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Comment by fermienrico | Hacker News Reader

I understand most people are wishful to see Cryptocurrencies crash but what if it doesn't?

What would happen if Crytpo booms big time?

First, segmondy didn't attribute future low GPU prices to a cryptocurrency crash. Second, it isn't necessary for a crash to happen to collapse demand for GPUs.

Bitcoin isn't driving GPU demand; Bitcoin is mined with ASICs. Ethereum is mined with GPUs, a consequence of deliberate design. However, when `Casper' lands (Ethereum's Proof of Stake scheme) mining will end, and so will the extreme demand for GPUs. If that happens Ebay will fill up with thousands of discrete GPUs and you'll buy them with a song.

Nobody buys 24/7 gpus if they cost more than 10% of the original (before crypto crazy) price.

Undervolting or not, running your card 24/7 makes them worthless.

In terms of graphics cards? Well presumably if cryptos keep driving up demand for an extended period of time, then nVidia will just increase production. Right now they haven't increased production because they think it's a bubble.

>> Right now they haven't increased production because they think it's a bubble.

Much more complicated than that. They haven't increased production because there is a RAM shortage and collusion is suspected. Samsung is the bottleneck, not Nvidia. This is changing as Samsung already announced they will increase production over time as Hynix continues to eat into their profits despite being inferior.

It's not as simple as cryptocurrency-haters would like to make it sound.

New cards will come out, which will make the current cards obsolete.

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