Is Getting A Used Graphics Card Worth It?
Graphics cards are staple devices for gaming & many graphical applications that depends on it. Having a powerful enough Graphics card can sometimes determine whether you will get the performance or experience you want from your computer, either by the amount of frames per second your graphics card produces, or the speed by which your art program works.
While there are many great new graphics cards out there, many of them are out of reach to some of us, so getting a used Graphics card is one possible way to get it at a good discount, if we may call it that. Also, Graphics card can last for long, and many people, especially hard-core gamers, who tend to upgrade their graphics cards to stay on the top of the game. So there are a lot of opportunities to find bargains, especially if you looked around carefully.
Besides that, a used graphics card, even a relatively old one, can do you very well if you are not demanding about gaming, like if you play on a relatively low resolution, like 1080p, or in case you are casual about you gaming.
In this article, I will try to outline some of the things you need to look out for, as well as some tips that will hopefully help you get the bargain you want, while at the same time save you from any scams or misleading offers. So let’s get started.
Buy Used (and new) Graphics Card From Amazon (the link will bring up new graphics cards too).
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Quickly go to:-
- Read The Description Carefully
- If You Are Buying From Ebay, Or Any Similar Site, Always, Always Check Out The Seller Rating
- Avoid Too Good To Be True Deals
- Check The Picture Of The Listing
- Having The Warranty Is A Good Thing
- Never Transfer Money Directly
- Check Out The Return Policy
- Be Careful If The Graphics Card Has Been Used For Mining
- Check If The Card Has Been Overclocked Before
- And Finally
- Sources & Useful Links
- See Also:-
Read The Description Carefully
This is a key part of buying anything online, and not just used Graphics card, but anything else really. The graphics card you are checking could have a problem or some sort of deficit, and if the seller was honest & mentioned it in the description, then in that case you may not be not able to return it for that specific problem. Otherwise, if the seller didn’t specify that problem, then you will be able to complain about it & get your money back, but that’s a different issue.
The description is also useful to know if the Graphics card still has the warranty certificate or not, as well as the original box. Which can be good signs to buy from the seller.
If You Are Buying From Ebay, Or Any Similar Site, Always, Always Check Out The Seller Rating
This is one of many advantages of buying used things from such sites, since with one glance, you get to get a good idea of how the seller’s track record is. For example, if the seller has %97 satisfaction rate or higher, then there’s a little chance you will get into a problem with them. Some sellers get to have even better ratings, like %99.
While this makes it harder for new sellers to get into the market, it is a very good thing for the sellers who have been there for so long while serving many happy customers over the years.
Avoid Too Good To Be True Deals
Because we look for a deal when we buy used things, some people try to take advantage of that, and so they post used graphics cards for very good price to be true.
Until proven otherwise, these deals are scams. At the very least, there should be a reason why the graphics card is sold for such a low price. Note that when someone wants to give something away, they resort to things like giveaway & the likes.
In case you are buying from Amazon, be careful from the “Just Launched” sellers with great prices. many of those are scams.
Check The Picture Of The Listing
Usually, when someone list a graphics card online, they post a picture of the card taken with their mobile camera or something. They don’t copy the stock picture of the card from Google Images. Not having a custom picture could be a sign of a scam. Though I don’t deny that some people are lazy to take a picture for their used graphics card, but it won’t hurt to be careful about this.
Having The Warranty Is A Good Thing
Some people keep the warranty of their graphics cards (which tends to last for years by the way), which will serve you well in case something happened to the card. Having the certificate is another sign for a good deal too. Also, please make sure the warranty of the graphics card is transferable. The warranty of some cards doesn’t transfer to the new owner. But some manufacturer have the warranty tied to the card itself, not just the original owner.
Note:- Having the warranty for the Graphics card could be a must in case the card was used for mining, something I will take about shortly in this post.
Never Transfer Money Directly
It is never a good idea to pay with a wire transfer. Always use a payment service like PayPal or your credit card at the very least. These payment methods provide you with protection, and may help you get your money back in case something went wrong (Though in the ideal world, you would want to avoid getting into trouble as much as possible).
Check Out The Return Policy
No matter how careful you are, there’s still a chance you will get a bad graphics card. Trying the card for some time is the most accurate way to assess it, and so having the ability to return the used graphics card you bought is a big plus here.
Be Careful If The Graphics Card Has Been Used For Mining
While people use Graphics card for gaming or designing for the most part. Some use them in a different way, like to mine bitcoins, the virtual currency. Using Graphics card in such way is common, and so there are many used Graphics card that previously used for that.
No matter what, getting such Graphics card is risky, but could also mean you will be getting a good bargain. This is mainly because you don’t know how the previous seller has used the card before you. And for that reason, this is one of many areas where the warranty is very important.
Check If The Card Has Been Overclocked Before
Many people overclock the GPU & memory to get more performance for their games, or to let their card last longer so they won’t have to upgrade. There’s nothing wrong if this was done in moderation, especially with the appropriate cooling. But if the card was overly overclocked, it may hurt the card. It may not always be possible to know that, but at least keep that in mind while you read the description. This is one more reason to buy cards with their warranty still valid.
And Finally
I hope I was able to help you buying a used Graphics card, since you are going to get something someone doesn’t want. But you do, so in the right conditions, both you & the seller benefit from this. As long as you are careful, you will be able to do very well not just buying a used graphics card, but when buying used things in general.
Buy Used (and new) Graphics Card From Amazon (the link will bring up new graphics cards too).
#CommissionsEarned
Find Graphics Cards In Ebay
