Updated
Updated · Tom's Hardware · Aug 18
CMP Unlocker Restores 64GB VRAM on Nvidia CMP 170HX, Sending $250 GPUs Above $1,000
Updated
Updated · Tom's Hardware · Aug 18

CMP Unlocker Restores 64GB VRAM on Nvidia CMP 170HX, Sending $250 GPUs Above $1,000

3 articles · Updated · Tom's Hardware · Aug 18

Summary

  • CMP Unlocker has revived Nvidia’s CMP 170HX mining GPUs with up to 64GB of usable VRAM from 8GB models, while 10GB cards can theoretically reach 80GB and have so far been confirmed at 40GB.
  • The software-only hack works by bypassing Nvidia’s Falcon security microprocessor and re-enabling HBM2e memory stacks already present on the GA100 package, the same silicon family used in the A100.
  • User gains extend beyond memory: the exploit can restore some disabled SM compute performance and lift PCIe speed to 2.0 x4 from 1.0 x4, though full x16 bandwidth would still require hardware soldering.
  • Stability remains uncertain because Nvidia may have disabled memory for either product segmentation or actual defects, leaving usable capacity dependent on each chip’s binning and condition.
  • That uncertainty has not stopped demand: used CMP 170HX cards that sold near $250 jumped above $1,000 after the exploit surfaced, still well below A100 prices starting around $3,500 for 40GB.

Insights

Are buyers of these hacked Nvidia mining cards scoring cheap AI powerhouses, or gambling on defective silicon?
Could a simple software flaw in Nvidia's security permanently ruin their lucrative AI hardware segmentation strategy?