How do gpu's burn out?

[Leuce]

Is it by using intensive games on low power?

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Several reasons.....most common is a poor PSU .... overheating, inadequate design

 

[Mouldread]

Or static electricity discharge - as funny or unlikely to happen it may sound it happened to me a few years ago. In a way I was actually happy that the card die so suddenly and unexpectedly as I was itching to buy a new card but couldn't justify the money for it beforehand.

 

[4745454b]

As long as the temp doesn't get to high, you can't kill a card by playing a game with the settings to high. GPUs and CPUs were made to be used. They aren't something that just die because you were using it. If your PSU supplies the right voltage and you don't increase the voltage while OCing, the temps stay in acceptable ranges, and nothing "odd" happens your card should last long into when its obsolete.