Crypto mining has become popular, but it is resource-intensive, and therefore, to be set up successfully, it requires and high-specification PC with the best components on the market. This rise in interest has coincided with a surge in the number of players signing up for online games from World of WarCraft to casino favourites like Bitcoin CoinFlip. These also require a reasonable spec to be enjoyed in the clarity and detail that the software graphic designers intended. But PC users seem to be losing out.
Crypto Miners Pushing Out PC Users
So, over the last year or so, prices for PC gaming hardware have skyrocketed. The pandemic has clearly not helped the situation, with lockdown giving people time and nothing to do. Those that could afford to purchase high-end kits turned to crypto mining, and an eye-watering 91 TeraWatts of power were used in 2021 for this purpose alone. On the other side of the coin, manufacturing came to a standstill as employers were forced to work from home or stay on furlough. Clearly, manufacturing of components such as graphics cards and chips cannot be done from home, so we entered a phase of shortage. Any existing product was snapped up, and PC enthusiasts were finding the shelves empty when they wanted to upgrade.
The Five Main Components
In order to enjoy great online gaming or to have the best crypto gambling experience, the kit you need just happens to be the same as that required by crypto miners. One of the biggest challenges for PC users has been upgrading the graphics card. The newer the card, the less electricity is needed to get the best display, and so naturally, all camps want this. However, it seems that the crypto miners got there first, leaving online players out in the cold. Secondly, the CPU needs to be high-end, as this really is the performance and speed centre of a computer. With a shortage that AMD and Intel have said is set to continue into 2023 once more PC users have been pipped to the post by the miners.
Time is Money
Another component of a decent spec PC is the GPU, and once more, miners have been looking to get their hands on the best hardware, especially if they are mining Ethereum and Monero, because the better the GPU, the lower the power consumption, which of course, leads to a lower spend. The situation has been so bad that Nvidia has stepped in with some new anti-crypto mining measures, but the problem is persisting, and gamers regularly wish to see crypto crash out spectacularly, which would make the cost of mining higher than the coins collected, so no longer worth pursuing. RAM is the next bone of contention as the more RAM, the faster the system can operate. Although this can be purchased by PC users, the price has been driven very high by miners, which has left a lot of anger and resentment.
HDD and SSD
Some crypto coins need hard disk space premiums to mine successfully, especially for farmers of Chia coin plots. Supply and demand are a very well-known concept, and as supply goes up, so does cost. So, once more, the typical home PC gamer is left wanting as prices for HDD and SSD have soared with miners using crypto profits to fund more significant and faster kits. As it doesn’t look like there will be a quick resolution to hardware shortages, and crypto seems set to stay, there is currently no easy way out of this dilemma for PC users.