Question GPU Life expectancy! How long an GPU ever lasted in your hands?

[Yakifuji]

I was looking at some used GPU to buy and found an 1070 for a somewhat good price. The owner said it was used for 4 years and I realized something. The GPU that lasted the most with me was an R7 260X that stopped working after 3 years. In my mind, a GPU is the first thing to die in a computer. Do you believe that too?

Is 4 years a long time for an GPU?
Would you buy a video card 4 years old?
What's your tips for GPU durability?

This thread is not exactly an request for help. I believe that's a good discussion for everyone to have and hope you guys can share your thoughts.

 

[Phaaze88]

This 1080Ti is my oldest since launch day. The GTX 680 and 560Ti became hand-me-downs. Wish I had held onto one as a backup. Oops.

"In my mind, a GPU is the first thing to die in a computer. Do you believe that too?"
No.

"Is 4 years a long time for an GPU?"
No.

"Would you buy a video card 4 years old?"
No.

"What's your tips for GPU durability?"
1)Clean yo' stuff!
I get the feeling that most PC owners don't do this, or not as often as they could. The folks that hang around tech sites like this do, but are the minority.
Don't rely solely on dust filters; they reduce dust intake, not prevent it, and even they can get clogged with dust.

2)Don't cut corners on power supplies. The gpu is typically the most stressing item inside the PC.
3)Don't go about replacing thermal pads unless you can prove the memory is overheating. It's a last resort, and easy to screw up if no one else has already done the research on a particular model.
4)For recent Nvidia gpus: maybe leave the manual OCing alone. The cards don't have any Over Current Protection to speak of, so when messing around with OCing, you'll wind up with scenarios where the card draws more current than the voltage regulator is designed to handle, and since there's no OCP, it doesn't shut off when it should. This won't kill it right away, but wear it out faster over time.

 

[ThatVietGuy]

I have an AMD HD 7950 (released in 2012) that still works. Hasn't been in active use for at least 8 years, though.

I have never had a GPU die on me during normal use.

The only part of a computer I've had out-right die on me is a PSU.

So, no, don't agree that the GPU is the "first to die."

I wouldn't trust a 4 year old GPU mainly because I don't trust what the previous owner has done with it.

But if you use a good PSU and allow proper airflow/cooling to the GPU you shouldn't have a huge issue with longevity. However, bad luck can still strike and you can end up with a dud.