Graphics cards, usually a plentiful and ordinary PC commodity, produce the kind of rich visuals gamers love. While gamers can get by with one card, miners prefer several, 5 or 6 per computer. Ms. Augustine said she has been teaching other stay-at-home moms to mine and would build a sixth PC—if she could find more graphics cards. “I felt like I was buying drugs.”For many buyers, graphics cards can be found only on sites such as Amazon and eBay, where sellers charge double or more than the usual $300 to $800 retail price. Nvidia Corp. said on an earnings call with analysts Thursday that strong demand in the cryptocurrency market contributed to record low inventory for its graphics cards.

Source: Wall Street Journal February 09, 2018 17:04 UTC