What is old is new again. Chipmakers continue on alert about shortages will continue in 2021, so Nvidia plans to release shares of his older GTX 1050 Ti and RTX 2060 to make up global GPU shortages.
In a statement to PCWorld, which initially made the news, an Nvidia spokesman confirmed that he was releasing the GTX 1050 Ti and RTX 2060 back to board parties so they could release new hardware. The spokesman noted that the GPUs “were never EOLed [end-of-lifed]”And that Nvidia is simply ‘meeting market demand, which remains extraordinarily high.’
Why then do we go for old, undoubtedly outdated graphics cards?? While Nvidia enchanted everyone last year with its new 3000-series GPUs, the ensuing chaos after the launch ensured that most people could not get their hands on one. Some of it can be attributed to global supply chain misery fueled by the pandemic, but graphics card scalpers have also exacerbated the problem as bots have caught the coveted GPUs being resold at ridiculous prices. After one RTX 3080 presumably sold for a serious $ 70,000 on eBay, a Gizmodo research found that the GTX 3080 was the core of a legitimate civil war during which angry users fired back against scalpers to raise prices and hopefully wipe out their offers. In October, Nvidia also launched pushed back the launch of the RTX 3070 to further anger customers.
According to PCWorldRunning out of older GPUs is a smart move because they can be manufactured using established process technology, which reduces costs. In the case of the RTX 2060, a card that supports beam tracked and launched for the first time in 2019, Nvidia can spend less while a relatively current GPU is in the hands of manufacturers. The GTX 1050 Ti, meanwhile, is significantly older—it was launched in 2016—but this is still able to handle less demanding games or meet the needs of newer computer players. Another advantage is that the GTX 1050 Ti is equipped with an older GDDR5 VRAM, which makes it incompatible with Ethereum cryptocurrency mining, which requires more than 4 GB of memory on board. Because yes, people who are try to make money on the cryptocurrency bubble now which also exacerbates the GPU shortage by picking up newer, more powerful models.
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At the same time, this ‘solution’ is not as affordable for consumers as it initially seems. The GTX 1050 Ti was launched in 2016 at $ 140, but is currently being offered online for more than $ 200, and some are reaching prices above $ 400. The RTX 2060 is even more expensive, sold for over $ 700 when the launch price was $ 350.
The slide is missing worrying enough that even the Biden government has promised to take action. Bloomberg reports that Biden is expected to sign an executive order for a government-wide review of the supply chain, after leaders at chip companies like Intel, Qualcomm, and AMD wrote to the administration asking for support. Nevertheless, it is unlikely to correct the current deficit immediately.
In the meantime, you’ll probably have to keep prices closely monitor and rely on happiness. IIf your current setup is crashing, you may want to do this try to stay on top of the whole thing for a while longer.