AI
Nvidia CMP 170HX cards soar after memory unlock
Nvidia CMP 170HX cards rose from $100–$200 to $1,500–$2,200 after a tool revealed hidden 64GB and 80GB memory capacities.
Nvidia’s CMP 170HX mining accelerators have jumped from roughly $100–$200 on second-hand markets to $1,500–$2,200 after enthusiasts found a way to unlock their disabled memory and computing resources.
The card launched in 2021 as a heavily cut-down version of Nvidia’s A100 AI accelerator. Although CMP 170HX cards were sold with only 8GB or 10GB of usable memory, they reportedly contain the same physical memory capacity as the corresponding A100 variants: 64GB or 80GB. Nvidia also disabled part of the GPU’s compute hardware through software.
CMPUnlocker turns mining cards into AI accelerators
A new GitHub tool called CMPUnlocker can reportedly unlock both the GPU resources and the hidden memory. In theory, the 8GB version can become a 64GB A100, while the 10GB model can reach 80GB.
That capacity is the reason buyers are now targeting these cards for AI workloads rather than cryptocurrency mining. Large memory pools can be useful for running models, but the conversion is not guaranteed: some memory chips may be defective, and the final usable capacity is unknown before the card is unlocked.
The cards are still being sold without verification of what the unlocking process will ultimately produce. The reporting also does not establish independent testing of CMPUnlocker, its stability, or the resulting performance.
The price increase is therefore driven by potential rather than a confirmed specification. A CMP 170HX remains an unusually cheap route to high-memory AI hardware compared with its original $100–$200 resale price, but at $1,500–$2,200, buyers are paying heavily for an unverified modification with no guaranteed memory outcome.
Source: ITzine