Question Mystery graphics card

[Stoutscientist]

So I have this graphics card I bought (knowing it's a scam) and I'm curious what it is? It's a "1050 ti" I know it's not and I'm curious what kind it is? It shows in windows as a 1050 but it's not. Here are some photos:

https://imgur.com/JDdkVeX

View: https://imgur.com/JDdkVeX

https://imgur.com/qUGkXLd

View: https://imgur.com/qUGkXLd

https://imgur.com/gYR4cMW

View: https://imgur.com/gYR4cMW

 

[Eximo]

I'd guess they salvaged that from some laptop or maybe a motherboard with an integrated GPU.

Likely a Fermi based GPU, something like a GTS450 or thereabouts.

If you could fire up GPU-Z and get the shader count and other information, could probably be more precise. I did find a few GPU-Z screenshots from a few others that were similar to that ID number.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

It doesn't have markings that mean much.

Fire up gpuz and it will be able to identify what GPU die it is.

It's likely a fermi GPU such as a gts450 or 550ti, just judging by other similar cards

 

[Stoutscientist]

Ok thanks! Ill try that!

 

[USAFRet]

Probably something basic like a GT 450.
That same shroud is quite common in the fake GPU world. You can see dozens of them on fleabay.

 

[uppercut4u]

that GPU chip and surrounding area needs a good alcohol and qtip cleaning.

 

[Stoutscientist]

Yeah.. Also may I ask what the weird connector on the top is? (its at the top left on the second photo)

 

[bignastyid]

Yeah.. Also may I ask what the weird connector on the top is? (its at the top left on the second photo)

Sli connector

 

[Stoutscientist]

oooo. And two more questions. Do you think it would be reliableish? I might be able to find a use. and second is do you think its safe to connect to my main pc to use gpu z?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Like was said, it is an sli connector. However a 1050 doesn't support sli so no real 1050 would have that connector.

I wouldn't trust a scam card using recycled used chips to be reliable. It probably is fine to test GPUz, but I wouldn't trust it.

 

[Stoutscientist]

Alright. I might stick it in a pretty old upgraded computer that I will use as a server. Thanks for y'all's help!

 

[bignastyid]

In order to get it close to reliable you'd need to find what gpu the counterfeiters used and flash it with the proper bios.

 

[Stoutscientist]

Could you explain the to me like I'm 5?

 

[Remeca]

Could you explain the to me like I'm 5?

Some factory in China gets a large quantity of old GTS 450s or other obsolete card, harvest the GPU dies, solder them onto new boards with cheap heatsinks and shrouds, and load them with a modified bios to report as the card it is faking, amount of VRAM, etc. Sometimes flashing an original bios can "fix" it, but you're still left with a useless card because it can only use basic display adapter drivers with an original bios, and even if it had proper drivers, it would be pretty useless for gaming, certainly compared to what it was advertised as.

 

[Stoutscientist]

I'm pretty sure it's a 550 ti, so maybe not totally useless. And I might be able to use it for a cheap server. I'll look into the bios once I get my server a new power supply (the old one partially works because the fan spins and the light turns on but it's not giving enough power for some reason anymore)

 

[Remeca]

I'm pretty sure it's a 550 ti, so maybe not totally useless. And I might be able to use it for a cheap server. I'll look into the bios once I get my server a new power supply (the old one partially works because the fan spins and the light turns on but it's not giving enough power for some reason anymore)

I very highly doubt it's any ti.

 

[USAFRet]

I'm pretty sure it's a 550 ti

And you discovered this how?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

You probably can't just flash the bios like you would any other card.

You likely need a USB bios programmer and try a bunch of vbioses untill you find one that works.

With the current bios the card is unlikely to work without issues.

 

[Stoutscientist]

Idk but it's worth a try right? I mean I have nothing better to do. Also I found a 550 ti on Amazon and found that all the chips and ports are in a VERY similar layout

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Can we see a GPUz screenshot?

 

[Stoutscientist]

I haven't got around to GPU-z because I'm working on fixing my pc, I just suspect it's something in the 500's

 

[USAFRet]

I haven't got around to GPU-z because I'm working on fixing my pc, I just suspect it's something in the 500's

Fix one thing at a time.

(and its not a 550 ti)

 

[Stoutscientist]

Lol I shall

 

[Stoutscientist]

Also I wanted to mention that is a really interesting experimental setup @NightHawkRMX My pc uses a i5 4570 20gb of ram and a 750 ti

 

[Fatblabs]

Probably something basic like a GT 450.
That same shroud is quite common in the fake GPU world. You can see dozens of them on fleabay.

fleabay? is that real or is that just a joke