We all know the risks involved in buying used video cards. However, too attractive a price sometimes pushes you to try your luck. But not everyone knows that chain stores often deceive their customers when selling video adapters. What are divorce schemes and how to counteract them? We will consider all this in this material.
How are video card buyers deceived?
Now let’s talk about the 3 most common methods of deception, when the buyer receives either a problematic or completely inoperative video card.
Scheme 1: selling remotely used video cards
Despite the fact that the buyer and the seller are in the same city, he does not want to meet, but prefers to send by mail? Too busy to allow his product to be tested, but 100% promises that it will work? It can even give a guarantee. Most likely they want to throw you. Remember, in no case should you buy a video card without testing. It’s too risky. We already have detailed instructions for the safe purchase of used video adapters, it is available here.
Scheme 2: implementation of warmed-up video adapters
In this case, the owner easily agrees to any tests of the video card, since at the moment it is really in working order. Here are just enough of her for a short time. Most often, the video adapter after warming up works for about 1 month (for the first time), but there are times when it can perform its functions normally even up to a year. However, with each warm-up, the time of adequate operation is reduced, and then the component stops processing data normally.
The main way of checking is a detailed visual inspection. If the chip has been heated, there may be darkening around it or in other areas of the board. Of course, there is no guarantee, everything could have been done carefully, but it’s definitely worth checking.
Scheme 3: sale in stores of refurbished video cards
This is normal practice, but only on condition that the seller initially declared its condition. In this case, the cost of the video card should be approximately 30% less, since some repair work was carried out with it. It is unlikely that it will be possible to find out the complexity and type of the repair performed, so the buyer assumes some risks. If you buy such a video card deliberately, you should immediately agree on a minimum of a 3-month warranty.
Ordered a new graphics card from a popular store? Do not be lazy and examine it. It is worth paying attention to everything.
Signals that this video card is not new, but restored:
- irregularities in the gluing of seals;
- arrangement of elements without surgical precision, even slight deviations;
- traces of foreign elements (such as transparent resin);
- unpleasant odor;
- scuffs;
- sloppy soldered contacts;
- slight darkening in some areas of the board.
All these are alarming signals in which it is better to refuse a purchase.
Scheme 4: Selling Fake Graphics Cards
On Avito and on AliExpress, you can find a lot of cheap video cards that are sold like new. However, they can actually be fake. To determine this visually, it is worth examining the memory banks. They must be of the same manufacturer and coincide with the production date of the video card. It is also worth visually comparing the board with the original, at least from a photograph. If some elements are missing, and some are even more or the location is different, most likely this is a fake.
Important! In the system, counterfeits can be displayed as the video card that they imitate, but they are many times inferior in performance.
Another diagnostic method, more accurate, but requiring connection to the system, involves the use of the program GPU-Z… It is important to compare the reference value of the shaders declared by the manufacturer, as well as the frequency of operation and real indicators. The values must be the same.
Scheme 5: sending video cards with artifacts
Why testing is important at all times is because some graphics cards are relatively stable on a regular desktop. However, in games they have an image. The best way to check is to run a fly-through in the game to determine fps, although a stress test will work as well.
Scheme 6: selling a system unit complete with a problem video card
Basically, small shops trade like this. They use a trick – they stick seals on the case of the system unit so that it cannot be opened. They can put a restored or repair video card inside. Their difference is that refurbished devices are made in factories or in certified centers, while repair devices are made in basement workshops without a proper license. However, it is impossible to find out about this, since the warranty will be lost if the case is opened. It is better to bypass such stores, and prefer those that issue a guarantee for each component separately.
Knowing the tricks of scammers and dishonest stores, buyers are much more likely to reveal the deception and still buy a quality product.