What is LHR and non LHR GPU? [2024] Pros and Cons

When it comes to graphics cards, we heard two names, AMD and Nvidia, and both are famous for their own masteries. AMD cards are perfect for those who are top-tier content creators and are connected to other productive professions. In contrast, Nvidia cards are more suitable for gamers or crypto miners who spend most of their time playing games or mining different cryptocurrencies. The recent graphics card shortage is gone now. You can find many excellent cards to do your daily chores, play games, do 3D rendering, or do anything that requires top graphics power. 

Interestingly, blockchain and crypto mining has become popular among most tech enthusiasts. Nvidia introduced the hash rate concept and several cards with high and low hash rates. Most of the time, the low hash rate or LHR cards are taken as a better choice for mining but is it true or just a rumor? Well, before getting your answer, tell me, do you know what is LHR and non LHR GPU? If not, then you must spend some time reading this post, absorbing all the knowledge, and getting your answer. Let’s dive into the topic and better understand all the complications. 

What is Hash Rate?

When the cryptocurrency is so complicated to explain in one post, it’s crucial to better understand the basics of the topic first before explaining LHR or non LHR cards. In simplest terms, cryptocurrency is a currency that can be used to purchase something like standard currencies, plus you can send or receive it. In addition, it’s a decentralized digital currency that can be maintained by only the system, not by any authority. Now, let’s look at the hash rate and why it was introduced. 

Hash rate, or hash rate, is the total computation power that a specific cryptocurrency network needs to act as a critical security criterion. In other words, it’s the total processing power required by a proof-of-network or POW to make a transaction in the blockchain. It means that if your card doesn’t have enough hash rate per the crypto network, you won’t be able to do crypto mining or make any crypto transactions. The brands purposefully build such cards, but why? I’ll tell you later in this post. 

What is LHR and non LHR GPU?

As I mentioned earlier, Nvidia has introduced the low hash rate, lite hash rate, or LHR graphics cards. In the previous section, I told you that a crypto network needs a specific hash rate for transactions or mining. The LHR GPUs come with reduced hash rates, so these could be perfect for gamers instead of crypto miners. If I further simplify, these are purposefully made graphics cards for gamers with decreased performance and inadequate power for crypto mining. But why would a brand reduce GPU performance? The answer is in the section below:

Why LHR GPUs are made?

In recent years, we have seen a massive graphics card shortage due to extensive demand for cryptocurrencies and crypto mining. Due to this reason, the prices of GPUs were at an all-time high. The crypto miners bought most of the cards, so only a few were left for gamers and other professionals that are very expensive. Nvidia has introduced LHR GPUs, so the crypto miners can’t just go away with the majority of the cards but leave some stock for the other professionals like gamers or content creators. 

Does it mean that there is no card for minors? If you’re thinking the same, then stop since there are some people from the crypto profession. Nvidia has several non-LHR or high hash rate cards that are dedicated to crypto miners. These come with a high hash value, so the bitcoin lover can mine currency and transfer it without any issue. In addition, several other changes are also done to these non-LHR cards so that enthusiasts can enjoy the ultra-edge performance while doing crypto mining for hours. 

Does LHR affect gaming?

As I mentioned earlier, the hash rate of the cards is reduced, so these become widely accessible for gamers and content creators. So, does LHR affect gaming? The short answer is no. A low hash rate only affects the crypto mining but not the gaming performance. The LHR card’s abilities are undoubtedly reduced, so it can’t be used for mining but rather for gaming. These GPUs will work perfectly fine while playing games or content creation. Interestingly, gamers can choose between LHR or non LHR GPUs without any issue.

Which is better: LHR vs non LHR GPU

Those looking to conclude which is better, LHR vs non-LHD board, must read this section. We have compared both types of graphics cards in terms of a few factors. So, be with me until the end.

