I recently picked up a used Gigabyte Windforce RTX 5060 Ti for $25 from a local marketplace, even though the seller claimed it didn't work. After bringing it home and installing it, I was surprised to find that it works flawlessly—drivers installed without a hitch, and I've tested it extensively in several games and programs like Unigine Heaven with no overheating or lag. The card was even unopened at the time of purchase. The seller, a known professional computer store, included a sticker on the box stating some issues, such as lagging in games like Fortnite and rendering problems in Unreal Engine tests; however, I haven't encountered any of those problems. Since this seems a bit too good to be true, I have a couple of questions: 1) Are there known issues with this model that might not be immediately visible? 2) What other tests can I perform to ensure it's working well?
5 Answers
Make sure you check if the monitor cable is connected to the GPU’s output, not the motherboard’s. It’s a common mistake that could cause issues like the ones described.
You might want to run some Unreal Engine 5 games for a few hours. If you don’t get any blue screens or crashes, it’s likely in good shape! Sounds like the card was just fine all along!
Sounds like a plan! Just checked, and it seems I have almost no UE5 games in my library. I’ll have to test it out with SurrounDead instead!
Don’t overthink it! Enjoy your score! The warranty should still be valid if it’s under a year old. Just keep in mind that warranty processes can vary by region—like if you're in the EU, you might need the original proof of purchase, which you don't have.
Thanks! Yeah, I'm a bit concerned about the warranty process since I live in the EU. I’ll have to look into it.
Flexing the PCB lightly while it's running can help identify broken solder joints that could cause issues down the line. Just be careful—bending it too much can cause damage, too!
I don't plan on bending it much since it’s been working fine. It doesn’t seem to sag much anyway, but I appreciate the tip!
I once bought an RX 5700 XT that was listed as broken for cheap and it worked perfectly fine. You might want to run the OCCT memory test for an hour, followed by the core stress test. That should give you a good idea of its stability.
Awesome! I’ll give OCCT a shot later today, thanks for the suggestion!
I checked, and the HDMI from the GPU was the only one connected. So I think I’m all set there!