The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the latest graphics card to enter the purgatory of tech hardware, that strange quantum state between "technically released" and "out of stock." gaming consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, not to mention the original Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 to the relatively inexpensive GeForce RTX 3060, have all been captivated. Manufacturing issues, resellers wielding retail bots, the crypto mining boom, and more. But while the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti addresses one of these issues, its instant release shows that both manufacturers and retailers are far from guaranteeing that the new hardware will make it into the hands of the average consumer. [Nvidia has a hash rate limiter on its current generation GeForce cards; Nvidia shrugs very easily, even if its new CMP line of mining-focused GPUs shows that business and altruism are two different things, This is an admirable effort, even though it could have sold that card to a minor player anyway.

However, "limited" and "incompetent" also apply: while Nvidia's limiters can slow mining of certain digital currencies, if you do it long enough, even a hobbled GeForce RTX 30 series card can provide a return on investment It is possible to get a return on investment. It is also designed to work only for specific coins, such as Ethereum. A review of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti by our sister site Tom's Hardware showed that Nvidia's latest card can mine lesser-known but highly profitable coins at normal unlimited rates.

After all, the GeForce family's hash rate limiter may deter less patient miners, but it does nothing to ease demand pressure from those willing to play the long game. And that means fewer units for PC owners who simply want to upgrade their graphics.

AMD, on the other hand, has explicitly ruled out the possibility of adding any kind of mining limiter to its cards, allowing models like the Radeon RX 6800 XT to fall. Instead, they have promised to "increase" production, but if this has been done behind the scenes, there is little sign of it on the digital shelves.

Both AMD and Nvidia may be wary of promising excessive production increases, recalling the buoyant days of 2018, when mining demand collapsed and manufacturers fell far short of their sales forecasts. However, there are two important differences between then and now: back in 2018, the crypto boom before the crash made graphics card prices a bit of a laughable joke, but there was no months-long wait for available inventory.

Second, the current glut is fueled not only by mining demand, but also by a fundamental parts shortage compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, AMD and Nvidia, even if they wanted to increase production, would find it difficult to provide a game-changing boost. [That leaves measures such as hash-rate limiters as the manufacturers' primary means of at least shifting inventory to their regular customers. Still, current technology does not appear to be sufficient.

It could be argued that Nvidia's responsibility, and indeed AMD's, ends when the graphics card leaves the factory. Even if this is not true, most retailers adhere to a Wild West approach that clearly favors bots and other underhanded tactics over nonprofiteers.

If supply is low, restocks will sell out. Retailers can't magically make extra units available to ensure that everyone gets them. However, only a handful of storefronts, such as Newegg Raffle and the lottery system at Curry's PS5 in the UK

adapt their sales processes to ensure that availability is fairly distributed. Everywhere else, it is still first-come, first-served, and usually with only token security that is easily circumvented by modern bots; nearly a year has passed since the GeForce RTX 3080's launch, and as a result, the resale market is alive and well. A quick search on eBay reveals hundreds of brand new GeForce RTX 3080 Ti cards listed for more than double the usual MSRP of $1,199, even though the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti went on sale early this Thursday (June 10) and sold out instantly, No reason to see how that makes a difference.

It's also a vicious cycle, with desperate gamers forced to pay a much higher price to avoid a shortage for which the sellers themselves are partly to blame. And if the miserable situation of daily restocking checks goes on long enough, everyone will be a little tempted.

Lottery systems are not perfect. There is unpleasant uncertainty, and yet there is the disappointment that the chances of missing out are high. Unless retailers can find a way to more reliably prevent resellers from creeping in ahead of time, this really should be the default for high demand, low supply hardware until the situation stabilizes.

Perspective is important, and a shortage of graphics cards or game consoles does not mean a humanitarian disaster; just because you have to play Fortnite in 720p does not mean your crops will fail. As it stands, Nvidia can release as many GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, RTX 3070 Ti, and many other cards as it wishes, but if they are virtually impossible to purchase or use, they are not terribly useful.