It isn’t a secret that miners are inclined to promote graphics playing cards they now not want and fake they’re both practically new or at the very least haven’t been used for mining. We have seen stories of miners power-washing giant numbers of GPUs up to now. However just lately these sellers have seemingly discovered a brand new method of tricking avid gamers determined for a succesful and reasonably priced graphics card: portray the reminiscence on add-in-boards to cover indicators of overheating. That is based on stories by Iskandar Souza and TecLab.
There are numerous methods to inform {that a} graphics card just isn’t new. Something from mud accumulation, worn guarantee stickers, scratches, oxidized contacts, and a slight change of PCB shade are to be anticipated on playing cards which were used for a number of months or years. Additionally, a barely darker GPU substrate and yellowish markings on reminiscence chips point out {that a} card has been used for a very long time. The latter is one thing that some miners at the moment are making an attempt to cover.
Lacking screws and eliminated guarantee stickers are additionally clear indicators {that a} GPU has been tampered with. Whereas in some circumstances this can be a results of utilizing a third-party cooling system after which switching again to a inventory one, generally these are indicators that the board was used for mining after which opened as much as clear up, change thermal pads/paste, and so forth.
Apparently, there are additionally different causes to take away a cooling system after which set up it again: to resolder a failed GPU or a reminiscence chip, in addition to to color reminiscence chips to make them look newer than they’re.
A graphics processor that has been used for some time tends to alter shade (or its epoxy does) because of excessive temperatures. That shade tends to get considerably darker if the GPU was used for mining and was topic to excessive temperatures for extended intervals.
Portray a GPU substrate is a tough process, so it does not seem to be like anyone is doing that but. However markings of reminiscence chips are inclined to get yellowish after extended use, due to overheating and/or as a result of they had been soldered down in a restore store. To cover this, some miners are reportedly making use of a particular tint on DRAM ICs, although this tint will be simply eliminated to disclose the true shade of chips, based on stories.
Resoldering costly elements is one thing that even official restore services do. So if you happen to purchase, say, a refurbished graphics card, it might include a resoldered GPU or a GDDR SGRAM chip. However makers of graphics playing cards and restore retailers don’t sometimes repaint reminiscence ICs to cover that they aren’t new.
In any case, shopping for one of many greatest graphics playing cards used at an honest low cost would possibly sound like a pretty deal, and doing so has all the time been a dangerous endeavor. However apparently, miners are using new techniques to make their closely used wares appear evenly used or pretty much as good as new. So be further cautious when buying a used graphics card today, as a result of years of damage and tear might be hiding just below a floor of paint that is the one factor on the cardboard that is really new.