The massive use of gaming graphics cards for mining did not affect the health of the main chip, that is, the GPU, but rather of the different video memory chips that were also on the same board. Since cryptocurrency mining is a highly dependent application on VRAM bandwidth and increases its performance, the higher it is. Unfortunately, the chips weren’t built to sustain 24/7 that much wear and tear.
RTX 20 graphics cards on AliExpress are “fake”
So once what was given was finished, a large number of graphics cards ended up on the second-hand market with a good part of the video memories broken. The only solution? Take the pieces that still worked from some to replace the already broken ones to be able to rescue entire units and scrap the rest. All this in a period in which, due to the side effects of the pandemic, it became almost impossible to buy memory chips as replacements.
Well, some of said faulty or partly faulty hardware has gone to the largest Asian distributor and it can be said that “fake” graphics cards are being sold on AliExpress, and we don’t mean those GPU-based models for laptops without the LHR. that the assemblers sold to large miners, but units corresponding to the NVIDIA RTX 20, that is, RTX 2060, 2070, 2080 (Ti) and the SUPER versions of some of them. What models exactly? Well those that bring with them GDDR6 memory from the Micron brand.
The problem of these units that although they are functional, their video memory is worn out enough to be a time bomb and fail at any moment. And we already know what happens when video memory fails, the graphics card simply stops working completely and is not an easily replaceable part.
Again the trick of painted memories
Apparently, Affected Micron GDDR6 memories are those that start their serial number with an 8, which corresponds to the batch number. The trap is that those who have decided to sell these models know about said defect and hI have repainted said value with a 9 to make it pass as a batch of higher quality memories and that, therefore, it is not a problem that is the fault of AliExpress, since they only provide the platform for the sale and distribution.
In any case, and today, we do not recommend the purchase of an RTX 20, due to the fact that any model of the RTX 30 or the RX 6000 from AMD is a much better option and will give you much more. performance for your money.
