In brief: In what can only be described as a surefire tactic to tick off the PC gaming community, one cryptocurrency enthusiast has taken the idea of mobile mining to a whole new level by installing a mobile mining farm in the trunk of his car.
Tom’s Hardware has shared photos from an individual named Simon Byrne. According to the publication and as illustrated in the images, Byrne created a miniature cryptocurrency mining rig in the back of his BMW i8 hybrid sports car consisting of six Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics cards.
When asked if the setup was real, Byrne reportedly told the publication that he made it himself “just to annoy gamers.”
The BMW’s internal battery pack is said to have more than enough juice to power the six GPU setup.
While it’s neat to look at, the setup isn’t terribly practical for actually mining cryptocurrency. Due to the enormous amount of heat generated by the GPUs, the vehicle’s rear hatch must remain open in order for the rig to avoid overheating. It would also likely encounter cooling issues during warm summer months.
One has to also surmise that the risk of theft is high. Advertising six in-demand GPUs that are still commanding a premium on third-party marketplaces like eBay in the back of your car is just asking for someone to commit a smash and grab.
Masthead credit Johnnie Rik