How we test every GPU before it is listed
Used graphics cards carry the worst reputation in the second-hand market, mostly because mining-era cards were sold with no testing at all. A GPU that passes a two-minute display test can still throw VRAM errors under load. Here is the full sequence every card goes through before it appears on the site.
Intake and visual inspection
Cards are inspected for PCB damage, burnt or discoloured VRM components, bent PCIe fingers, missing shroud screws and sagging backplates. Anything with heat damage around the power delivery stage is rejected outright rather than repaired and resold.
VRAM error testing
Memory faults are the most common failure in ex-mining cards and they are invisible at idle. Each card runs a dedicated VRAM stress pass long enough to surface intermittent errors. Any card reporting errors is failed — not discounted and listed.
Sustained load and thermal behaviour
The card runs an extended full-load pass while core temperature, hotspot temperature, memory junction temperature, fan RPM and sustained clocks are recorded. Cards that throttle heavily are stripped, repasted and, where needed, fitted with new thermal pads, then retested from the start.
Fans, bearings and coil behaviour
Fans are run through their full RPM range and listened to at each step. Rattling bearings and grinding fans get replaced. Coil whine is noted and disclosed in the listing rather than hidden, because it is a normal electrical characteristic that some buyers care about and others do not.
Output and driver verification
Every display output is tested with a live panel — not just the primary port. The card is then verified on a clean driver installation so that no software fault masquerades as a hardware one.
Photography and listing
Only after all passes does the card get photographed as the exact unit for sale, with any cosmetic marks visible. Stock is listed with its real quantity — often a single unit — which is why some cards on the site are marked sold out rather than perpetually available.
The short version
A refurbished GPU is only as trustworthy as the bench behind it. Ask any seller which of these six steps they actually perform — the answer tells you everything.