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In the Cryptocurrency Era, Approach Used GPUs With Caution

" We’ve written a number of articles on the current lousy state of the GPU market and what you can practically do about it, ranging from optimization guides for existing cards to whether AMD’s Ryzen 5 2400G can serve as a  plausible low-end gaming solution to tide you over if you need a new card. But there’s another option available — the used GPU market. Does it provide a reasonable alternative?

The short answer is: Maybe. But you’re going to want to be extremely careful before you pull the trigger.

The problem with buying a used GPU off an unknown seller is that you’ve got no idea what the card’s operating conditions were. While this has always been true, cryptocurrency mining puts unique stresses on GPUs compared with conventional gaming.

First, cryptocurrency miners typically run 24/7, while most gaming GPUs don’t. Gamers also tend to understand and prioritize good cooling, while cryptocurrency miners tend to maximize performance first and worry about cooling later. Four GPUs that are perfectly capable of cooling themselves individually can run extremely hot when put loaded into a chassis at the same time. GPU miners may also have overclocked a GPU or tweaked its voltage for stability. While this is also a risk when buying a used gaming card, again, we’re talking about the difference between 24/7 operation and occasional use.

eBay offers certain protections to guard against being sold defective equipment. But just because hardware works the day you receive it doesn’t mean it won’t fail in a month or two, or display erratic crashes when loaded in a very specific fashion. We recommend buyers looking for a used card prioritize owners who specifically state that the GPU has not been overclocked or used for cryptocurrency mining.

Still, this advice relies on the original owner being honest. What can we do to avoid relying on the owner’s honesty?

Simple: We can test the card. But in order for the tests to be effective as diagnostic criteria, you’ll need to test your current GPU first.

It’s common to see people recommend benchmarks like Furmark for GPU stress testing, but I’m going to disagree with that assessment. AMD and Nvidia both scan for thermal viruses like Furmark and typically prevent them from pushing GPUs as hard as possible. Instead, I’m going to recommend you run your tests in games you already own, either by looping built-in benchmarks or with play-through tests.

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OCCT still works without issues, at least through the Fury series, and it has a GPU error test.

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redteam6
Elite

i refuse to buy a card that was used for mining. The card was most likely abused so theres that. But more importantly I

do not want to reward miners with reimbursement. I hope others feel the same way and do the same. I would rather

see their mining cards rot in their basements.

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Great information! I have been aware of this for sometime and also would not ever buy a card I know was a crypto card. You really gotta be vigilant and ask those specific questions up front. You may need to prove your case if you want Pay Pal to reimburse you on a deal gone bad. A piece of advice is look at their selling history if they have been selling many cards, they are miners.

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