DON'T Buy a Used Mining GPU! - $h!t Manufacturers Say

Linus Tech Tips · 3.7M views · 2021-08-19 · 10:58

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Overview

Linus Tech Tips looks at whether buying a used GPU that was previously used for crypto mining is a good idea, as miners prepare to sell off cards. The video discusses how mining affects wear on cards and what to watch for.

On Hacker News

HN cites it as evidence that mining does not meaningfully degrade GPUs, so used mining cards are generally fine buys.

Recommended by 2 HN people across 1 months · HN mentions 2021–2022

Topics

Consumer devices & gadgets Computer architecture & CPUs

What people said

scambier · 2022-09 · Recommendation
There's a nice Linus Tech Tips video about this: [VIDEO] The tl;dw is that used cards don't perform worse than new cards - your card either works, or it doesn't. But like any electronics, they have an "expiration date", and if it's been used for 2 years, it's 2 years closer to dying. It's up to you to decide if the discount of a used card might be worth it.
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bentcorner · 2022-09 · Recommendation
LTT goes over it pretty well (IMO): [VIDEO] tldr: Cards (like any piece of other electronics) do have a lifespan, but mining doesn't affect that. Cards that are kept clean and in better working conditions will run faster.
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ulrikrasmussen · 2022-09 · Reference
Linus tech tips had an episode on it, and largely found that the performance degradation was insignificant: [VIDEO] He did however note that the cards that he tested had been used in a relatively clean and dust-free environment. The biggest risk to buying a card that has been running 24/7 for years is that the cooling system is busted due to build-up of dust.
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Sources

Video by Linus Tech Tips, played through YouTube.

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