Internet cafes are reinventing themselves into cryptocurrency mining farms

Discussion in 'Frontpage news' started by Hilbert Hagedoorn, Feb 16, 2021.

  1. 0blivious

    0blivious Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    3,301
    Likes Received:
    824
    GPU:
    7800 XT / 5700 XT
    At some point, crypto will affect a lawmaker who can't get a PS5/3080 unless at 2x/3x MSRP, and that's when s*** gets real.
     
    Solfaur and Noisiv like this.
  2. Noisiv

    Noisiv Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    8,230
    Likes Received:
    1,494
    GPU:
    2070 Super
    Look I can setup pee selling operation in Denmark and turn a profit :)
    I mean its Denmark; remind me again how much Fast Food servers make per hour?
     
  3. Truder

    Truder Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,400
    Likes Received:
    1,430
    GPU:
    RX 6700XT Nitro+
    Until we have 100% renewable green energy, cryptocurrency is a blight on the Earth. Cryptocurrency is a good philosophy but we do not have the means to efficiently and environmentally support it.

    Sadly these miners care less about their environment and only care about their wallet :(

    Then again, it's not just energy usage that's a problem, it's the e-waste too. All this pc hardware is likely going to end up as landfill once the hardware has lived beyond its "usefulness" which is also terrible for the environment.

    I'm not as annoyed about stock issues as such because it does mean, in the case of AMD at least, they'll be able to invest more in GPUs but nevertheless, anyone currently in need of hardware are facing a difficult time and have to express patience. Edit: However to be making profit under these circumstances, hopefully AMD and Nvidia will invest in ways to offset the environmental impact of mining.
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2021
    schmidtbag likes this.
  4. insp1re2600

    insp1re2600 Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,332
    Likes Received:
    1,097
    GPU:
    4080 FE
    Dunno why people are struggling to buy cards, I wanted a 3090 other month, I went online and bought one, last week my fiancee wanted a 6800xt and we got one of those same day too.
     

  5. alanm

    alanm Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    12,272
    Likes Received:
    4,474
    GPU:
    RTX 4080
    Link?
     
    Airbud likes this.
  6. gx-x

    gx-x Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    1,530
    Likes Received:
    158
    GPU:
    1070Ti Phoenix
    Good thing that EV's are going to save the planet, because charging EVs with clean electricity in big cities is all it's all about. Except, not everyone makes electricity the same way. China still primarily uses coal as most, if not all of their neighbors. But god forbid someone uses electricity to make money, instead of play games, that's a pure waste of energy. Mind you, you still PAY for the power bill, to make "coins out of nothing".
     
  7. Solfaur

    Solfaur Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    8,013
    Likes Received:
    1,533
    GPU:
    GB 3080Ti Gaming OC
    Dunno, maybe cause a a 3090 is almost 3000 euros when it pops up from time to time and a 3080 around 2000... same for the AMD cards.
     
  8. sbacchetta

    sbacchetta Member Guru

    Messages:
    141
    Likes Received:
    66
    GPU:
    GTX 1080ti
    Not being able to grab a new card, is troublesome, but personally it's the huge power usage that bother me the most. Yes, mining is not the dirtiest industry out there, but it certainly don't win any awards for real word usefulness...
     
    chinobino likes this.
  9. Martin Christiansen

    Martin Christiansen Member

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    10
    GPU:
    Radeon 6800
    Probably the minimum wage which is 18 American dollars pr. hour.
     
  10. looniam

    looniam Guest

    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    15
    GPU:
    RTX3060 bcuz
    so yeah this reminds me, whatever happened to those cyber cafe drivers that use to be around?

    i totally bought into the low voltage better stability placebo . . :D
     

  11. insp1re2600

    insp1re2600 Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,332
    Likes Received:
    1,097
    GPU:
    4080 FE
    Got both from ccl, 3090 was 1499 and 6800xt was 980.
     
