Is buying a used graphics card for a first-time PC builder too risky?

Posted by Useful_Government586@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 18 comments

I'm looking to build my first gaming PC, and I was hoping to play at 1440p high/ultra. Problem is I have a budget of $1060-$1100; I'm not in the US so GPU prices are higher. a 5060 Ti 16gb is around $615, and a 9060 XT 16gb is $520.

In the used market however, I can find an RTX 3080 Ti for close to $450 or a 4070 for $560.
Should I take the risk of buying used hardware or is it simply not worth it since I have no experience and could get scammed?
I just don't want to spend so much on new cards when the raw performance of older ones is comparable or even better for the same price.

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Foreign_Analysis_931@reddit

An anecdote, but I've been buying used for 20 years and never once had an issue.
The key thing is to avoid "hole in the wall" seller, like <20 feedback sellers on ebay or some rando amazon retailer..ideally they have several reviews

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liaminwales@reddit

On ebay I make sure to pay in a way that has refunds, never go off site or get tricked to do 'paypal friends & family' as you cant refund it.

Iv not got a lot of stuff but touch wood not had a real problem yet, also it's been a while and there seems to be more complex scams now. In the past it was just the clear ones like some random cooler GPU being sold for a high price, now it's GPU's with core/VRAM missing.

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dgordo29@reddit

Looking into this right now but found a ton of EBay ones with accounts from 2006 and fake reviews. I’m looking on FB marketplace now.

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Foreign_Analysis_931@reddit

videocardradar.com is work a look. right up your alley

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smilingcritterz@reddit

Must not have bought much hardware to never have a issue. But ive only had a handful that didnt work out in the end. Some items get issues with esd or cold solder points

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Useful_Government586@reddit (OP)

What about buying from individuals in-person? like someone upgrading and getting rid of their old GPU. Could you have issues there?

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Foreign_Analysis_931@reddit

Same core thing.. do they have a reputation? if the guy has rep on facebook marketplace and its low-end I dont even look. If its more expensive i'd request to see it running in a machine before taking it.
If its just some random guys then request to see it working in a machine before taking it. If he has beef with that then walk

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iSHJAYGAMiNG@reddit

Check out r/HardwareSwap . You’ll probably find better priced gpu

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WeakestSigmaMain@reddit

Yea I've been burned by online marketplaces before have yet to get anything off hardware swap that was a dud

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Akumetsu33@reddit

Others already gave you great advice and here's mine, you definitely can purchase used gpus but my rule is meet the seller. If the seller is amicable, knowledgeable, keeps himself clean and tidy(if he's tidy, his computer parts likely will be well maintained too) and one of my favorite green flags: giving you his home address, meaning he doesn't have anything to hide.

Scammers never will give you their home addresses and poor sellers rarely are amicable and not open to many questions. If these red flags show up, I nope out.

Bought a used GTX 1650 many years ago, still good. Used 2060 super still runs well. In the worst case your used gpu dies, you can take to a reputable repair shop, sometimes they'll be able to fix it.

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Fixitwithducttape42@reddit

Bought multiple used parts for half a decade now. I use ebay for the buyer protection. And run OCCT on any new to me cpu/gpu/memory to confirm its working properly as its a stress test with a built-in error checker.

You can use GPUz to confirm its the real part too.

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marcuschookt@reddit

There are some risks associated with used but you just need to apply basic common sense and you will mitigate most of them. E.g. if a card is being sold for $500 whene everything else is roughly double, something's up. Basic stuff really.
Crypto mining cards are typically frowned upon for good reason, but plenty of cards still have a lot of life in them. It isn't necessarily the case that you'll get a mining card and it'll die within the month. I would still search for alternatives but they're not a no-brainer pass.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons for people to sell used. For example, I bought a 3070 and within 2 weeks found a used 6800xt which I preferred. Sold the 3070 away, no problems at all. That was years ago and whoever has it is still probably rocking it no issue.

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