Because my current card was needing to be replaced, and because I wanted to get into bit mining, I decided on purchasing a HD 7970. This is a bit better than buying a HD 5970 because people are charging $400 for a used card...that would have only cost $200 brand new. Ahh...no. The fact it's used means if it messes up I'm out $400 bucks, and since that measly amount is enough to set me back for a couple of months, I, literally, can't afford that to happen (being on social security sucks...the job market is helping things either
). Also, please whatever you do, please do not get me started about the people who can afford to throw around $30,000, because that will start an argument that no one wants to hear.
Anyway, poverty woes aside, Murphey's Law also seems to have gone into full force here the last four months, because who here doesn't like to have things blowing up in their face all the time? The card I purchased on December 24 (Merry Christmas everyone) has been replaced twice already, and now for a third time. The worse part? This is the best one of the lot...it took an entire two weeks to quit working (not showing up in Device Manager), plus it had a damaged tab where the top screw went in. As for the others...well the record is less than a minute for the last card (power fault...the computer wouldn't even start with the card installed), and as for the other it only took around five hours for it to give up working.
Noticing a pattern here? I have been told that there has been a bad batch of cards, and they just realized it in March (funny...I realized something was wrong back in January shortly after getting the computer built, and installed). As a result I have to ask this question: am I just ridiculously unlucky, or is the manufacture the worst company in the world when it comes to manufacturing cards. The fact their headquarters is based in Hong Kong somehow seems to answer that for me. Still, I need a second opinion, which is why I am asking if the card can be used for mining, and if not, would it at least serve as an okay gaming card without giving up on me?
Also, minor detail, I do have a single GTX 470 installed for gaming so that I don't have to take the Radeon card off from data mining. It is possible that the driver conflict which regulates voltages, etc. might be the reason I've had so many problems. Even so how can an Nvidia driver interfere with a Radeon card when, you know, the driver technically shouldn't even recognize the card since it was made by a different manufacturer? Also, kudos if you read all this, and more so if you respond with something useful. Right now I'd appreciate just about any guiding light at the moment.
