NVIDIA is to replace RTX 3060 SKUs with dedicated and limited GPU for mining. The GPU that will be shipped to board partners are replacement is the GA106-302.

A while ago, NVIDIA started to add ETH mining restrictions to the GeForce RTX 3060. It was said to be impenetrable and unbreakable. Nobody, however, suspected (including NVIDIA) that they accidentally released a driver for CUDA / SWL version, 470.05 Beta driver, with no restrictions on ETH mining. NVIDIA will re-launch with a new version of the GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, once again suppressing ETH mining behavior.

According to the Taiwanese graphics card manufacturer, NVIDIA has discontinued the old version of the GeForce RTX 3060 with the GA106-300 GPU chip and replaced it with a new GA106-302 GPU chip. Because the NVIDIA Driver for CUDA on SWL version 470.05 Beta driver does not have GA106-302 data, the old driver will be completely invalid. At the same time, NVIDIA has also added more mechanisms to the GA106-302 GPU to ensure that the new batch of GeForce RTX 3060 can stop ETH mining. NVIDIA pointed out that the GeForce RTX 3060 computing power limit is based on the GPU's handshake, the driver, and the VBIOS. When the user is detected to perform the Hash operation, it will force the GPU operation to slow down by 50%, absorbing the lesson from the last time. The industry said that the current GeForce RTX 3060 on the market is still the old GA106-300 GPU chip, and it is expected that the GA106-302 GPU will be delivered in May. After being mixed into the market, end-users cannot see whether the RTX 3060 bought is a new version or an old version until they purchased one.

We would not be surprised if NVIDIA will be doing this with the entire RTX 3000 product line.

NVIDIA to replace RTX 3060 GPU with GA106-302 chip to suppress ETH mining