GPU mining is coming to an end. Along with that the move of ethereum to proof of stake, and away from energy intensive proof of work resulting into bulk mining graphics card purchases have ended. This reflection can be seen in the prices of new graphics cards and flood of second-hand sales. Some auctions were live streamed as well. 

At the time of mining boom, it was hard to get a new high-end card at a price that had no non-essential organ harvesting. On the other hand, miners did not have any problem shelling out huge money for cards in huge number while ethereum pricing was always high. 

If you wanted one or two cards you had to visit a retailer during that period. And if you wanted a hundred then you had to visit distributor and in case of a thousand, actual manufacturers are the only way. MSI appears to be one such company. MSI has sold unreleased RTX 3080 20GB cards directly to the miners. 

Previously there were rumours that Nvidia was thinking of selling 20GB RTX 3080s. There 10GB felt a bit on the thin side if compared to 16GB 6800/XT card or 24GB RTX 3090. The card went beyond the planning stage and also reached the production. 

The cards were full hash rate (FHR) versions which means they provided better hash rate than consumer low hash rate (LHR) versions. Small time miners had to go through the hash rate block on retail RTX 3080s.  

Nvidia never released the card that are said to be sold for over 3000 RMB or above $400 so do not buy it. Unless you plan to mine for few weeks, this card will end up as little more than novelty collector's edition with a limited gaming prowess. 

And if you buy one for gaming, it will make no sense at all. RTX 3080 12GB would be a downgrade over a 3080 12GB.  

RTX 3080 20GB would be a good choice for a prosumer working with large data sets but the question is why Nvidia would sell it in that market when it can push them towards an RTX 3090 with 24GB? So, while RTX 3080 20GB might look good on paper, the card is rather pointless if compared to other cards. 

The card existed to show how much market power miners had. The time when gamers had to pay huge prices for cards, the GPU makers were happier to sell to miners.