How can I tell if some used card I want to buy was overclocked?

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Guest

Guest
Hello,
I want to buy this used card, but I am very afraid that the card that I will buy- will have a short lifespan.
Is there any way to assess the wear and tear of video cards?
I Want to know if this card was OC'd, which reduces its life significantly.
Thank you very much!


 
G

Guest

Guest
Hmm...
Perhaps there are some tips of how to buy used cards then?
(Exept 'buying from people you know')...

How is it that the used market is existing then for video cards? Is no one afraid?
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

Titan
Mar 25, 2010
60,387
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Hmm...
Perhaps there are some tips of how to buy used cards then?
(Exept 'buying from people you know')...

How is it that the used market is existing then for video cards? Is no one afraid?
Click to expand...

You buy anything used you are taking chances, only tip is to see the card running with no issues before you buy it. If you can't, and you buy it from a private seller, you are taking your chances that they will refund your money if the card is dead.

How does anyone drive a car or fly in a plane, wouldn't they all be afraid of accidents also?
 
Griffolion

Griffolion

Distinguished
May 28, 2009
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I am thinking of selling my 460 on eBay, it has been running at 800Mhz in games, but i'll obviously restore it to all it's original settings and make sure it's stable before i put it on.

I usually liaise very closely with any buyers of my things off eBay because i know they're taking a chance with used electronics, so they deserve to be reassured that i'm for real.

Anyway, technically i don't think there is any way, all you can do is ask...
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

Titan
Mar 25, 2010
60,387
1,081
152,940


Repaired and overclocked are 2 different thngs. And taking a used card to have it tested with professional equipment would cost more than a new card unless they did the testing for free.
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

Titan
Mar 25, 2010
60,387
1,081
152,940


EVGA warranty is only valid for the original purchaser and you need to register the card for support.

http://www.evga.com/support/warranty/
 
wolfram23

wolfram23

Splendid
Apr 12, 2010
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I Want to know if this card was OC'd, which reduces its life significantly.
Click to expand...

That's debatable.

But unless it was BIOS flashed, there's nothing you can do. Only, try and do some stability tests just to see if it's working fine but beyond that you're just going to have to take the risk. Well that, and maybe ask the owner and hope that he/she will be truthfull.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Thank you guys, I'm sadden to know that there is no solultion.


So can you help me calculate the chances of an item being OC'd?
I was thinking, worst case scenario-
If there is no chance that the buyer would truly know the history of your item, you have to be very honest seller to mention a fact that will reduce your items price significantly, and (on the surface) you don't really know if there is wearing, so you convince yourself there isn't in order to calm your guilty conscience...
So we must assume that generally, the market of used cards contains hidden OC'd cards proportional to the precentage of overclockers in the gaming community...
Does any one knows what is this precentage?


 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

Titan
Mar 25, 2010
60,387
1,081
152,940
Your chances of getting a card that has been over-clocked are less than getting one that has not, but then add that to the fact the the card is used, probably out of warranty, maybe was used in a hot environment, add in the chance of someone shaking it too hard a few times, it was kicked by the shipper when sending it over to you, maybe left outside in the cold for a few hours, the guy that made the card was not watching his soldering and there is a bad contact in the bottom 1/2 inch of the board, , then factor in the model which may have known issues, the card you buy will be 99% likely to not only not work, but set your house on fire and wear your best shirt out and spill a drink on it. Then you have the atmospheric pressure changes when it was shipped by plane, sheesh, you're lucky if you have a .01% chance of the card being good.

If you are THAT worried you may get a bad card, get a new one. Heck, a low end gaming card is maybe $50-$60, a good usable card that will play HD videos is $40, new.
 
J

JDFan

Splendid
Jan 5, 2010
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I would be less concerned about whether a card was OC'd than I would about the environment the card was used in ( Does the seller have decent knowledge about the card ? what type of system did he use it in ? what case was he using (to determine how much heat build up was around the card) How often was the inside of his case cleaned? Does anyone in his home Smoke ? Why is the card being sold ? etc.

Chances are a knowledgeable person that takes care of his components will have a better used product even if he is OCing them than a person that pays someone to install the card for them and knows nothing about servicing it even if they are not OCing it. (figure dirt,dust,smoke residue,heat from poor airflow inside a case, etc. will shorten the life of a video card more than OCing properly will !)
 
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