MSI registers GeForce RTX 3060 Ti MINER cards with the EEC for GPU mining

A recent filing with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) suggests that MSI plans to release some new versions of the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. The name of the cards implies that MSI will not sell these models to consumers, though. Instead, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti MINER 8G and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti MINER 8G OC, registered by MSI on January 11, sound an awful lot like cards for GPU miners.

MSI has released graphics cards targeted at GPU miners before, but these are the first references to board partners developing Ampere-based cards designed for cryptocurrency mining. Typically, these cards have their video outputs removed and feature worse coolers than consumer models, so they should cost partners like MSI less to produce than regular GeForce RTX 3060 Ti cards. However, GPU mining cards tend to cost more than regular ones, making it a double win for the likes of MSI.

Creating GPU mining cards is not necessarily a bad thing, although it is at odds with a statement that NVIDIA recently made. Only a week ago, Colette Kress, EVP and CFO of NVIDIA, stated that there was insufficient demand to restart product lines for crypto miners. MSI's registration suggests otherwise though, in our opinion. Ultimately, board partners selling graphics cards to crypto miners may leave a sour taste in gamers mouths when they cannot purchase a GeForce RTX 30 series card themselves.

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