AMD’s next GPU may not play games, but it can make...

New Linux drivers have been discovered, suggesting that AMD may be working on a graphics card that doesn’t play games but is instead used for cryptocurrency mining.

Dotted from the Phoronix websitePatches in the open source Linux driver from AMD refer to a “navi10 blockchain SKU” with the device ID 0x731E.

What’s interesting is that on this mysterious GPU, the DCN and VCN (Display Core Next) engines are disabled, which suggests that not only are they unsuitable for gaming, but they also don’t include display outputs for connecting it to a monitor .

After the gold rush

Due to the apparent lack of display outputs, it is likely a GPU for cryptocurrency mining. There was a virtual gold rush a couple of years ago when people used GPUs to look for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and depending on your setup, you could make a decent profit.

While the craze for cryptocurrencies has waned a bit (thankfully because it was nearly impossible to buy certain GPUs for gaming), there are still digital prospectors hoping to make them rich. GPUs designed specifically for cryptocurrency mining could provide miners with better returns – and crucially, that means normal GPUs shouldn’t be bought back en masse. GPU stocks are currently low enough – just ask Nvidia.

As the Phoronix website suggests, these patches will likely appear in Linux 5.11, which means that we won’t see this Navi 10-based mining map until 2021 at the earliest – if any.