mining gpu

[ScarrFxce]

Hi im about to buy a rx 480 and im gonna change the thermal paste first but i have been reading about alot of people undervolting their gpu. Can anybody tell me how that works and what it really does

[xAcid9]

16 minutes ago, ScarrFxce said:

Hi im about to buy a rx 480 and im gonna change the thermal paste first but i have been reading about alot of people undervolting their gpu. Can anybody tell me how that works and what it really does

Basically gpu manufacturers set a default voltage for the card to make sure the card is running properly at set specifications, but most of the time they set it quite high to ensure most GPU pass the spec. 

 

Most of these gpu chip can take less voltage to run properly and reduce heat, you need to find the sweet spot yourself. Mostly related to AMD GPU and not Nvidia GPU, you can still undervolt Nvidia GPUs (1000 series and newer) but the result is not as significant as undervolting AMD GPUs. 

[Eigenvektor]

The idea is to reduce the amount of power that is used by the GPU without reducing its performance. This should improve profits and also reduce the heat produced by the card. Of course, whether you can still profit from mining is a different story.

[ScarrFxce]

should have explained more...

there are rx 480s for sale on aliexpress for 88$ and i want to buy one for gaming

[Eigenvektor]

Just now, ScarrFxce said:

should have explained more...

there are rx 480s for sale on aliexpress for 88$ and i want to buy one for gaming

Just be aware that if the card is a mining edition, it may be very restricted in terms of display output. Undervolting can still be useful, because, as I said, it reduces power used by the card, which reduces heat output and should keep it running more quietly, too.

 

If the card is too cheap, it might be a scam though. Plus, a mining card was probably run for 24/7, so if the miner didn't take good care of it, it may not be in best condition.

[Bombastinator]

19 minutes ago, ScarrFxce said:

should have explained more...

there are rx 480s for sale on aliexpress for 88$ and i want to buy one for gaming

This sounds like a bery bad idea.  Mining cards sometimes have NO external outputs.  Even if they do they may be locked.  It can sometimes be gotten around, but it’s serious pita evil.

 

you need the exact model of the card and a pic of the actual card before you send a dime.  Even then it could be scammy.

Edited November 25, 2019 by Bombastinator
Addendum

[HanZie82]

Not easy, almost impossible if you dont have the connections like the ppl in the video.

 

[Mark Kaine]

Well a mining GPU doesn't necessarily no video output,  they've used tons of regular cards for that,  hence GPU prices went up so much a few years ago... 

 

Still should check this obviously and be weary of scams. 

[Eigenvektor]

53 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

Well a mining GPU doesn't necessarily no video output,  they've used tons of regular cards for that,  hence GPU prices went up so much a few years ago... 

 

Still should check this obviously and be weary of scams. 

True, a card that was used for mining could just be a regular card. But there are special "mining editions" of some cards, which are basically the same card but either have no video output or very limited output. Those are usually cheaper then the regular ones, hence the warning that it might be one of those if the price seems low.

[Mark Kaine]

14 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

True, a card that was used for mining could just be a regular card. But there are special "mining editions" of some cards, which are basically the same card but either have no video output or very limited output. Those are usually cheaper then the regular ones, hence the warning that it might be one of those if the price seems low.

I agree,  what throws me off that card doesn't seem cheap at all... 

 

For example 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SAPPHIRE-Nitro-AMD-RX480-RX-480-4GB-Graphics-Card-Radeon-580-FAST-SHIPPING/323990757843?hash=item4b6f5aa1d3:g:4BgAAOSwzvhdsGnl

 

Or this 

 

https://www.ebay.com/p/231964926?iid=143429190150

 

Doubt those are mining cards either (they aren't even suitable afaik) and look legit to me too?

 

(just literally the first Google results...  I bet there are cheaper ones ,  heck they sometimes go for like 110-130$ new) 

[Eigenvektor]

1 minute ago, Mark Kaine said:

I agree,  what throws me off that card doesn't seem cheap at all... 

 

For example 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SAPPHIRE-Nitro-AMD-RX480-RX-480-4GB-Graphics-Card-Radeon-580-FAST-SHIPPING/323990757843?hash=item4b6f5aa1d3:g:4BgAAOSwzvhdsGnl

 

And I doubt that's a "mining card"  

 

(just literally the first Google result...  I bet there are cheaper ones ,  heck they sometimes go for like 110-130$ new) 

Don't really know about prices in the US. I can see that Amazon is asking 170€ for a used RX 480. You can definitely get a cheaper one from eBay. If I look at completed auctions I can see the cheapest one sold for just 50€ but they seem to typically sell between 80-120€.

[Mark Kaine]

5 minutes ago, Eigenvektor said:

Don't really know about prices in the US. I can see that Amazon is asking 170€ for a used RX 480. You can definitely get a cheaper one from eBay. If I look at completed auctions I can see the cheapest one sold for just 50€ but they seem to typically sell between 80-120€.

Yeah but those are rip offs, then you can just get a 580 *new*

 

https://m.ebay.de/itm/Sapphire-Pulse-Radeon-RX-580-4GD5-4GB-GDDR5-NEU-inkl-Rechnung-19-MwSt-/383039501608?ul_ref=https%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F707-53477-19255-0%2F1%3Fff3%3D4%26pub%3D5574635388%26toolid%3D10050%26campid%3D5337770552%26customid%3DL8kEbKvNQ65jUmkZk5bAGg%26mpre%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.de%2Fitm%2FSapphire-Pulse-Radeon-RX-580-4GD5-4GB-GDDR5-NEU-inkl-Rechnung-19-MwSt-%2F383039501608%26srcrot%3D707-53477-19255-0%26rvr_id%3D2195346697335%26rvr_ts%3Da2e4699b16e0aa415776ef09ffe91efd&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true

 

Those cards are dirt cheap,  especially used.  $88 seems very high for a "mining card"  

[ScarrFxce]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000235793432.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.351b3c00jQ3UiZ&mp=1

This is the card its pretty cheap and has good reviews