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Any hardcore user knows the importance of GPU in their PCs – whether you’re a gamer or a programmer, a crypto miner or a content creator; a good graphics card is something you’ll need in any profession whatsoever.
However, graphics cards don’t cost peanuts. They’re probably amongst the most expensive components of a computer.
Although you can find a few budget graphics cards, some of the graphics cards even have 4K support – but for a great number of people, they’re still out of range.
A lot of people – particularly the economy-friendly ones – try to get around it by purchasing used GPUs, sometimes at ridiculously low prices.
Now, this might be enticing you to save huge amounts of money on buying new GPUs, but guess what? The grass is always greener on the other side.
While apparently, you would be saving hundreds of bucks in doing so, you might be endangering thousands of others and in some cases; your life too!
But this doesn’t mean you should not buy a used graphics card at all. In fact, sometimes you can get a great deal. But in order to make sure that the GPU you’re going to purchase is fit to work for the years to come, keep a few things in your mind.
Condition of the Fans
Regardless of how strong and effective a GPU may appear on paper if it doesn’t have a great cooling system you can expect nothing out of it. So, before you go on buying the GPU, search thoroughly for how does it cooling system performs.
If you don’t pay heed to the cooling system, you must brace yourself for disaster as a poorly-cooled GPU can have a disastrous effect on the other components of your machine.
If the stock cooling system that used to come with the GPU is good enough, you then need to check its condition. Condition-wise, some of the fans are usually jammed.
This isn’t that big of a problem, as, with just a little bit of mechanical work, they’ll be good as new.
However, in other instances, it is possible that the fans aren’t working at all. This is a much graver problem and would need a lot of your time and in some cases, money too.
A new cooling system could cost a hefty amount and then installing it would eat up a lot of your time. You could save both of these by purchasing a new GPU altogether.
Compatibility, Technology, and Warranty
A 2014 model graphics card, regardless of how cheap you’re getting it and how good of a condition it is in, isn’t a suitable deal at all. This is because of the nearly worn-out technology.
The architecture would hardly support any newer games or software and you would have to make a lot of updates to make it workable.
Speaking of updates, finding parts such as cooling systems for GPUs this old is a challenge in itself. Either you’ll have to search markets finding compatible add-ons with such old models, or spend loads of money getting even the simplest components for the GPU.
If you have the newest model motherboards, you need to be a bit careful with purchasing the graphics card. Try and get the GPUs with PCIe x16 compatibility, since they are the latest tech slot you’ll find in newer motherboards for both AMD and Intel.
For better clarity, it is recommended to have a good look at your motherboard’s slot for GPU and buy a graphics card that can go with it.
Another plus that comes with a newer graphics card could be the warranty. The producer’s warranty is one thing that could assure you that even in case something goes wrong with the GPU, you still have the option to get it checked, repaired, or maybe even returned by the producer depending on the problem.
Extensive Testing
While physically examining a GPU is an easy task and if you’re a pro, you can easily tell if there’s something off with the graphics card apparently, diagnosing problems with the internals isn’t as easy and requires extensive testing.
You should ask the seller to let you check the graphics card before you purchase it. 3DMark and FurMark are two programs that can give you a clearer picture of what’s going inside.
Real-time testing by playing games and running programs while monitoring the numbers of the GPU could also show you whether you’re going to make a good deal or not.
Using similar techniques to check the GPU’s clock-speed, cooling capability and in case you’re a pro; overclocking, should be done to avoid any inconveniences in the future.
Other Things to Keep in Mind
The used GPU market is saturated with cards from crypto miners. These GPUs are used to their extreme, sometimes even twenty-four hours a day to mine the most crypto.
Such GPUs are usually of the latest technology – meaning they’ll be compatible with the newest motherboards and processors – however, they are completely worn out most of the time.
Using the GPU to such an extent has a crippling effect on its usability in the long run. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not get enticed by such a high-spec and low-ly priced GPU and purchase it.
Rather you must search in detail whether the GPU was used for crypto mining. And if that’s the case, it’s better to move on.
The prevalent market prices and special deals are other things you should keep an eye on. You must keep searching different online stores and even physical stores to check if they have any special promotional offers.
It is very much probable that you could get a new GPU from promotion at a slightly higher, or in some cases even lower, price than the used one. You shouldn’t let go of such deals as an old graphics card regardless of how good it looks, still cannot beat a newer one.
Final Word
Buying a used graphics card is a gamble. You never know; for a low price, you could get the best possible deal, and sometimes you may get robbed at the hands of scammers.
If you are a pro in this field and know the ins and outs of it, then you could try your luck finding the right GPU.
However, if you’re a newbie who doesn’t know much of the GPU and how to check one – it’s better to stick with newer ones for now.