How to check your video card for mining and performance

1 uke ago 0 30

Due to the microchip shortage caused by the 2020-2021 pandemic, graphics processing unit (GPU) prices have skyrocketed. Miners began to buy video cards on the secondary market more often. Used GPUs are 30-50% cheaper than new ones. But there is a risk of getting a problematic device that has almost exhausted its resource. Therefore, you need to understand how you can check the video card for mining and performance. Buying a processor from hand without approbation is fraught with loss of money. A comprehensive check of the card includes inspection, analysis of documents and BIOS firmware, as well as stress tests using special software.

How mining is harmful to the video card

Mining cryptocurrencies is a resource-intensive process. Video cards work around the clock at high frequencies and memory timings. Therefore, they wear out quickly. To realize that the video card after mining, you can by the presence of certain defects. The table collects the signs that indicate a strong wear and tear of the GPU.

Condition	Comment
Electrolytic capacitors have dried up	Deterioration of their technical characteristics can lead to GPU fire
GPU elements have degraded	This is manifested in incorrect operation at high frequencies and bugs.
Microcracks and chips have appeared	Such defects are formed under the influence of high temperature, deteriorate contact and lead to card malfunction.
The fan has failed	The cooler can be replaced, but its wear and tear is a sure sign that the card has been mined.
A burnout in the power supply system (VRM) destroys conductive tracks	This can lead to a fire. A burnout is identified by a specific pungent odor.

How to know that the video card after mining

To premature wear of the equipment leads to premature wear of the equipment is caused by prolonged operation under high loads. Such a card retains its working resource, but quickly fails. Therefore, before buying, conduct a check of the video card for mining.

To buy a GPU in good condition for reasonable money, you need to understand which elements suffer first and how to identify hidden defects. Many miners overclock video cards, and this reduces their resource. To assess the condition of the processor, it is worth testing it before the transaction with the help of special programs.

There are no guaranteed ways to know that the video card is after mining. If the owner treated the adapter with care (changed the thermal paste, used a good cooling system and cleaned it regularly), there may be no signs of work in the farm on it.

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Visual inspection

Before buying, you need to study the appearance of the video adapter. For a better view, you can illuminate it with a flashlight. If the case has traces of disassembly or soldering, there is a high probability that the card was used in mining. It is also worth checking the presence of all additional elements – thermal pads, backup power supply and others. Inspection will allow you to assess the performance of the card. What you need to pay attention to:

The color of the printed circuit board. A dull shade indicates prolonged exposure to high temperatures and intensive loads.
Color around the memory module. A yellow tint or traces of oil indicate that the card was used for mining. Probably, this is how it was affected by memory frequency overclocking. Similar damage appears after excessive loads.
The presence of thermal paste and silicone grease in the heatsink. The amount that the manufacturer applies is designed for 2 years of non-intensive use. If the thermal paste has dried up, and the seller says that the card is new – it was used for mining.
Leaks around the thermal pads. This is a sign of prolonged use at high temperatures.
Melted contacts. This is a sign of prolonged operation of the equipment in harsh conditions.
A large amount of dust on the heatsink and fans. Most likely, the GPU was used for mining in an open case.

BIOS flashing

To increase the performance of the video adapter, miners change the default settings of the operating system. The buyer can recognize the BIOS firmware. To do this, you need to perform such actions:

Find the basic settings of the card by its name in the search engine.
Go to the BIOS (press Delete while booting the operating system).
Compare the settings with the factory settings. If the Frequency, Clock and Memory parameters have been changed, the card was probably used for cryptocurrency mining.

You should reset the GPU to factory defaults before further testing. NVIDIA video adapters are rarely reflashed. Buyers of AMD cards need to check the BIOS.

The miner can reset the settings before the sale. In this case, it will not be possible to determine whether the card was used in coin mining. It is worth focusing on other indicators.

Stress test

The best way to check the video adapter for mining is to run it with the help of software. The system will evaluate such parameters of the GPU:

What tasks it can cope with.
How it will show itself in harsh conditions.
Whether it can pull demanding games or 3D-graphics.

Before launching the program you should close resource-intensive applications so that your computer does not freeze. You should also save your working documents. Errors during the test or system overheating (above 110 degrees) confirm that the resource of the video card is running out.

If the former owner carried out timely maintenance of the farm, the GPU can remain in working condition. Therefore, the absence of errors in the stress test is not an indicator that the card has not been mined.

For a quick check of the video adapter is suitable online program NVIDIA. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

Go to the company’s page.
In the main menu, click “Is your computer ready for new games?”
Confirm the action by selecting “Find out now”.

The service will determine the GPU’s performance and ability to support new games. You can also run a professional program to test GPUs (OCCT, FurMark, AIDA64, GPU-Z). Such software loads the graphics card to the maximum, transferring large packets of data for calculations. The report will show the current state of the cooling system and processor performance.

Programs to check the video card for mining

For stress tests, small utilities weighing 15-20 MB are used. Such a program can be downloaded to a flash drive and brought with you to a meeting with the seller. Testing takes 20-30 minutes. In most cases, this time is enough to evaluate the performance of the video card.

