently included code used for internal development which removes the hash rate limiter on RTX 3060 in some configurations,” an Nvidia spokesperson confirmed to The Register on Tuesday. “The driver has been removed.”
Here’s a screenshot of a user successfully repurposing a 3060 GPU to mine Ethereum:
RTX 3060 x 2 ，Hashrate are 47.77 MH/s and 48.01 MH/s [5]https://t.co/92iyVWxzb1 [6]pic.twitter.com/Zzo3Ue1Mw7 — Uniko's Hardware (@unikoshardware) [7]March 16, 2021
This workaround-of-sorts is limited to single cards connected to a monitor, [8]according to Crypto Mining Blog. The download link for the driver has [9]since been removed from Nvidia’s website. The [10]forum page discussing the software has also been taken offline.
Removing the official download to driver 470.05 probably isn’t enough to stop miners crafting Ethereum, though. Copies of the software continue to circulate in pirating hangouts. Nvidia declined to comment further.
The GPU giant has come under fire from frustrated fans unable to buy its latest RTX cards. The devices typically sell out minutes after launch; there’s high demand, and not enough stock. Gamers are also elbowed out of the way by bots and scalpers looking to make a profit reselling the kit online.
Nvidia partly blamed digital currency miners snapping up GPUs, leaving little left for gamers. At the time of the RTX 3060 launch, Nv also unveiled a brand of forthcoming graphics processors, named the [11]CMP HX series, in an attempt to distract and lure away cryptominers from the GeForce card; these CMP parts can’t connect to display monitors, making them unsuitable for desktop gaming. They also have custom cooling systems and operate at lower peak core voltages and frequencies to mine efficiently.
Yet, we're still in the middle of a global semiconductor shortage, so no matter how Nvidia carves up or repackages its brands, people will struggle to get their components because the factories can't keep up with demand.
[12]
And thus it's [13]argued that the CMP HX brand is actually a terrible deal for gamers, rather than a godsend, because it means miners will get some of the silicon that's in such short supply just for mining and then throw the boards away after they are no longer viable for hashing as the devices can't be resold for gaming. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/18/nvidia_gpu_mining_ethereum_crippled/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YFHhTPLQKViUAfLXSY3afwAAAJI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/18/nvidia_gpu_mining_ethereum_crippled/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YFHhTPLQKViUAfLXSY3afwAAAJI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://t.co/92iyVWxzb1
[6] https://t.co/Zzo3Ue1Mw7
[7] https://twitter.com/unikoshardware/status/1371791365680418817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8] https://cryptomining-blog.com/12738-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3060-with-full-unrestricted-eth-mining-hashrate/
[9] https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda/wsl/download
[10] https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/new-cuda-on-wsl2-wip-driver-470-05-is-now-available-for-download/170516
[11] https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/cmp/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YFHhTPLQKViUAfLXSY3afwAAAJI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfIibTBaoMM
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Gamers also have to contend with bots and scalpers looking to make a profit
The demand is just too crazy. The only way the demand drops enough for mainstreamed to get on board is for new tech to supersede it, which by then is way too late in hypercompetitive gaming.
Re: Gamers also have to contend with bots and scalpers looking to make a profit
You'd think so, but no, not really. Even 1660 have doubled price. You can find 1080 on eBay at prices higher than the MSRP for a brand new 3080.
And the lure of the get-rich-quick-by-literally-burning-oil crapcoin craze won't disappear, as a new shitcoin is born every minute to start over with the scam. I really don't see a way out of this.
Re: Gamers also have to contend with bots and scalpers looking to make a profit
That's what I'm talking about. "A bit over MSRP" is considered in mainstream compared to the top end where money spinners will pay half the kingdom and his daughter's hand in marriage knowing getting a top end will let them recoup it all quickly.
Re: Gamers also have to contend with bots and scalpers looking to make a profit
Ironically it would be great for Linux / BSD users who don't really care about the latest and greatest and just want their command prompt or text editor to be visible. We now have many cheap ~5 year old cards.
A pitty that many of us prefer open-drivers (i.e AMD / Intel). So there really is going to be a massive influx of old unwanted NVidia cards.
Re: Gamers also have to contend with bots and scalpers looking to make a profit
Ooooh. 1080 for more than a brand new 3080 you say...
* stares at shiny 1080 GTX OC edition in PC case. *
But then it does mean camping on a suppliers website...
Re: Gamers also have to contend with bots and scalpers looking to make a profit
> Is it really necessary to have the new hardware the very minute it is released?
Thing is, it's not just the new 30xx series that's selling out. With the exception of very cheap low-end parts (the likes of the GT710, where you just need something to power a display) or professional Quadro GPUs, everything is sold out. The second-hand market has gone insane: four or five year old GPUs are selling for more than they cost brand new.
Re: Gamers also have to contend with bots and scalpers looking to make a profit
Yeah. I discovered this when my old but still okay R9 390 figuratively went up in smoke (not sure of the culprit but suspect an updated driver with unspecified tweaks for "quieter" fans hastened its demise). I'd previously assumed the same, people were paying silly money for top-end stuff but everything else was okay. I'd be fine and would be back to being shot at in Cyberpunk in no time.
When I started looking for a replacement I was quickly disabused of that idea. There was absolutely nothing available anywhere except stuff even older than my 390 and whose second-hand prices were rather premium rate.
I eventually lucked out and managed to grab myself an Nvidia 2060 at probably its original RRP. In normal times not an especially wonderful deal but right now I consider myself to be very fortunate. I just hope it doesn't develop a fault in the foreseeable future...
