WTH is up with video cards?

[mikev]

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814137115&cm_re=gtx_1080_ti-_-14-137-115-_-Product

[firbal]

As you know, modern processors (CPU's) can have multiple cores, 2 and 4 cores being the mainstream and 6 or 8 widely available. The more cores, the more simultaneous calculations can be performed. Mining bitcoin is calculating. When you get a result, you earn some. Of course the calculations are much more complicated than 1+1=2 which of course means that more processing power = more calculations = more possibilities to "find" a "coin" in a certain period of time.

Now you may know that video cards are very similar to computers. They have a processor and memory just like the computer has. The main difference is that the video card processor can have hundreds of cores instead of, say, 8. And they're fast. So instead of chaining hundreds of computers you can achieve the same calculating power by getting one single high end video card. Not to mention you can SLI/Crossfire several of them in a single machine.

Ok, I think I get the jest of it, but still does not make since to me. You mind a coin but it is not real and you can not use to to buy a product? And I have been wondering why the 1080's have not come down in price. Been wanting to up grade for a while but not at these prices.

[zack1234]

Bitcoin is like American Football.

Its money but you cannot spend it

Its called football but you hold the ball

[Brooke]

Next thing we know, Zack is going to be insulting fine yellow mustard.

[Bizman]

Ok, I think I get the jest of it, but still does not make since to me. You mind a coin but it is not real and you can not use to to buy a product? And I have been wondering why the 1080's have not come down in price. Been wanting to up grade for a while but not at these prices.

You can buy products using virtual coins. According to the authorities it's very popular for paying criminalized things such as assaults, drugs, murder etc. since the transactions can't be tracked. Of course you can use it for legitimate payments as well. There's hundreds of companies accepting it for payment, including Microsoft, Newegg and Tesla. You can also get a BitPay Visa Prepaid Debit card which is accepted most everywhere.

[atlau]

Until it crashes and then you cant...

[Bizman]

Until it crashes and then you cant...

Exactly.

[Delirium]

I am normally a technophile, but I do not foresee bitcoin surviving, particularly when they start to subvert individual countries control of currency. It will become an illegal form of currency just like it is in China.

[streakeagle]

I could care less about Bitcoin, other than the fact that it destroyed the price/age curve for gpus. I bought a 1080 GTX for $470 just before the miners started sucking up the gpu supply. I wanted to get another one and many months later, the 1080 GTX is still selling for retail or higher instead of being the same or cheaper than the last time I bought one. On the bright side, the miners may break me of my flight sim habit and I will return to building model airplanes since I have a closet full of models waiting to be built so they can join the rest hanging from my ceiling.

[Brooke]

When coin mining takes a dive or when the current crop of GPU's isn't good enough for mining anymore -- there will be a flood of cards for very low prices.

[save]

Bitcoin may or may not survive, the technology behind it (blockchain) will survive, and keep the urge to harvest whatever the application in the future..

I don't foresee the banks doing all the future blockchain computing themselves without internet users free computer power, its very computer intensive, and it save big $.

Some companies/countries look at internet computer power as something to be harvested for free.

Some countries might even make it illegal to stop the country's asset management from using your computer power for their use (think china).

Imagine what a future billion computer power cluster is worth.

I am normally a technophile, but I do not foresee bitcoin surviving, particularly when they start to subvert individual countries control of currency. It will become an illegal form of currency just like it is in China.

[Delirium]

On the bright side, the miners may break me of my flight sim habit

It broke me of my interest in Aces High, I am in full agreement of this statement.

[Max]

Luckily, since the launch of AH3, my ancient GF 790 GTX 2 GB card provides a very playable experience. As much as I've considered an updated card and possible transition to Oculous VR, current player #'s leave me nervous about the wisdom of an investment of +/- $1K towards a singular game experience that for all intents and purposes, seems to be hovering in defacto limbo.

[Brooke]

I find that a $140 GTX 1050 is fine for Aces High -- 60 fps with slider set to "none".

Del, come back in!

[Shuffler]

I am currently canning farts for the big demand on those in the near future.