The popularity of cryptocurrencies has caused a shortage of cards in Russia

In Russia there is an acute shortage of video cards for personal computers.

In Russia, an acute shortage in Moscow has almost disappeared from the sales of graphics cards for personal computers. A huge demand is associated with the increase in users, the emitting (minasi) on their computers cryptocurrencies.

As told by employees of several computer stores, the last time buyers often taking just 200-300 and even 600 of these components.

Due to excessive demand over the last month and a half of graphics cards has risen on average by half: for example, the device, which cost spring 16 000-18 000 roubles, now costs more than 30 000. In one of the outlets to the correspondent promised to bring a graphics card on order over a week, another after 10 days.

High demand the sources associated with the increase of PC users, the emitting (minasi) on their computers cryptocurrencies. Mining is a collection of mathematical calculations, which due to its architecture it is best to cope the cards processors: other processors is non-standard computation, explains the employee of one of Russian banks.

The store employee that sells graphics cards, and the Bank employee explain the sharp increase in the number of miners sharp jumps of courses of cryptocurrency in recent months. Since the end of March 2017 the exchange rate of bitcoin to the dollar increased by 200% (from approximately $1,000 to $3,000 June 12), Etherium from the beginning of March to 13th of June rose 24 times. On this is superimposed the mass interest in cryptocurrency – mine was just at least try to make it solved more and more people, said an employee of the Bank. According to his calculations, now in Russia there are already tens of thousands of miners – from the beginning of 2017, their base is increased 5-7 times.

According to an employee of the Bank, in theory, for 30-45 days, the home computer can generate 1 bitcoin, whose course at the end of last week is $2484.

In practice, mine bitcoins becomes more and more difficult, so the miners are now trying to issue more “light” and cheap cryptocurrencies, such as, for example, Etherium (over $350) and Lightcoin (over $52) he explains. Cryptocurrency is designed so that the production of each next unit requires more computing power, and the income from this is now barely cover the cost of normal PC users on hardware and electricity, says the source. Therefore, the miners together in pools, as part of which rent video cards that are physically located where there is cheap electricity, he said.

Computer to effectively engage in mining, would cost some 120 000-140 000 RUB (50 – 60 thousand rubles at the average rate) – these investments can be recouped in about 12-14 months. Payback depends on the cost of electricity, the complexity of the network and of course cryptocurrencies. According to experts, now Russia’s share in mining capacities of at least 5-7%.

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