The race to dominate the reviving GPU mining sector is already heating up, and AMD's Radeon RX 6800 is likely to become the new darling of cryptocurrency miners.
According to an OC3D report dated Nov. 9, the highly-anticipated graphics card—which will set you back $579—is estimated to be 50 percent more profitable than Nvidia's RTX 3090.
Although Nvidia has historically offered better performing GPUs, Radeon RX 6800 could potentially be a game changer since it is both cheaper and more efficient. Videocardz estimates that NiceHash miners could earn up to $150 per month with this graphics card as opposed to $100 with Nvidia's RTX 3090.
Prepare for supply shortages
AMD is expected to release its flagship GPU on Nov. 18 together with its even more expensive sibling, AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT.
Following the launch of Nvidia's Ampere GeForce GPUs, AMD's new products are also generating plenty of buzz—so much so that their rollout is also expected to be plagued by shortages. Those who will not be able to order those cards within the first few minutes will likely experience sticker shock in the coming weeks.
This will, of course, negatively affect gamers who may not be able to get their hands on the hottest hardware.
As reported by U.Today, Chinese mining farm operators had already managed to get their hands on Nvidia's GPUs even before they became officially available. The same appears to be happening with AMD's latest beast.
GPUs for miners
Meanwhile, AMD and Taiwanese gaming company MSI are both rumored to release repurposed GPUs that are specifically dedicated to cryptocurrency mining.
However, old display-less graphics cards will hardly be more attractive than the brand-new Radeon RX 6800.
Tomiwabold Olajide
Denys Serhiichuk
