Nvidia CMP 170HX graphics card prices surge

23:51 / 08.08.2026·26·Technology

The prices of old mining-focused Nvidia CMP 170HX accelerators, which had recently attracted almost no interest on the secondary market and were valued at around $100–200, have risen severalfold. According to Ixbt.com, this happened because it became possible to dramatically expand these devices’ memory capacity using software. Ixbt.com reports this.

These specialized accelerators first entered the market in 2021. They were based on the A100 model, which was popular at the time for artificial intelligence, but were presented as a significantly limited version. In particular, while the original models had 64 or 80 GB of memory, CMP 170HX devices offered just 8 or 10 GB.

Software-based memory unlocking

Experts found that these devices’ technical capabilities were actually much higher. Physically, the graphics cards had the same massive memory capacity as expensive models, but the manufacturer had software-blocked most of their memory and computing cores.

The situation changed radically after a special tool called CMPUnlocker appeared on GitHub. The tool allows users to bypass the restrictions and fully activate the GPU and memory. As a result, an old device with 8 GB of memory could be transformed into an A100-level accelerator with 64 GB, while the 10 GB version could be upgraded to 80 GB.

Renewed interest from the artificial intelligence sector

Of course, with such deep intervention, some memory chips may turn out to be defective. Nevertheless, the available capabilities make it possible to increase the device’s memory severalfold. Dozens of gigabytes of fast HBM2e memory have made these old mining cards relevant even today, although they are now being used to work with artificial intelligence systems rather than for mining.

Amid this sharp increase in demand, market prices have also changed. These accelerators are now being sold for around $1,500–2,200 even without any warranty and while still locked. Although buyers cannot know in advance what final result they will achieve, they are purchasing the devices in the hope of high performance.