Why LHR GPUs Exist
In February 2021, NVIDIA began reducing the mining performance of its graphics cards. They published a blog post titled "GeForce Is Made for Gaming, CMP Is Made for Mining", announcing a 50% hash rate reduction for the GeForce RTX 3060. By May 2021, NVIDIA extended these limitations to new RTX 3080, 3070, and 3060 Ti models, labeling them with "Lite Hash Rate" (LHR) identifiers. Despite rumors, the RTX 3080 Ti and 3070 Ti—though unmarked—also featured these restrictions.
Testing Platform and Hash Rate Details
Hardware Configuration:
- Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi B85S2
- CPU: Intel Pentium G3220
- RAM: Kingston DDR3 4GB
- GPUs: 2x EVGA RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 ULTRA (1800 MHz Boost Clock, 19000 MHz memory)
- OS: Windows 10
- Driver: NVIDIA 471.68
Performance Notes:
- Maximum Ethash/Etchash hash rate without LHR lock: ~116 MH/s
- LHR-locked hash rate: ~64 MH/s (45% reduction)
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Single-Mining Mode Tests with T-Rex
T-Rex 0.24.0 (released October 2021) supports Ethash, Autolykos2, and Kawpow algorithms. Key findings:
Ethash (LHR Unlocked):
- Stable hash rate: ~85 MH/s per GPU
- GPU settings: PL 75%, CC +0 MHz, MC +1000 MHz
Autolykos2 (ERGO):
- Stable hash rate: ~259 MH/s
Kawpow (RVN):
- Stable hash rate: ~55 MH/s
Dual-Mining Mode Tests
ETH + ERGO
- Settings: PL 75%, CC +0 MHz, MC +1000 MHz
- Results: Unstable (~26–30 MH/s ETH, ~196–202 MH/s ERGO). Requires further tuning.
ETH + RVN
- Settings: PL 75%, CC +0 MHz, MC +1000 MHz
- Results: Stable (~34–35 MH/s ETH, ~35–37 MH/s RVN). Higher profitability than single-mining in some scenarios.
Final Recommendations
- Extended Testing: Submit >5,000 shares per GPU for accurate data.
- GPU Tuning: Experiment with OC settings for optimal dual-mining performance.
- Profitability: Use calculators like 2CryptoCalc to compare 24-hour earnings.
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FAQ
Q: Can T-Rex fully unlock LHR GPUs?
A: No. It achieves ~73% of max hash rate (85 MH/s vs. 116 MH/s).
Q: Is dual-mining profitable?
A: ETH+RVN shows promise, but ETH+ERGO needs optimization.
Q: What GPU settings work best?
A: Start with PL 75%, CC +0 MHz, MC +1000 MHz, then fine-tune.
Pro Tip: Always monitor thermals and power draw when pushing OC limits.