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NVIDIA to Launch the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti w/ Updated Anti-Miner Measures, Both at a Hardware and Software Level

NVIDIA is reportedly prepping the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti for launch with an updated GPU (GA102-202/302) and drivers to prevent scalping by miners. The mass production for the GPU has already been initiated and it’s only a matter of time before the new Ampere flagship hits the retail market. NVIDIA has straight-up changed the GPU for the RTX 3080 Ti. The ES and QS which were sent to OEMs and board partners are now essentially using a different die (or at least, a different board).

The new firmware for the GPU runs graphics workloads but CUDA and ether-mining don’t work with the new beta driver. On the other hand, if the old firmware is flashed to a new chip, the device won’t boot. Strangely, the device ID of the older and newer chips is the same which allows flashing the new BIOS to older QS, but even that doesn’t work in all cases.

If the GPUs have the same PCI Device ID, then the override command can be used to flash a custom BIOS as many enthusiasts do at present. However, similar to the A and non-A Turing dies, the device ID is different for the new dies, preventing cross-flashing of the firmware from the older to the newer GPUs.

As you can see in the above image, the GPU board adapter ID can be flashed using a simple tweak. However, the PCI Device ID can’t be changed as it’s implemented on software and hardware-level. This prevents cross-flashing between older and newer devices.

Source: Igor’s Lab

Areej Syed

Processors, PC gaming, and the past. I have been writing about computer hardware for over seven years with more than 5000 published articles. Started off during engineering college and haven't stopped since. Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Divinity, Torment, Baldur's Gate and so much more... Contact: areejs12@hardwaretimes.com.
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