I'm thinking about upgrading my GPU but don't want to spend over $500 for a decent one. I came across a used NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition on eBay for just $199. The catch is that only two DisplayPorts are functional. I'm okay with that since I only use two monitors, but the card was also previously used for crypto mining, and I'm worried if that might be an issue. Do you think this is a good deal, or should I keep looking?
4 Answers
I'd also steer clear of buying a card with broken ports. There are plenty of other good options in that price range. It might be worth it to hold out for something in better condition.
Honestly, paying $200 for a card with broken ports doesn't make much sense when you can find fully functional 3060 Tis for similar prices elsewhere. Plus, there's a whole new generation of GPUs from Nvidia, Intel, and AMD that you might want to check out—some are budget-friendly.
You might want to watch this video comparing used and new models: [RTX 2080 TI vs RTX 5050](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYAIAB9srvQ&t=9s). Plus, I found a msi Gaming RTX 5050 for $240; it was actually $215 last month. Why settle for something broken when there are better options?
Whether or not it was mined really isn't a big deal. The DisplayPort issue might just be a BIOS flash from when it was used for mining, and it could potentially be fixed by flashing the correct BIOS. The real kicker is that you can get newer models for not much more—like the 5060 for $249.
I totally get that; I'm still figuring out how to shop for new parts. I need both a GPU and a motherboard, and I like a MSI board I found. My current GPU, an EVGA GTX 980, works okay but it's getting old. I thought the 3060 Ti was a good price point, but I appreciate the heads up! I'll definitely keep looking for other options.