  12. SeriousSkeletor

    SeriousSkeletor Member

    Messages:
    43
    Likes Received:
    55
    GPU:
    GTX 1080 TI
    Guys, guys.... you don't see a bigger picture here. The miners just put them GPUS under a heavy load to see whether it will still run reliably. It takes time. The miners HAD TO BUY ALL OF THEM to make the testing reliable. They are doing us a favour. Thanks to this project on a global scale the human race will receive precious data for the future generations. We gonna receive better fans, cooling solutions, heat sinks ...... cryptocurrency is just a side effect, nothing more.... :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
     
  13. Truder

    Truder Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,400
    Likes Received:
    1,430
    GPU:
    RX 6700XT Nitro+
    *£1049.99 for the 6800XT.... Which is almost twice the RRP of a reference product. https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/t...t-a-6800xt-and-not-overpay-in-the-end.436615/

    So your argument really is, if you can afford to pay absurdly high prices, either from retailers taking advantage of supply and demand, or scalpers, of course you an buy a GPU. Now, perhaps look on CCL for any GPU and you will find only basic video adaptors (such as GT 710) meant for simple office environments or absurdly priced GPUs. When you look for a mainstream card, well, practically any card and there are none at all.
     
    Solfaur and insp1re2600 like this.
  14. AlmondMan

    AlmondMan Maha Guru

    Messages:
    1,037
    Likes Received:
    345
    GPU:
    7900 XT Reference
    I t hink you're missing out on the idea that just because people have "more money" that "more profit" is made :p by your idea everyone here can also have a 10.000$ gaming setup at home , but somehow they don't. Consider that renting a reasonably sized shop in down town Aarhus is somewhere between 5000€ and 10000€ a month in rent, you can't just do whatever and turn a profit. Certainly not open up an Internet Café if there's no market for it.

    Fast food people might earn between 10$ and 20$ an hour, depending on their age :shrug: not sure what your point is.
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2021
  15. Neo Cyrus

    Neo Cyrus Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    10,793
    Likes Received:
    1,396
    GPU:
    黃仁勳 stole my 4090
    I have to agree that the less attention mining is given in any way, the less people will be drawn to the practice. Of course I think big stories, like nVidia selling directly to mining farms, need to be talked about, but for smaller stories like this I think we're better off not putting a spotlight on them.
     

  16. Andy Watson

    Andy Watson Master Guru

    Messages:
    304
    Likes Received:
    177
    GPU:
    960
    In this case if the local business is struggling due to lockdown then I don't mind them doing it to make money until lockdown ends, and if they then go back to their normal business. It must be hard seeing what you have worked hard for going down the drain for no fault of your own.

    I'm not a fan of it in general though, in this particular case, for hardware already bought, then I don't mind. Doesn't it compete with the people doing it just for the sake of it as well????
     
  17. insp1re2600

    insp1re2600 Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,332
    Likes Received:
    1,097
    GPU:
    4080 FE
    They put a few on most days.

    Had to get the 6800xt cause the 2080ti in fiancee rig failed, I sold the broken 2080ti for 400! On ebay, and in cost efficiency buying a jalopy card till prices lowered would have worked out more expensive and underwhelming for months on end.

    Thus in the end we paid 600 really with the sale of the knackered card.

    Unfortunately life is like that, needs and must. Supply and demand.
     
  18. schmidtbag

    schmidtbag Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    8,016
    Likes Received:
    4,396
    GPU:
    Asrock 7700XT
    If the cafe owners are mining while the computers are otherwise unused, I don't see the problem here, especially if lockdown is affecting the amount of customers they get. The computers are wasting power just by staying on, and during the winter they can collectively contribute toward heating the building.
    At least these computers can and will actually be used for more than just mining. Remember, a lot of the problem we all face is miners buying out hardware, hoarding it all to themselves only for a lazy way to get money. This cafe has PCs that are used by many, which is more than what you can say by just using a PC for your personal gaming experience.
     
    insp1re2600 likes this.
  19. AlmondMan

    AlmondMan Maha Guru

    Messages:
    1,037
    Likes Received:
    345
    GPU:
    7900 XT Reference
    If you look at the pictures you see that they've obviously bought up a bunch of hardware and set up custom mining stations, not just installed miners on their existing systems.
     
    Airbud likes this.
  20. MonstroMart

    MonstroMart Maha Guru

    Messages:
    1,397
    Likes Received:
    878
    GPU:
    RX 6800 Red Dragon
    Exactly this is a total waste. Make the miners run to get their coin. This way they'll have to work for their money and this will improve global health.
     

Share This Page