Are used bitcoin mining graphic cards worth it?

[gundamMC]

Ok thanks guys... Totally going to stay away from those cards.

[Mick Naughty]

Just bought one myself. Granted it was only mining for a week. I'll take my chances. 

[aisle9]

22 hours ago, gundamMC said:

I just found a deal for graphic cards that were used for bitcoin mining.

Apparently, it's:

 

$100 for gtx 1060 (6g)

$170 for gtx 1070

$250 for gtx 1080

(Didn't state the model, looks like they're from msi from the picture)

 

The guy is selling in bulk so I don't know if I should find a few friends and buy them together.

 

Are there any potential risks for used mining cards?

Too good to be true. Pass.

[Tsuki]

buy it, then resell at a normal price without telling the next person it was used for mining.

then buy a brand new one

[dragonhart6505]

1 hour ago, Tsuki said:

buy it, then resell at a normal price without telling the next person it was used for mining.

then buy a brand new one

Valid option...dick move. Also, Op said dude was sketch about the warranty and probably won't have the box either

[Tsuki]

1 minute ago, dragonhart6505 said:

Valid option...dick move. Also, Op said dude was sketch about the warranty and probably won't have the box either

super dick move and incredibly scummy, still a valid option though.

[System Error Message]

Only if the GPU costs a lot less than RRP. It is a used GPU however oltherwise i would not consider it even if it wasnt used for mining.

 

Mining does not reduce the life of the GPU, regardless of what you use the GPU for its not like the GPU has a flash chip that wears out. The fan maybe but thats the only thing that'd wear out after years of use so the GPUs are worth it as long as they cost less than RRP and still worth it for todays games and use.

 

Out of all the components on a GPU or PC, the mechanical parts will wear out first, these are the fans. Then the hard drives(sometimes) and thermal paste. Electrolytic capacitors go next. All the other things will last with the CPU and transistors dying 10-20 years after. The solid components (solid caps, passive components) all will last a lot longer unless the component was overstressed (over volted caps, melted resisters, etc).

[dragonhart6505]

1 hour ago, System Error Message said:

Out of all the components on a GPU or PC, the mechanical parts will wear out first, these are the fans. Then the hard drives(sometimes) and thermal paste. Electrolytic capacitors go next. All the other things will last with the CPU and transistors dying 10-20 years after. The solid components (solid caps, passive components) all will last a lot longer unless the component was overstressed (over volted caps, melted resisters, etc).

If you know anything about mining, this is the exact concern to be had with mining cards. They overclock, overvolt, heat the cards up for prolonged maximum performance use 24/7 over months with very little care and attention, only if needing repairs for burning out. Which instead they'll just sell them and make it somebody else's problem. If the cards came from a Chinese mining campus like the one I shared on page one of this thread, it's a real possibility these cards are probably DOA or hanging on by a thread. Yes the mechanical parts are probably toast. Yes you can find replacement coolers for them. Yes you can repaste them. And by the time you got everything together you still spent about as much on the card as you could have from a seller who lightly used it for gaming or video production or streaming, just to have the money blown by cooked capacitors, VRM or a burnt die.

Worth the risk still? I mean if I had it I'd take it. I know what I'm doing enough to have the best chance of success in reviving it. But the lifespan is certainly diminished by the overtaxing conditions they are subjected to. How long they will last is determined by the amount of damage already incurred by these conditions, not necessarily by the time of use. With the card coming from the other side of the world, even if you had the seller show you the exact card they are going to send you, there is no sure-fire way to determine it's condition before it gets to you. Unless you went to China yourself and had them show it to you in working order face-to-face...pass on it

[System Error Message]

25 minutes ago, dragonhart6505 said:

If you know anything about mining, this is the exact concern to be had with mining cards. They overclock, overvolt, heat the cards up for prolonged maximum performance use 24/7 over months with very little care and attention, only if needing repairs for burning out. Which instead they'll just sell them and make it somebody else's problem. If the cards came from a Chinese mining campus like the one I shared on page one of this thread, it's a real possibility these cards are probably DOA or hanging on by a thread. Yes the mechanical parts are probably toast. Yes you can find replacement coolers for them. Yes you can repaste them. And by the time you got everything together you still spent about as much on the card as you could have from a seller who lightly used it for gaming or video production or streaming, just to have the money blown by cooked capacitors, VRM or a burnt die.

Worth the risk still? I mean if I had it I'd take it. I know what I'm doing enough to have the best chance of success in reviving it. But the lifespan is certainly diminished by the overtaxing conditions they are subjected to. How long they will last is determined by the amount of damage already incurred by these conditions, not necessarily by the time of use. With the card coming from the other side of the world, even if you had the seller show you the exact card they are going to send you, there is no sure-fire way to determine it's condition before it gets to you. Unless you went to China yourself and had them show it to you in working order face-to-face...pass on it

Thats why to only buy local used. If something is wrong its easy to return or start a case.