AMD drivers point to a cryptocurrency-focused Navi 10 GPU

Posted on Thursday, October 22 2020 @ 16:43 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck

New Linux driver patches from AMD suggest the company is working on a new GPU specifically for the cryptocurrency market. Phoronix reports patches post yesterday refer to a "navi10 blockchain SKU" with a a device ID of 0x731E.

From the AMDGPU Linux kernel driver perspective, the only difference from the existing Navi 10 GPU support is these patches disable the Display Core Next (DCN) and Video Core Next (VCN) support with this new SKU not having any display support.

Given the timing, the site expects this crytocurrency GPU will not hit the market until early 2021. The main difference with regular Navi 10 parts seems to be the lack of display outputs. We've seen models like that before and crypto demand for GPUs is picking up again as Ethereum is trading higher and higher in recent months.

At press time, Ethereum is worth $412.35. It's a far cry from the all-time high of over $1,400 from January 2018, but a lot more than the low $100 figures it was trading at earlier this year.

About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.

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