By now, PC gamers and enthusiasts are probably tired of hearing about how the ongoing shortage ofNvidiaand AMD graphics cards is not likely to ease up for perhaps another year at least. The same goes forconsole gamers who are struggling to get hold of new-gen systems. When it comes to GPUs specifically, much of the blame has been put squarely on cryptomining companies who have been buying stock in bulk, which is leaving very little for anyone else. While it would be nice to deliver a silver lining, it seems as though this could still be a problem for a good while longer.
According to a recent report, the end of miners using graphics cards to farm for cryptocurrency may not come about until possibly the middle of next year. This means that, for many, sourcing a newNvidiaor AMD, or perhaps even the upcoming Intel, product is going to be borderline impossible, unless people are willing to pay extortionate prices. This latest development is down to Ethereum, with the company looking to move away from the current standard of power and hardware-intensive mining.
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Ethereum is one of the most popular forms of cryptocurrency, at the moment, though cryptomining can be a complicated topic for those not in the know. Essentially, when Ethereum moves into a proof-of-stake model, rather the current stake-of-proof one, there will be less need for so many graphics cards. This should result in gaming hardware becoming more freely available for general consumers and gamers once again. However, the report goes on to say that this new model has yet to be implemented, despite Ethereum looking into making the change back in May.
The majority of this year has been frustrating for those looking to buy new hardware and consoles. With somecompanies boasting about how many GPUs they’ve been bulk buying, consumers have been metaphorically, and also physically, walking away empty-handed. As and when Ethereum makes the change, things should start to improve as more graphics cards come back onto the market. However, as the report says, this may not be for a while yet.
BothNvidiaand AMD have been having a tough time of it as well, being unable to meet consumer demand, especially with a global shortage of semiconductors plaguing the tech world. Withtop industry executives certain the shortages will last until maybe 2023, there is still a way to go before the GPU and general gaming sphere will be back to any semblance of normal, it seems.
