Spot Fake GPU and Ex-Mining GPUs in South Africa (2025)

Scored a crazy deal on a high-end graphics card online? Hold up, boet. Before you hand over your hard-earned cash, let's talk. The South African second-hand market is flooded with duds: counterfeit cards and knackered ex-mining GPUs just waiting to die. This guide will arm you with the knowledge to spot a fake GPU from a mile away and avoid the heartbreak of a dead-on-arrival card. Let's keep your gaming rig safe. 🛡️

The Risks of Buying Used GPUs in SA

Palit GeForce RTX 5080 GamingPro 16GB GDDR7 / 30Gbps Memory Speed / PCI Express® Gen 5 / NE75080019T2-GB2031A

R24199.00In Stock

PNY GeForce RTX 5060 EPIC-X 8GB OC Graphics Card / 8GB GDDR7 / 3840 Cuda Cores / 128-bit Memory Interface / Boost Clock: 2580 MHz / 28 Gbps Memory Speed / DisplayPort 2.1b (x3), HDMI® 2.1b / PCI-Express 5.0 x8 / 9VCG50608TFXXPB1-O

R7499.00In Stock

ASRock Intel ARC B580 Steel Legend OC Graphics Card / 12Gb 192-bit GDDR6 / DirectX 12 Ultimate / 2560 Cores / 2800MHz Engine Clock / 90-GA5CZZ-00UANF

R6999.00In Stock

MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16G Ventus 3X OC / 16GB GDDR7 / 28Gbps Memory Speed / PCI Express® Gen 5 / 912-V531-092

R19999.00In Stock

Leadtek NVIDIA RTX 5000 ADA 32GB GDDR6 Workstation Graphics Card / 12800 Nvidia CUDA Cores / 576GB/s Memory Bandwidth / Ada Lovelace GPU architecture / 126V5000100

R96999.00In Stock

PNY RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell 24GB Graphics Card / 8960 CUDA CORES / 24GB GDDR7 with ECC / 192-bit Memory / VCNRTXPRO4000-PB

R31999.00In Stock

The crypto boom left a graveyard of graphics cards that were run 24/7 for months, sometimes years. When the market crashed, these cards hit marketplaces like Gumtree and Facebook. An ex-mining GPU might look fine, but its lifespan has been drastically shortened. Fake GPUs are even worse; they're often old, slow cards with a modified BIOS to trick your system into thinking they're something much more powerful. You think you're buying an RTX 3070, but you get GT 730 performance.

Your Checklist to Spot a Fake GPU

Counterfeiters are getting clever, but they often slip up. Here’s how you, as a savvy buyer in South Africa, can catch them out before you get caught. 🕵️‍♂️

The Physical Inspection

Look closely at the card. Does the cooler shroud look cheap or flimsy? Is the branding... off? Fake cards often use generic coolers slapped onto an old PCB. Check the video outputs. If an "RTX 4070" only has a VGA port, run! Also, compare the card in the seller's photos to official product images on the manufacturer's website. If something about the colour, logo placement, or size seems wrong, trust your gut.

Software is Your Secret Weapon

This is the most reliable check. Ask the seller for a screenshot of GPU-Z, or better yet, run it yourself if you can inspect the card in person. This free utility reads the card's BIOS and tells you exactly what it is.

• Check the GPU Name: Does it match the box and the ad?
• Verify the Specs: Compare the memory type (GDDR6 vs DDR3), shader count, and clock speeds to the official specs for that model. A fake will have drastically lower specs.
• Look for the "Fake" Tag: GPU-Z can often detect known fakes and will literally display "[FAKE]" next to the card name. It's a lifesaver.

MSI Geforce RTX 5060 Ventus 2X 8G OC Graphics Card / 8GB GDDR7 / 3840 Cuda Cores / 128-bit Memory Interface / Boost Clock : 2527 MHz / PCI Express® Gen 5 / 912-V537-017

R7699.00In Stock

PNY RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell 16GB Graphics Card / 4352 CUDA CORES / 16GB GDDR7 with ECC / 128-bit Memory / NVIDIA Blackwell Architecture / VCNRTXPRO2000-PB

R15399.00In Stock

Leadtek NVIDIA RTX A1000 8GB GDDR6 Workstation Graphics Card / 2304 Nvidia CUDA Cores / 192GB/s Memory Bandwidth / Nvidia Ampere Architecture / 126W8000100

R10999.00In Stock

XFX SWIFT AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Triple Fan 16GB GDDR6 GPU - White / AMD RDNA 4 Architecture / 3rd Gen Radeon Raytracing Accelerators/ AMD Fidelity FX Super Resolution 4.0 Upscaling Technology / RX-97TSWF3W9

R14799.00In Stock

MSI GeForce RTX 5060 8G Gaming Trio OC Graphics Card / 8GB GDDR7 / 3840 Cuda Cores / 128-bit Memory Interface / Boost Clock : 2625 MHz / PCI Express® Gen 5 / 912-V537-021

R8499.00In Stock

ASRock Intel Pro B60 Creator 24GB Graphics Card / 24GB 192-bit GDDR6 / GPU Clock: 2400 MHz / Microsoft® DirectX® 12 Ultimate / 160 Intel® XMX Engines / Intel® Xe2-HPG Architecture / 90-GA60ZZ-00UBNF

R12499.00In Stock

How to Identify Ex-Mining GPUs

An ex-mining GPU isn't a fake, but it's a high-risk purchase. These cards have been pushed to their thermal limits for extended periods, leading to degraded memory and a dying core. While a professional running demanding simulations on certified workstation graphics cards expects reliability, mining cards have the opposite history—maximum stress with minimal care.

Visual Clues of a Hard Life

Look for a yellowish tint or discolouration on the circuit board (PCB), especially around the GPU core and memory chips. This is a sign of prolonged exposure to high heat. Are the fans exceptionally loud or rattling? They might be on their last legs. While some sellers clean their cards, check for fine, stubborn dust in the heatsink fins—a sign it's been running hard in a mining farm.

The All-Important Stress Test

If you can test the card, do it. Run a demanding benchmark like FurMark or 3DMark Time Spy for at least 15-20 minutes. Watch the temperatures and look for any visual glitches, known as artifacts (weird coloured blocks or lines on the screen). A healthy card should handle this without crashing or artifacting. Whether you're considering a budget-friendly option from the NVIDIA GeForce GTX series or a powerful card from the AMD Radeon lineup, a proper stress test is non-negotiable for a second-hand purchase.

The Smart Choice: Why New is Nearly Always Better

Look, we get it. Everyone loves a bargain. But when you factor in the risks, the lack of warranty, and the potential for a complete dud, is that second-hand 'deal' really worth it? Buying a new GPU from a trusted retailer like Evetech gives you peace of mind. You get a full manufacturer's warranty, guaranteed performance, and the latest technology. Even the newer players in the market, like the surprisingly capable Intel Arc graphics cards, offer incredible value when bought new. This problem of fakes will persist, even as we look forward to future releases like the much-anticipated RTX 5060.