A player receives a used GTX 1070 as a gift. Although the model offers more performance than his younger graphics card, he still wonders whether the upgrade is worthwhile.
An upgrade for one’s gaming PC can vary greatly depending on the hardware component. Additionally, costs can quickly exceed the upgrade budget and can be easily overlooked as a beginner in PC assembly.
A player was fortunate enough to receive a GTX 1070 as a gift. Although the graphics card would provide more performance in his system, he is uncertain about using it due to the hardware’s crypto-mining past.
Used Mining Graphics Card as a Worthwhile Upgrade?
What kind of graphics card is it? The player GmVik3 reports on Reddit about a gift from his uncle. He gifted him a used GameRock GeForce GTX 1070 with 8 GB of video memory. According to him, the Nvidia graphics card was used for crypto-mining.
Since his gaming PC has a weaker GTX 1650 Super, he asks the community whether the upgrade is really worth it, even though the GTX 1070 is already 8 years old and has been used for mining. He does not, however, have to worry about space issues during installation, as another user had to experience.
“My uncle gave me his old used mining GTX 1070 8 GB. Should I replace my GTX 1650 Super with it?”
GmVik3 on Reddit
Other users point out to GmVik3 that despite its age, the GTX 1070 has over 8 GB of video memory, providing twice the memory compared to the 1650 Super with only 4 GB. This gives the GTX 1070 an advantage in modern games with high-resolution textures.
In response to the player’s question, bmyvalntine answers clearly in his comment:
- “Definitely. Doubling the video memory and a significant increase in raw performance.”
How significant would the upgrade be? Thanks to its higher raw performance and double the memory, the older model from June 2016 outperforms its successor from November 2019 in a direct performance comparison, provided the graphics card is connected correctly and doesn’t yield significantly fewer FPS than expected.
In a ranking on techpowerup.com, a leaderboard includes both models, allowing for an accurate comparison. The colleagues checked, among other things, the average FPS that the cards achieved at different resolutions.
1920×1080 (Full HD)
- GTX 1650 Super: 68.7 FPS
- GTX 1070: 87.1 FPS
2560×1440 (WQHD)
- GTX 1650 Super: 46.8 FPS
- GTX 1070: 60.2 FPS
3840×2160 (4K Ultra HD)
- GTX 1650 Super: 23.3 FPS
- GTX 1070: 32.2 FPS
Regardless of the chosen resolution, the GTX 1070 consistently computes faster than its successor. In Full HD, it is over 26%, in WQHD more than 28%, and in 4K Ultra HD even 38% more FPS.
While both cards provide enough performance for a smooth gaming experience in Full HD, only the 1070 reaches the magical 60 FPS mark in WQHD. In 4K Ultra HD, it still achieves a respectable 32.2 FPS. The 1650 Super, with 46.8 and 23.3 FPS, falls significantly behind.
What speaks against the exchange? In terms of performance, there is nothing against installing the GTX 1070. The question remains whether the card has suffered damage due to mining and could fail prematurely, for instance, if its cooling was insufficient due to poor wiring.
This question cannot be answered definitively, as it is unclear under what specifications the card was operated during mining. Many miners underclock their graphics cards and ensure good cooling of the components to operate them as energy-efficiently and effectively as possible.
If this is the case, a consistent load on the video memory during mining results in less wear on the hardware than in regular gaming, where a graphics card is subjected to varying levels of stress.
If GmVik3 wants to play it safe, he could keep his 1650 Super and reinstall it if the 1070 fails unexpectedly.
The player can consider himself lucky to have received a graphics card that is faster than his own model. Regardless of its mining past, the GTX 1070 represents a free upgrade. However, if one invests a lot of money in a new graphics card, they should not skimp on accessories either: gamer buys a $500 graphics card, only to secure it with half a pencil for a few cents
