PCG Article GPU Mining dead—will you buy used?

I only have a basic understanding of mining, but Ether was mined using the VRAM meaning that any GPU used for a decent amount of time in a farm will likely have worn components related to memory. Doesnt mean it will necessarily blow up immediately but if you consider most GPU's have a warranty of 2-3 years theres a pretty good chance they wont last much longer than that if at all.

I wont be buying used and unfortunately it will poison the market for ordinary users, like me, who will be wanting to sell on their old gaming cards to upgrade to next gen.

As I understand it removing and re-soldering VRAM chips onto a modern board is beyond the average hobbyist, and there is more to the VRAM than just the chips themselves that could be a problem, but you can bet some people will try.
 
Apr 26, 2021
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I genuinely wouldn't. As i had a GPU i used engage in overnight mining with long LONG ago and it did the screen vommitting thing that tended to signify memory defects. Kinda stopped mining cold-turkey that day.

The exact thing that went wrong, was that the memory wasn't getting cooled properly. Cooling fans where controlled by the GPU core temp and since the GPU wasn't utilized that heavily it led to the memory having above average temps. Which ended up accelerating their demise...


Replacing RAM is possible, but definitely not trivial. RAM chips often use BGA packages which are preferably more a reflow soldering thing. One can do it with hot-air soldering, but you may need some luck by your side. Plus those RAM chips ain't cheap. Redoing them all and you quickly are out of a hundred or two :<.
 
God being on a limited budget it is tempting. I won't lie, but even then what would happen and be worse case scenario. You buy used trying to save a buck and it fails.... so then ya go buy a new one and ya dump even more money into cards???

I'd just buy new unless I knew the person. Then I can kick em in the giblets if it fails!!!
 
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I am waiting for the new AMD GPU to be announced and cards available before I buy a new GPU. And it won't be second hand.
I can already guess I can't afford the new Nvidia ones, and many of them require me to buy a new PSU, something I don't want to do. So I haven't even looked at the new 4000 series.

I'm waiting for those too, although I think the power requirements for the top end AMD cards might not be much less than Nvidia at this rate.
 
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Yeah, that's where I am. It'll be a whole new PC build for me, with current guy 5 years old now and not officially qualified for Win11—plus mobo not suited to NVMe as far as I know.

But yeah, don't NEED it—current does my biz fine, and plays the older games I have @1080p 60Hz, so another year or 2 won't hurt.
Do we ever need it :D

I'd really like to get a card that can manage RT at 60fps + in new games. Was planning on picking something up this gen and then everything happened and there weren't any cards available for MSRP.

Hopefully the upper mid range cards can manage some of that this time around, I've been waiting to play Control and Metro Exodus again with everything maxed.
 
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Sep 26, 2022
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first you need to check the thermal paste, and run stress tests for performance and overheating, but there is still a risk because they do not give guarantees for used video cards
 
I just want a GPU that can run my screen at 144hz and 1440p, current one can do one but not both and I get screen tearing. Its one of the reasons I just don't play games now.
40 series prices and power demands are reason I looking at AMD this time. They won't announce the cards until next month and I heard the card I am after might not be released until next year anyway. I sort of hate not knowing what I am doing.
 
I just want a GPU that can run my screen at 144hz and 1440p, current one can do one but not both and I get screen tearing. Its one of the reasons I just don't play games now.
40 series prices and power demands are reason I looking at AMD this time. They won't announce the cards until next month and I heard the card I am after might not be released until next year anyway. I sort of hate not knowing what I am doing.

Is your monitor not Freesync or Gsync compatible?
 
Its Freesync, on a Nvidia GPU. GPU lets it run at 144hz but its not recognised as a G Sync compatible
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When I get an AMD GPU I won't be cross platform, and I also be able to turn on resizable bar.
 
It wasn't noticeable in Diablo 2 last year, more in another game.
I get 144 on desktop, but fastest GPU can do is 100fps in games with high effects (it was a year or so ago I read this so details are blurry)

I don't mind that current GPU can't run screen, as it is something to look forward to when I get next GPU. I knew it couldn't run it when i bought screen.
My previous monitor was 4k and had never been run at right resolution the entire time i had it. its refresh rate was only 60 though, that was easy part

Maybe I do it backwards to most, I get a screen and grow PC into it, rather than buy smaller screens and have a 3080 running it. I have had about 7 monitors in the last 20 years
1 IBM CRT that came with PC
1 Samsung Syncmaster with a postage size screen... big Bezels
3 Samsung 1080p monitors in 12 years. approx. One of them lasted 8 years of that time.
1 4k Samsung monitor in 2015
1 2k LG Monitor

I never buy a monitor at same time as the PC. So it makes sense the features don't match up evenly.
Always gives me something to look forward to.
 

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