Nvidia's Old Crypto Mining GPUs Hacked to Unlock 64GB of Memory
Nvidia's older Cryptocurrency Mining Processor (CMP) series has been hacked to unlock its full memory capacity. A software mod called CMP Unlocker can restore the previously locked-away memory on the $250 CMP 170HX, boosting its memory from just 8GB to a massive 64GB and from 10GB to 40GB.
The hack targets the GA100 (Ampere) silicon, which is physically present in all CMP 170HX chips. Nvidia originally sold the CMP 170HX in 8GB and 10GB variants by disabling additional memory through firmware. The mod can unlock up to six HBM2e memory stacks, depending on the SKU.
The exploit requires no physical modifications and is entirely software-based. However, there's a catch: users won't know if the unlocked memory is fully functional or if it was deactivated due to physical defects. This situation is similar to AMD's BC-250, which was repurposed as an AI device.
The hack also unlocks processing power and restores faster PCIe interface speeds. Although Nvidia implemented hard restrictions on the CMP 170HX's connectivity, users can still solder missing capacitors to unlock full PCIe x16 bandwidth.