Is it worth buying a video card after mining?

VRM burnouts

A corrupted power regulator is the case when it is better not to buy a video card after mining than to get a damaged device. If the component does not control the incoming current, other parts of the GPU will quickly deteriorate due to overheating and burned through textolites. This poses the risk of the device catching fire and even exploding.

An overclocked card works intensively, because of which VRM quickly consumes its resource and overheats. Powerful gaming GPUs have a VRM cooling system, but budget GPUs do not.

Thermal pads

To passively reduce the temperature of the device, manufacturers use stickers filled with silicone. They absorb and dissipate heat. However, the pads are often made of low-quality materials, because of which they burst even on home computers. If this happens, the silicone gets on the boards and causes corrosion, and when mixed with dust, deteriorates cooling.

A key problem with current gaskets is the difficulty of cleaning. It is impossible to remove the silicone without disassembling the device, so you have to sacrifice the warranty.

Consequences of careless operation

In order for the cards to last more than 3 years, they must be constantly cared for and comfortable conditions must be created. However, miners rarely care about this, because after 1-2 years, the profitability of the devices is greatly reduced due to a steady increase in hash rate.

Users install farms not in clean server rooms with optimal humidity, but in garages and on balconies. In such places, the condition of the equipment is threatened not only by dust, but also by too high or low temperatures. In winter, the devices freeze, and in summer overheat.

Careless operation leads to fires, so sometimes on marketplaces there are devices that have survived the fire. They can be deduced by traces of soot and moisture inside.

Violation of the rules of use leads to degradation of GPU, video memory. First it reduces the overclocking potential, and then affects the operation with factory settings.

Checking the video card before buying

Before payment, you need to perform a deep diagnostics of the equipment. If there are no traces of burn-through on it, there are working fans and intact gaskets, you can take the video card after mining. If any shortcomings are detected, it is better to refuse the purchase. Repair may be too expensive.

Analyze the ad and appearance

Part of the sellers honestly write that video cards used to be used for mining cryptocurrencies, and others are silent about the past of the GPU. The latter should be treated with caution, because behind the lie a person is trying to hide breakdowns or high wear and tear. If the buyer knows that the video card was mined on the video card, he will definitely check it, and “gifted, but unnecessary” – with less probability.

Before buying, it is important to evaluate the appearance. You need to check in the device:

• Gaps, oxidation, signs of repairs, scratches.
• Bloating of electrolytic capacitors.
• Stickers burned through due to increased temperature.
• Heavy darkening of the printed circuit board near the components that provide power to the device.
• Dried thermal pads and traces of silicone.

Inspection should be done under good lighting and with a magnifying glass. Small breakages inside are not easy to notice, so it is worth taking a magnifying glass and a pocket flashlight with you.

If the graphics card was used for mining, but it is perfectly clean, you should not limit yourself to a visual check. GPU was prepared for sale and removed all external flaws, so it is not worth buying the device without deep diagnostics.

Testing the video card

Identify problems with microprocessors and VRAM is impossible without the use of special programs. It is recommended to download the portable FurMark to a flash drive in advance and conduct a stress test.

After launching the application will load the device at 100%. If artifacts appear on the screen, flickering begins, then it is not recommended to buy a GPU. These are signs of severe wear and tear of the graphics processor.

Check the video card in games, editors is not worth it. To identify hardware problems, it will take a lot of time (2-3 hours). Besides, not all programs create a heavy load.

VRM is checked with AIDA64, MSI Afterburner, GPU-Z. Applications monitor the temperature of the part. To check heating under load, it is worth turning them on together with FurMark. If the regulator does not glow up to 85°C, it is serviceable. Otherwise, you need to identify the cause. High temperature occurs if:

• The cooling system is dirty.
• The thermal paste is dry.
• The device is overclocked.

Device warranty

Miners who entered the industry in 2022 actively bought up new video cards, so GPUs with a valid warranty are still caught on the secondary market. Russian stores repair equipment free of charge for 24-36 months.

The main thing is that the video card can not be disassembled, overclocked in the BIOS settings. If the parameters are changed, they must be reset to factory defaults.

In this case, checks are often not required. Stores check devices by serial numbers, so by the identifier they find out whether they were bought here or not. However, because of the mining boom, users began to often return worn GPUs, and now stores are carefully looking for any little things that allow them to refuse warranty repairs.

Whether it is worth buying a video card after mining with a checkup

If the graphics gas pedal is not severely worn out, and the fans, VRAM, microprocessors are serviceable, the GPU can be taken. Although the lifespan after mining will be shorter, a 30-50% discount will cover the shortcoming.

The main thing is to make sure of the condition of the equipment. If you have the slightest doubts, it is better to refuse the purchase. Due to problems with the export of new devices and spare parts, it is difficult to repair a broken device.

Using a video card after mining

Purchased GPUs are suitable for any tasks, except for coin mining. Most devices in 2023 work in the minus. According to WhatToMine statistics, only three GPUs earn more than $1 per day – NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti, 4080 and 4090. However, they are rarely sold on the secondary market and are quickly snapped up.

When pondering whether to buy a graphics card after mining, the user should consider the purpose. For a home PC, inexpensive graphics gas pedals will do just fine. Devices will not face such a load as when mining coins, so they will work for up to 2-3 years.

How to restore the graphics card after mining

The graphics gas pedal, on which cryptocurrencies were mined, usually has specific settings and is dirty inside. To extend the service life, you need to:

1. Reset the settings to factory defaults in the BIOS. You need to download a utility to update the configuration. After unpacking, it will automatically reset the user settings.
2. Clean the boards and fans from dust. The usual blowing is not enough, you need to use a can of compressed air and a vacuum cleaner with a blowing function. To remove silicone stains and dust, you will have to disassemble the device and wash the boards with alcohol. It will not spoil the chips.
3. Restore the cooling system. It is necessary to lubricate the fans, replace the thermal stickers. In the case of destruction of coolers put new ones.
4. Do rebolling. This is the name of the procedure for changing the solder balls under the electronic BGA-components. If this is not done, the “warmed” GPU will break in 3-4 weeks after purchase.

Frequent user questions