2nd hand GPU, post mining...

[GeordieStew]

With the release of the new cards happening soon, I suspect prices will drop in the 2nd hand market and I'd like to pick up a 1070Ti or 1080.

Some of these cards may have been used for mining. And may have been used in a responsible or irresponsible manner! Under voltage etc.

Are the risks of buying a responsibly mined card greater than a knacker using one for hardcore gaming?

Cheers

 

[Armageus]

And may have been used in a responsible or irresponsible manner! Under voltage etc.

Why would undervoltage be classed as irresponsible? it's the opposite if anything, reducing the voltage put through the chip lowering temperatures and potentially increasing longevity

Are the risks of buying a responsibly mined card greater than a knacker using one for hardcore gaming?

Depends what sort of mining operation it came from - if it's from a big operation then yes all bets are off, however if it's from the kind of small operations people on this forum have, the users are more knowledgable and the cards have arguably been better looked after than cards used for gaming (e.g. underclocked/undervolted cores, fixed fan speeds, additional cooling)

 

[GeordieStew]

Why would undervoltage be classed as irresponsible? it's the opposite if anything, reducing the voltage put through the chip lowering temperatures and potentially increasing longevity


Depends what sort of mining operation it came from - if it's from a big operation then yes all bets are off, however if it's from the kind of small operations people on this forum have, the users are more knowledgable and the cards have arguably been better looked after than cards used for gaming (e.g. underclocked/undervolted cores, fixed fan speeds, additional cooling)

I wasn't classing under voltage as irresponsible. Just an activity someone may partake in.

The rest makes sense. I'll keep my eyes open and see what happens. Thank you

 

[old gamer]

I bought a pair or 290's from a miner years ago, one my brother had and is still used daily today

 

[melmac]

With the release of the new cards happening soon, I suspect prices will drop in the 2nd hand market and I'd like to pick up a 1070Ti or 1080.

Some of these cards may have been used for mining. And may have been used in a responsible or irresponsible manner! Under voltage etc.

Are the risks of buying a responsibly mined card greater than a knacker using one for hardcore gaming?

Cheers

You take a risk buying a second hand card no matter what they say it was used for. If you know and trust the seller then chances are you will be fine.

 

[Scania]

I've still got a GeForce 2 GTS that was used 24/7 for the first 2 years of its life running continuous 3D Mark benchmarks in a computer shops window, it was then owned by a mate for 18 months of gaming,then me for a while of gaming ultimately a media server, I dug its rig out of the loft the other week and it still works fine!
Equally I recall returning two 6800LE cards to OC/UK that both died within a few weeks of purchase before the third gave long service.

I think it's a lottery ultimately and don't particularly worry about how a used card has earned its keep.