6 things to consider before buying a used graphics card

Who doesn’t love a good deal, especially if it’s on something that’s basically new or lightly used? We’ve been devoid of any such deals on graphics cards for the last few years, thanks to a combination of supply shortages, logistics woes, and booming cryptocurrency demands, but there’s finally good news. The GPU market has taken a nosedive, meaning that brand-new retail Nvidia and AMD graphics cards are cheaper than ever. They’re still expensive, however, and GPU miners hurting from crypto’s crash are trying to sell off their hardware at significant discounts. So we now turn our attention to the used graphics card market.

There are deals to be found with used GPUs, but there are risks involved too. And is it even a good time to be shopping? We’re going to cover the top things you need to know before buying a used GPU, ranging from the current market conditions to what you should look for with the graphics card itself. If you’d rather avoid all the potential headaches can help you find the best new cards to suit your needs as well.