LHR graphics card: what is it, and is it still an issue in 2026?

October 2026 update. An LHR (Light Hash Rate) graphics card is a GeForce RTX 3000 that NVIDIA limited in 2021 to cut its Ethereum mining speed by roughly half. The limiter detected the Ethereum algorithm (Ethash) and did not affect gaming, creative work or any other use of the card.

Does LHR still matter in 2026?

No. Since Ethereum moved to proof of stake in September 2022, Ethereum can no longer be mined, and LHR has no practical effect. For artificial intelligence it never had one: an RTX 3060 12 GB LHR runs a language model or Stable Diffusion just like a non-LHR version. When buying a used card, look instead at the amount of video memory, the condition of the fans and the usage history.

For local AI, video memory is the first criterion: our ranking of graphics cards for AI compares current models, and our AI workstations are delivered ready to use.

The 2021 recap

Here is a summary table of Nvidia LHR and non-LHR models.

LHR stands for Light Hash Rate and means the card was limited for mining Ethereum, and a few other cryptocurrencies (e.g. Ergo).
Some cryptocurrencies are not limited by LHR at all, such as Ravencoin, Flux, Conflux or Firo.

All models older than the RTX 3000 series are non-LHR, such as the GTX 1060, 1660 Super, 1070, 1080 and the RTX 2000 series (2060, 2070, 2080).

Regarding the RTX 3000 series:

On FE models (Founders Edition) all cards are non-LHR except the latest 3070 Ti and 3080 Ti.

All 3090s are non-LHR.

On custom models, since July most are LHR (sometimes marked "V2").

Here is a summary table: