Things to consider before buying a used graphics card

 

Every few years, cryptocurrencies seem to go nuts and the best graphics cards all disappear into the eager hands of miners. The past two years proved to be a particularly rough time, as component shortages and supply chain issues combined with the pandemic and cryptocurrency miners to make it nearly impossible to find a reasonable price on a GPU. That house of cards has finally collapsed, and GPU prices are dropping quickly, especially on used cards. Which raised the question: Should you consider buying a used graphics card:?

Every few years, cryptocurrencies seem to skyrocket and all the graphics cards disappear into the greedy hands of miners. The previous two years proved to be a particularly rough time, as component shortages and supply chain issues combined with the pandemic and cryptocurrency miners to make it nearly impossible to find a GPU at a reasonable price. That house of cards has finally collapsed, and GPU prices are dropping quickly, especially on used cards.

So here are a few things that you should consider before buying a used GPU

1. Assume the Worst and Prepare for it

There's no way to tell what the previous owner might have done with a graphics card when you're shopping online, so our advice is to assume the worst. Don't trust the seller. Any listing that says it was "never used for mining" at this point is probably a lie. Some sellers will actually tell you that a card was used for mining, but even then we'd assume maximum overclocks and redlining, with cards potentially pushed beyond safe limits.

2. Graphics Card Age Matters

Like any product, age can make a big difference. It's more like buying a used car. If something is only a year old, even if it was driven hard, it should still have a warranty and is less likely to have serious problems. A car that's ten years old with over 150,000 miles on the other hand could just be asking for trouble. In short, buying a used GPU that's from the latest generation tends to be safer than buying a previous top-tier GPU from several years back

3. Stress test the GPU

If you have a friendly seller, you could ask them for 3DMark scores to verify performance, or even ask them to run the GPU for a while in Heaven Benchmark. That will tell you if the GPU is stable and at least performing to spec.

If you buy a used graphics card directly from the previous owner, off sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, getting a return may be more challenging. It’s best to ask them to provide benchmark results before the sale if possible and let you know of any potential issues.

4. Physical conditions matter

The eyeball test is your best friend. Does something look off or damaged in the picture of that used graphics card? It can have real-life consequences. That GPU fan blade with the missing tip might seem innocent enough, but when it’s spinning, the oscillation is likely to create lots of vibration and cooling issues. Has the seller opened the GPU or applied new thermal pads? While new pads can theoretically improve temperatures, inexperienced users who try and change them out can also possibly damage the GPU itself if they’re not careful.

If the GPU looks clean, without damage, and the seller has the original box in nice shape, those can all be great signs.