Hash rate

If you’re still reading this post, it means that you’re well aware of the hash rate or how it differentiates between the LHR and non-LHR graphics cards. It’s undoubtedly the most obvious difference between both kinds of cards. As I mentioned earlier, an LHR or low hash rate card has a comparatively lesser hash rate, intentionally, so it can’t be used for crypto mining. In contrast, non-LHR cards come with a higher hash rate, so they can be used for crypto mining and transactions. Additionally, both LHR and non-LGR GPUs can be used for gaming. 

Performance

The overall performance of both of the cards is the same. However, both are made differently for distinct types of usages. Let’s get deeper into the topic and explore what I really mean by the statement. 

• Gaming/Content creation: Both types of cards, LHR and non-LHR, perform similarly while playing games or doing content creation. For instance, if you feel some difference in performance, it’s there not because of the different hash rate but may be due to the design or cooling structure of the card. No doubt, a thermal design plays a key role in overclocking the performance of the card. Due to this reason, a GPU with better thermals performs better than one with inadequate cooling.
  
• Crypto mining: Crypto mining is the spot where you start feeling some differences. No doubt, Nvidia launched LHR GPUs that aren’t that good for mining, so the miners don’t purchase every card in the market. The LHRs are not made for crypto transactions, so these don’t perform well in this field. In contrast, the non-LHR GPUs come into play in terms of mining. These have high hash rates, so they are suitable for crypto mining of all types of cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, dogecoin, and others.

Pricing 

In terms of pricing, the LHR cards are usually more affordable than the non-LHR graphics cards. The reason behind such pricing is that Nvidia always tried to make the LHR cards as accessible as possible for gaming enthusiasts. Plus, it prevents miners from inflating the price of the graphics cards. In this way, the brand is able to minimize its appeal to crypto miners. In contrast, the miners can check out the Nvidia CMP HX, which is dedicated to only crypto-related stuff. But this card is not a perfect choice for gamers since it’s slightly expensive.

How do I know if my GPU is LHR or LHR?

It’s essential to know before purchasing a card whether it falls in the LHR category or is the FHR GPU. There are several methods to test the authenticity of a graphics card. But we have mentioned a few, and I hope these will help you. 

• Method 1: Read the GPU description: if you’re buying a graphics card, you can read the product’s description given on the website. Most of the time, sellers have LHR notice in the description section—you must check it out.
• Method 2: Check the box: Nvidia mentioned the category, LHR or non-LHR, on the package or box of the graphics card. You must check the box clearly to better know whether the card is LHR or FHR. Remember, newer models may have different identifications since all are LHR most of the time. 

Conclusion

A graphics card is one of the foremost crucial components of a computer since it processes all the graphics-load loads. In recent years, we have seen an extreme shortage of GPUs due to excessive crypto mining. Knowing this issue, Nvidia has done a great job in developing two types of cards with different hash rates. The LHR or low hash rate cards can’t be used with the systems to mine the cryptocurrencies but rather to play games and content creation. In contrast, the non-LHR or high hash rate cards have higher hash rates, so these can be used to do crypto-related tasks.

In the end, I’m sure that you know what are LHR and non-LHR graphics cards together with the benefits, disadvantages, and differences of both types. But again, let me sum up the whole post in a few lines to refresh everything. Nvidia purposefully makes low hash rate cards to avoid the shortage of cards for gamers and content creators. But both LHR and non LHR are best in terms of their utilities. Interestingly, LHR works fine for gaming, while non LHR can be used to play games, do content creation, and even put through crypto mining. Make sure to know your usage before buying one.

Sajid Ali

CEO, Lead Writer

Sajid Ali is a tech enthusiast and gamer who loves to write reviews about gaming hardware. He has a passion for staying up-to-date with the latest technological advancements and loves sharing his knowledge with others. Sajid studied Intermediate Computer Science at Degree College and went on to earn his Bachelor's in Computer Science from GSC. In his free time, you can find him testing out new hardware and software, or playing the latest video games. Sajid's in-depth understanding of computers and his love for gaming make him the perfect author to turn to for all things tech and gaming.