Skip to main content

Nvidia quietly launches more GPUs for mining, not gaming

Nvidia pulled a sneaky one today by rereleasing the RTX 2060, this time with 12GB of memory and a higher hash rate.

Despite a GPU shortage that has frustrated PC gamers, this card is once again directed toward the cryptomining market and not gamers.

GeForce RTX 2060 against a black background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The eruption of cryptomining has seemingly created an entirely new audience for graphics cards companies, which allows them to rerelease old graphics cards that won’t give you better frames per second, but better hash rates.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

This is where the new RTX 2060 12GB comes in, as it carries more memory, drawing conparisons to the 2060 Super, which wields 8GB of memory.

However, the real difference here with the 12GB model is that it is a cryptomining machine, putting it ahead of the newer RTX 3060. According to a graph from PCMarket, the new 2060 has a much higher hash rate of 36.29MH/s, whereas the RTX 3060 has a measly 22.17MH/s.

PcMarket

Suspiciously, Nvidia has not said a word (probably for the best) in regard to this launch, leaving its board partnersto deal with the angry feedback from gamers.

The new 2060 doesn’t even have an official MSRP yet; all we have seen are listing prices from a Twitter user, momomo_us.

https://twitter.com/momomo_us/status/1468229912330919936?s=20

As you can see, the 2060 12GB is not cheap, even at the listed price of 700 euros, or $789. Of course, the aftermarket price will just blow that price up, which is scary to think about as the standard RTX 2060 can now be found for $791 on Newegg.

Even though Nvidia hasn’t given this GPU launch the time of day, we should expect to see some more information from the company about this graphics card’s release soon.

Myles Goldman
Myles has done many things within the hobby PC building, most notably deliding an Intel i5-4690k which he and his friend…
RTX 4080 Super vs. RTX 4070 Ti Super vs. RTX 4070 Super: Nvidia’s new GPUs, compared
Nvidia RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4070 Super over a dark background.

Nvidia's RTX 40-series refresh is officially here, serving up three of the best graphics cards we've seen in a while -- the RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and the RTX 4070 Super. The new GPUs, while still belonging to the RTX 40-series, deliver significant changes in specs, making them an interesting choice for PC enthusiasts.

While all three of these cards are on the upper end of the spec and price spectrum, they're not all the same. How do they stack up against each other? Let's find out with a thorough comparison of Nvidia's RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti, and RTX 4070 Super.
Pricing and availability

Read more
How to watch Nvidia’s launch of the RTX 4000 Super today
A rendering of an RTX 40 Super GPU.

Nvidia's RTX 40 Super graphics cards are just around the corner, with Nvidia teasing an unveiling of its mid-generation refresh of its Ada Lovelace GPUs ahead of CES 2024. The cards are expected to update a number of midrange to high-end graphics cards from the RTX 4000-series with increased CUDA core counts, enhanced clock speeds, and potentially more competitive price tags.

But that's all speculation until Nvidia shows us what it's been working on. If you want to be there when the news drops about just how powerful (and maybe affordable?) these cards actually are, here's how to watch the RTX 40 Super launch.
How to watch Nvidia's RTX 40 Super launch
NVIDIA Special Address at CES 2024

Read more
At this point, we know just about everything about Nvidia’s new GPUs
Nvidia's RTX 4070 graphics cards over a pink background.

The leaks on Nvidia's new Super GPUs are getting out of hand. The slow drip of information has been steady for many months, leaving very few details on the cards when they actually get announced.

We're talking about the RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4070 Super, which will be the first three models in the lineup. Thanks to various retailers and distributors all around the globe, we already have a substantial amount of information about the upcoming GPUs. The information might not all be perfect, but it paints a pretty clear picture of what these cards will be like.

Read more