Prices of "graphics cards," image processing devices used in PC games and video production, etc., have been reduced. The average transaction price of online auctions in November 2022 is 60% lower than the recent highest point. Due to the impact of the price drop of virtual currency, etc., the demand for graphics cards for mining has declined. Some virtual currencies no longer require mining, and mining itself is changing. If graphics cards become less susceptible to the price fluctuations of virtual currencies, it may bring a boost to the expansion of the game market.
"All kinds of graphics cards are available!" In early December 2022, a large number of graphics cards were displayed in the main store of Dospara Akihabara, a computer parts specialty store located in Akihabara, Tokyo, which is famous as an electronics street. That's a marked change from the first half of 2021, when graphics cards disappeared from store shelves.
A graphics card is a computer component equipped with a GPU (graphics processing unit). Its main function is to make the image clearer and smoother. It is the main component required for games and image production. The embedded GPU has advantages in massively parallel computing processing.
AucFan, which operates an online auction information search website, revealed that the average transaction price of graphics cards in November 2022 will be 18,737 yen per piece, which is about 60% lower than the high point in May 2021. The number of transactions was 5379, a decrease of about 40% from the recent high in May 2021.
According to data from the Japanese research company BCN, the average unit price in November 2022 will be 66,300 yen each. As new products with high prices have begun to circulate, the current price level is increasing, but it has dropped by about 20% compared with the recent highest point in June 2021.
Mining refers to the operation of verifying the transaction records of virtual currency, recording it on the electronic ledger on the Internet, and obtaining virtual currency as compensation.
In order to improve work results, graphics cards that can complete high-speed computing processing are needed, forming a battle with self-made computer graphics cards. Due to the increase in mining demand driven by the rise of virtual currency, the price of graphics cards fluctuates frequently and sharply.
As the main supplier of GPUs, the Japanese subsidiary of Nvidia in the United States pointed out that "in early 2021, graphics cards failed to flow to gamers who originally hoped to supply them."
Starting from the "GeForce RTX 3060", which will be launched in February 2021, the company has changed to produce GPUs with reduced computing speed (hash rate, Hash Rate). If the calculation speed is reduced, the mining efficiency will decrease accordingly. The company has also launched mining-specific products, and has been promoting the coexistence of different habitats.
The situation will change after autumn 2021. The price of the virtual currency bitcoin fell. According to data from the U.S. information website CoinDesk, it will fall to around $17,000 by late December 2022. Compared with the highest price set in early November 2021, it has dropped by about 80%. Ethereum is also down about 80% from its November 2021 high.
