Graphics
cards are the only means responsible for displaying content on your screen in
high quality and helping you play, play, and enjoy modern games. But from my
personal experience, I can assure you that it is very easy for graphics cards
to get damaged. And here I mean external graphics cards such as Nvidia and AMD
cards, not integrated graphics processors. Graphics cards, like all other
hardware parts, have a warranty period and an estimated lifespan, and they are
expected to stop working once this period is exceeded, but not always.
What is the lifespan of graphics cards?
Many graphics
cards have been produced for a long time and are still working at full
efficiency, such as the GTX 580, GTX 680, and others. Although these cards had
a warranty period of 3 or 4 years at most, they still work for some users and
have been 10 years old. It certainly won't achieve the same results that it was
easy to get at the time of its launch due to the development of modern and
complex game engines and graphics that games have today, but at least it still
manages to deliver.
But due to
the problems and crises facing the silicon chip industry, supply and demand
crises due to cryptocurrency mining, and the crazy high prices of graphics
cards, this leads us to wonder in the title of the topic, which is what is the
life span of graphics cards and how can I keep my graphics card for as long as
possible So as not to damage it and have to buy a new graphic card.
At one point,
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that graphics cards that are used in
cryptocurrency mining operations get damaged after two to three years at the
latest. While graphics cards that are used in games and production work can
last for 5 to 6 years.
But remember
here that the CEO of Nvidia was referring to the virtual uninterrupted working
period. In the sense that it assumes this based on the period of continuous
operation of the graphics cards 24/7 without interruption. This is a very long
period of time if we only use the computer for 12 or 8 hours a day. This way
these graphics cards are destined to last 10 years or even more. So why do
graphics cards wear out so quickly for some users?
1- Bad power supply
There are
many reasons why a graphics card might be pushed into the abyss, even if it has
only had a very short period of its life. Let's rule out mining entirely. The
first and most important reason is the use of weak and uncertified power
supplies that provide the wrong voltage to the card, which puts a great deal of
burden on the power circuit to process the current before it is passed to the
GPU, and over time and with a lot of stress on the power circuit, it will be
damaged, and accordingly, The graphics card will stop working.
2- Crazy overclocking
The second
reason is crazy speed breaks. Of course, there are safe limits to overclocking
graphics cards and getting an extra dose of performance in the games we like to
play all the time. But the problem here is that in order to have a successful
overclock, the amount of power allowed for the graphics card must be increased.
Of course, the extra power will cause the graphics processor to overheat more
and more.
It is known
that high temperatures are the main causes of damage and death of electronic
and electrical devices. The other problem is that there are some users who want
to squeeze the graphics card to the last drop, and this will only be by
increasing the GPU voltage, and this will add higher temperatures. So in a
nutshell, if you want your graphics card to last as long as possible, you should
really keep its temperatures low and within safe limits. Safe idle limits are
from 30C to 50C, but maximum pressures are between 70C and 85C max.
Overclocking the graphics card: the correct steps to do this and raise the performance of games
3-
Cheap power circuits
The third
reason that may cause the graphics card to deteriorate quickly is due to the quality
and solidity of the components of the power circuit surrounding the graphics
processor. As you know that the graphics processor, like the central processor,
needs a power circuit around it that is responsible for handling the electric
current before passing it to the processor. The power circuit of graphics
processors has electrolytic capacitors, a set of transistor chips, a voltage
regulator, and electrical coils.
Some
companies, especially Chinese companies, are adding cheap and weak components to
the power circuit in order to be able to sell the graphics card at a low price.
Unfortunately, if one of the capacitors, or any part of the electrical circuit,
and even the welds on the surface of the board are burnt or damaged, this means
the death of the graphics card completely. And if the graphic card is out of
the warranty period, there is no other way for you than to buy a new graphic
card.
As for the
graphic cards that come out of Taiwanese companies such as Asus, Gigabyte, MSI,
or the American company EVGA, these cards contain professional power circuits
with Taiwanese and Japanese-made capacitors capable of working for long periods
of time and up to a temperature of 105C. In addition, the more ventilating fans
and aluminum heat sinks that the graphics card has, the better chance it has of
operating at lower temperatures and for very long lifetimes.
4-
Do not remove the old driver
before installing the new one
The fourth
reason that may cause damage to the graphics card is the wrong way to deal with
the computer and the graphics card. Meaning that it is necessary that you do
not install a new version of the graphics card driver until you make sure that
you remove the old driver first and erase all software and accessories on your
computer. Because a conflict may occur between the operating system and the
program responsible for managing the graphics card, and the Windows system has
a problem in dealing with both definitions, and accordingly it may cause any
problem in the way the graphics card works.
So how do you maintain the life span of your graphic card?
If you want
to maintain your graphics card for as long as possible, it is best not to be
harsh on it. Besides the problem of mining, you should not put the graphics
card under stress for long hours in summer periods. Also, you should monitor
the temperatures in cases of idleness and pressure from time to time to make
sure that the fans are operating normally.
If necessary,
you can clean the fans, but gently so as not to damage any of the fan fins. Also,
it is necessary to change the thermal paste with a professional and not a
commercial one when you feel that the original material has fossilized inside,
but of course, the paste that is added at the factory is "really"
able to last for many years.
Finally, if
you want your card to live for many years, you should plan to buy the premium
versions of the card in the beginning, meaning that you sacrifice money to buy
the version of the card that has more fans and contains a high-quality power
circuit. In order to be sure of the quality of the power circuit, you will need
to look at the reviews of third-party websites because they are the only ones
that unpack the card in front of the public to explain all the internal
components. Also, if you want to get the best model of the graphics card, you
should get the version that had the best temperatures in idle and stressful
situations.
So in the
end, what is the shelf life of graphics cards is a question whose answer
depends on the form of use and many other things, the most important of which
is the need to buy professional versions of graphics cards that contain more
fans. It is necessary to purchase a professional power supply certified with
Bronze, Silver, or Gold certification. The need to deal with the card
correctly, i.e. do not leave it working 24/7 without interruption, because this
is as if you are building his grave with your own hands.
Also, try to
pay attention to the temperatures from time to time and install the official
drivers from the AMD and India website only, but be sure to remove the old
driver before installing the next one. Do not try to rely on the Beta version
because it is still being tested. If you handle the graphics card correctly,
make sure that it will last you for very long periods of life before it gets
damaged or you need to buy a replacement for it.