After the recession of the cryptocurrency boom, a lot of “tired” video cards appeared on the secondary market. The former owners tried to sell them as new cards and make them more expensive. Iskander Souza, a tech blogger, described one method of tricking customers in a new video.
According to the blogger, recently ex-miners began to paint over the video memory chips that turned yellow from overheating or in the process of “transplanting”. Their markings disappear or are applied in an artisanal manner over a layer paint. However, an inexperienced user might not notice it.
Additionally, the sellers are skilled in painting textolite. Textolite can also turn yellow at high temperatures. This applies to both long-term mining as well as when resoldering parts. In a different Roller the author of the channel also demonstrated video cards bought on one of the online sites with yellowed epoxy around the GPU crystal, which indicates their long-term use in the “farm”.
- Comparison of overheated and conventional chips
The yellowish chips can be found on the left
Tinted chip
The blogger concluded that purchasing a video card online from unknown sellers is not the best method to upgrade. If you are considering purchasing a graphics adapter directly from someone else, be sure to inspect the components for any signs of yellowing or paint.
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