Nvidia RTX 3000 GPU shortages are so bad it’s bringing back…the GTX 1050 Ti?!
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These are strange (and very frustrating) times for anyone wanting to buy a new graphics card, and it looks likeNvidiahas decided to partially address the problem by re-releasing theGTX 1050 Ti– a Pascal-based graphic card it stopped selling two years ago.
Between supply issues due to the Covid-19 pandemic, TSMC, the semiconductor foundry that Nvidia uses for its GPUs, being under increased pressure from other clients, andcryptocurrenciesonce again on the rise – leading to many miners bulk buying what little GPU stock there is – it’s become almost impossible to get hold of Nvidia’s newAmpere RTX 3000 series graphics cards.
According toYouTuber TechYesCity, Nvidia is bringing back the GTX 1050 Ti to try to help things – at least at the low-end of the market.
Yay, I guess?
The new GTX 1050 Ti will apparently have the GP107 chip and come with 4GB of video memory. This is obviously not going to help anyone hunting for a high endRTX 3080orRTX 3090, but the idea is that it will at least give people looking for a budget GPU something to go for – and could mean Nvidia can concentrate on getting higher end RTX 3000 GPUs into the hands of gamers.
As theVideocardz website points out, mining for Ethereum, one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, needs over 4GB of VRAM, which means the GTX 1050 Ti should be left alone by miners.
It looks like GTX 1050 Ti cards are already reappearing on retailers' websites, and we could see more stock coming soon.
Along with news that Nvidia is bringing back theRTX 2060, it looks like the company is trying to alleviate pressure on its more affordable GPUs.
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The company is expected to launchyet anotherRTX 3000 series GPU in a few weeks time –the RTX 3060. When this GPU gets launched, we expect it to be quite tricky to get hold of.
Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there’s no aspect of technology that Matt isn’t passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he’s reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.
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