The test should be done carefully so as not to ruin the device. It is important to monitor the computer after starting the software. If during half an hour the readings are stable, the PC does not freeze, there are no errors – the test is successful.

The program will give a report with the minimum and maximum parameters of GPU operation. If there are signs of overheating (temperature above 100-110 degrees Celsius) you should stop testing.

OCCT

One of the most functional programs for video card stress testing works in several modes: with different pixel shaders and resolutions. The user can also customize the temperature and startup time. To check the state of the processor in the OCCT program, you need to:

Download the application from the developer’s resource. Install it on a PC.
In the GPU-3D section, define the run time (by default – 1 hour).
Select the resolution.
Press ON.

After the start, the current parameters – temperature, FPS, voltage, test time, number of errors – will be displayed on the screen. The data will be displayed in real time. At the end of the test, the program will give a report with the current indicators. The minimum and maximum values will also be indicated in the conclusion.

How to check your video card for mining and performance — Checking GPU in the OCCT program

You should be wary if you notice such phenomena when the program is running:

Errors – may indicate a malfunction of the software or cooling system.
PC going into the blue screen is a sign of instability caused by overheating or incompatibility of the program with GPU drivers.
Artifacts (flickering part of the screen) – indicates a failure in the cooling system or problems with video memory.
Temperature rise over 100-110 degrees – indicates a dusty video card or faulty coolers.

FurMark

This program is used to diagnose the video core (overheating, working under load). FurMark has presets – pre-set variants of tests. The user can also select the resolution, specify the running time, adjust antialiasing The application heavily loads the video card. In real tasks, the voltage is always lower. Therefore, problems will be easy to detect. Test results can be posted on the developer’s website to compare the performance of the card relative to others.

The test lasts at least 10 minutes. Because of the high load, you should not conduct testing for more than half an hour. To run the program you need to:

Download the current version on the developers’ website. Install it on a PC.
From the main menu go to GPU stress test.
The program will warn you about possible system freezing during the test.
Press Go.
Go to Settings.
Check Dynamic background and Burn-in.
Click Burn-in test to run it.

During the test you should stay near the computer to stop the program in case the temperature rises sharply (more than 85 degrees). GPU parameters are displayed in the left window in real time.

There is an alert function in the utility settings. As soon as the GPU reaches the set temperature value, a warning will appear on the screen accompanied by a sound signal.

The test is successful if the system does not detect errors, artifacts, and there was no freezing and automatic reboot. If the video card is functional, the temperature stabilizes 2-3 minutes after startup – a straight horizontal line will appear on the graph. A constant increase in degrees indicates problems with the power supply or cooling system.

AIDA64 System Stability Test

The application is designed to test the entire system. With AIDA64 System Stability Test you can find out the real frequency of CPU and video card, see how they keep the values under load. The software is available in Russian. To run it you need to:

Download and install the program.
In the main menu, click “Service-System Stability Test”.
Assign the component to be investigated (GPU).
Confirm the action by clicking “Start”.

After the start, you need to monitor the changes in parameters. The program marks only the start and stop times, logs are not automatically saved. It is possible to take a screenshot. To do this, click “Save”.

The test is passed if no errors are detected during the application’s operation and the adapter’s temperature was within the permissible limits.

Summary

Buying a used video card is always a risk. Even after a full inspection, hidden defects may be discovered. However, testing the GPU before the transaction reduces this probability. Not every owner will agree to a software check of the product. High test loads, if applied incorrectly, can damage the components of the video adapter. However, you should not buy a card without a preliminary inspection. If there is no opportunity to meet with the seller, you need to demand video checks or refuse the deal.

It is generally believed that cryptocurrency mining kills the graphics processor. Individual users are fundamentally against buying such GPUs. However, miners often treat the technique more carefully than gamers. In a farm, the graphics card works under constant loads. This is less harmful to the elements than sudden temperature changes in games. You can consider buying a GPU after mining, if the product has a satisfactory appearance and passes stress tests.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Can I buy a GPU after mining?

Cryptocurrency mining farms run 24/7 under high loads. This reduces the performance of the GPU. But if the miner performed regular maintenance, the card will still last a long time.

💡 Why perform stress testing?

The program stresses the GPU to the limit. It is a quick way to check the reliability of the system. Testing will also allow you to distinguish between a card after mining and a gaming card.

📲 What programs can I use to test my GPU?

At the beginning of 2022, FurMark, OOCT, AIDA64 are popular. The applications are distributed for free.

💻 How to test the card on the seller’s PC if he doesn’t have any testing programs?

The application can be downloaded to a flash drive and brought to the meeting. The utility weighs no more than 20 MB.

🧐 How to check if the former owner did a BIOS reflash?

You need to compare the current settings of the program with the basic parameters. Usually they are listed on the manufacturer’s website.

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Author: Saifedean Ammous, an expert in cryptocurrency economics.