Graphics cards still fresh, really? – If the mining of Bitcoin (BTC) has long been done with specialized computer hardware (ASIC), this was not the case on the network Ethereum (ETH). Before Vitalik Buterin’s blockchain move to Proof of Stake (PoS) – via The Merge update September 15, 2022 – ETH miners could participate in the old consensus by Proof of Work (PoW) with graphics cards (GPU) usually used for video games. These are now flooding the market in chaotic conditions.
Ethereum miners are reselling their GPUs en masse
Enter here end of mining on Ethereum and a crypto winter at the height of its harshness at the end of 2022, the miners of this blockchain network did not seek to reuse their graphics cards on another cryptocurrency as proof of work (PoW). They obviously have them resold without too much hesitation.
And as a recent publication by Clubic relates, it’s a real small tsunami of GPUs that came on the second-hand market… but Also unfortunately in the ” nine “as we will see.
Let us first recall that artisanal mining machines using graphics cards tend to heavily use them, because they generally run 24/7 (unless there is a need for occasional maintenance, of course). This allows to maximize block rewards obtained during the validation of transaction blocks on cryptos in PoW.
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Graphics cards that are no longer top-of-the-line
THE honest miners resell their graphics cards clearly less expensive on the used GPU market. THE “almost” honest sell them second hand without specifying that they have been used for crypto mining (more exhausting than conventional gaming use) to try to get a better price.
But the “not honest at all” go much further in the unscrupulous shenanigans. Indeed, some indulge in a veritable makeup the wear and tear of the GPUs used for crypto-mining, to resell them at a high price, such as ” nine “ :
“A paint job and, if necessary, some slight modifications, to give the illusion of new (…)”
According to Brazilian YouTubers Iskandar Souza And Paul Gomeswho are among those who have brought to light this traffic of not very fresh graphics cards, signs alert can, however, avoid being scammed. For example “the state of the screws” Or “sticker labels” on these GPUs, which may be missing or have been moved. Likewise, a “light yellowish tint” on certain components does not mislead on their state of advanced wear.
Buy a graphics card that has been used for mining, why not (be careful, however, to take into account their reduced lifespan)? But one low prices must necessarily go hand in hand. And so you will understand. If you are looking for a GPU in the near future, avoid it “like new” on second-hand sites. Moreover, this phenomenon should still last for a while, because other blockchains, like Gnosis Chain (GNO) moves to Proof of Stakeditching mining – and the graphics cards that go with it.
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