Re: Gamers also have to contend with bots and scalpers looking to make a profit
Confession time: I thought exactly the same as you - people are just moaning, wait a few weeks, etc. But I've changed my mind.
Yesterday I checked a UK online retailer I have used happily for years (built my last two PCs from them). They have practically no GPUs. No 3xxx series cards, and one or two 2xxx series in the £800-1000 range (MRRP, not price-gouged). And they are open that they have no ETA for replacements either. They had no AMD cards at all.
I've got no problems with waiting a few months after a card is launched to buy one at manufacturer's recommended retail price. But there doesn't appear to be any end in sight for this. There's every chance that 4xxx series cards will be announced before the current-gen ones are actually available to buy.
We Just Can't Have Nice Things
I just can't see how this will ever end well. Demand is obviously through the atmosphere, so no amount of building will be able to keep up. Worse, the unsavory interests have more motivation, deeper pockets, and fewer scruples. I'm reminded of the Furby craze. Makes me wonder if someone wrote a story about something like this in the past.
Re: We Just Can't Have Nice Things
Eventually, things will probably change, there are a few different ways it could happen:
Manufacturing catches up, more chips get fabbed, and more cards get to the retailers (yes, miners will snap them up, but will eventually let them go to the second hand market).
Cryptocurrency prices crash, the miners unplug their kit, least efficient first, and, again, sell cards.
Someone further up the supply chain raises prices to silly levels. At the moment, it's the scalpers and reseller platforms (i.e. ebay) that are taking the profits, there's only so long that sort of money gets left on the table, so we're waiting until either the consumer retailers, card manufacturers, or chip manufacturers decide they want in. If AMD/Nvidia do, expect them to justify it by saying they need to invest in the first option above.
Game developers reassess what their target platform looks like. If your game needs a recent GPU to be enjoyable, you're going to have a bad time.
Re: We Just Can't Have Nice Things
I wonder if there's mileage in doing it the same way as buying a replacement engine; a big discount if you send the old working-but-knackered one back?
Or even, no, you can't have a new one unless you send the old one back.
Re: We Just Can't Have Nice Things
Trade-ins aren't worth much versus the final sticker price. Plus, how does one get their first one, especially in a household with lots of kids which crimps hand-me-downs?
Re: We Just Can't Have Nice Things
Damn, I knew there was something I forgot :)
Re: We Just Can't Have Nice Things
I just can't see how this will ever end well
One way would be to levy a carbon tax on cryptocurrencies.
I think it's rather interesting that the main take on this is "oh, no, I can't play games" rather than on how much power is being consumed by the latest incarnation of tulip mania.
Re: We Just Can't Have Nice Things
How would this be enforced across hostile borders?
But thanks for the tulip reference.
Re: We Just Can't Have Nice Things
It doesn't need to be. At some point, they need to be either converted to real currency, or used to buy something, and that's where tax apply. Of course there will be ways around it. The goal is not perfection, but reduce sufficiently the attraction of energy-waste crapcoin scams to move enough people away.
Re: We Just Can't Have Nice Things
"I just can't see how this will ever end well"
Short version - you're waiting for the cryptocurrency bubble to burst and evaporate for the fad that it is.
Mining works best
on other people's hardware. So don't attempt to use unauthorized drivers on your own.
Re: Mining works best
...and using other people's electricity.
That's part of the problem.
#if debug
Bet they will be double checking the compiler directives (again, until they forget and release debug code again)
Ahh crap, one of the fans on my GTX 1060 stopped working last week. was hoping to nab one of those 3060's.
Still it's about 5 years old and pretty much plays everything maxed out so can't complain. Running strong on the remaining fan but if that goes I'm screwed :(
Fans are replaceable.
Here, lmgtfy:
https://www.gpufanreplacement.com/
You can buy those and replace it. Also a good chance for a general cleanup of the card.
The Coming of the Bots
In the end bots will not only snap up everything for sale, but be mining cryptocurrency on their own account.
Probably to buy new cards.
Re: The Coming of the Bots
Anyone who has played Universal Paperclips knows how that ends.
Re: The Coming of the Bots
I not only played it, I also removed some bugs from it in my local copy (and removed some testing code to make it a lot smaller).
Or they could just wait.
I find [1]this is quite a good strategy, really .
[1] https://xkcd.com/606/
Will miners actually buy the CMP HX cards?
As far as I'm aware, miners look at TCO, so take into account initial purchase costs, running costs and eventual sale of the card once it's no longer viable for mining. So they presumably factor in how much they expect to get back on the GFX cards when sold (and at the moment the 2nd hand market is booming!).
How many people are going to want to buy a 2nd hand CMP HX card? Okay, these seem to be basically headerless CUDA cards, so a few people out there might want them for other purposes than mining, but I can't see this being much of a market?
CMP HX cards would have to be very cheap compared to the full blown GFX cards in order to get miners to buy them as a throw away device, rather than something they can sell on later.
It also means the silicon on the card is basically single use, so this will impact the 2nd hand market, reducing the number of hand-me-down cards later on.
Re: Will miners actually buy the CMP HX cards?
Crypto mining cards have existed for a while - from memory it is possible to use them as gaming devices if you have some element of onboard video in your motherboard (or another cheap GPU) and passing it through. Often involves hacking the drivers though.
Gamers also have to contend with bots and scalpers looking to make a profit
Only because these same gamers will apparently pay the prices the scalpers are asking.
What happened to wait a couple of weeks/months until there is stock? Is it really necessary to have the new hardware the very minute it is released? Or am I just not in touch with the current zeitgeist?