Bitcoin Forum

I was wondering, for those people who starting mining a long time ago, how long did your GPU's lasted when mining. Maybe if you could put it this way:
1. Model of GPU
2. Overclocking % (+10%, +20%, etc...)
3. Aprox temperatures

I bought 6 Sapphire 5850s used from ebay back in July 2012. I have no idea what they were used for prior but 5 of the 6 are still hashing (one just recently started having issues and it was easier to just remove it rather than mess with it any longer). Overclocks are 750-775 engine and 1100 memory. Temps have been low 70s in the winter and up to low 80s in summer.

I have used more then 40 cards. 

the longest lasting card has been a sapphire hd7970.  after six months the fans died   I now use  this aftermarket

cooler

http://www.prolimatech.com/en/products/detail.asp?id=2484&page=1

with two of these cards.

http://www.prolimatech.com/en/products/detail.asp?id=160&page=1


this hd7970 is 17 months old and has run  non-stop.  standard clocks first for btc now for ltc

 temp was 75f  with stock cooler now 65 f with the aftermarket.

Most GPUs have 3-2 years warranty. Unless there are obvius signs of destruction of water on the chipset you should get a replacement. And if your card is out of stock, you'l propably get one from the new release. At least that what happened to me.

I had been using my GTX 260 since late October 2011 to mine up until a few months ago. I now use it to mine litecoins instead. Temps have hit as high as 96C sometimes, but averaging mid to high 80s usually. And it's still running like a fucking champ. I'm honestly just waiting for it to die so I can get a new one, but so far it hasn't yet. :D

And yes, 96 celsius, not fahrenheit.

Was using a nvidia gtx650 in my gaming rig from mid-last year to mine scrypt coins. Upgraded to a R9 270x in December, it's mining doges like a champ. It normally hits between 68c and 76c, depending on the weather

Usually it's not the GPUs that die, these would likely last 10 years or longer (unless overclocked with overvolting).

But with lack of excellent active cooling, the subcomponents on the PCB of the video card (capacitors, VRMs etc.) at some point just give up and die. Especially the capacitors on the card's PCB have a limited lifespan defined almost exclusively by a operating hours/temperature curve.

I guess that's the part most people forget, they only focus on the GPU temperatures (usually in the green) and feel happy, all while possibly slowly destroying their cards due to lack of cooling of the entire card (which were never designed for 24/7 stress).

All Video cards I ever used for crunching data or mining still live today - due to the cooling efforts.

as falconfly said, keep the entire card well cooled and it should go years. use a good PSU (seasonic, PC power and cooling, antec etc). use filtered air if possible.

I have 2 nvidia GTX 285's that have been doing folding@home pretty much 24/7 since 2009. I did add arctic cooling accelero xtremes HSFs (3 92mm fans each) about a year in just for noises sake though.

my 5830 has been going since 2011 non stop with BTC back in the day, now scrypt coins. its stock. same for my 6870 although that got an artic cooling HSF too as thats in my daily driver rig an needs to be quiet.

all are overclocked and have been (sometimes - depends on the season and coin prices, or, with F@H, if there was a chimp challenge or other competition going on) overvolted to one degree or another.

I've been mining with GTX560M in my notebook,  I imagine the lifespan of It will be less than its counterpart due to the notebook being so tight and enclosed.  Mining alt coins puts it around 90c, im in the basement and it is pretty cool down here.  Upstairs would probably kill it.