{"id":413919,"date":"2022-03-09T15:00:59","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T12:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/"},"modified":"2022-03-09T15:00:59","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T12:00:59","slug":"do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/","title":{"rendered":"#Do GPUs Wear Out From Heavy Use?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dfd4cc5994\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dfd4cc5994\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/#%E2%80%9CDo_GPUs_Wear_Out_From_Heavy_Use%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Do GPUs Wear Out From Heavy Use?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/#Yes_But_Its_Complicated\" >Yes, But It\u2019s Complicated<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/#First_to_Go_Cooling_Fans\" >First to Go: Cooling Fans<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/#Another_Suspect_Faulty_Thermal_Compound\" >Another Suspect: Faulty Thermal Compound<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/#Failures_in_Other_Components_Solder\" >Failures in Other Components, Solder<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/#Failures_in_the_GPU_Chip_Itself\" >Failures in the GPU Chip Itself<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/#Ultimately_Heat_is_the_Enemy\" >Ultimately, Heat is the Enemy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CDo_GPUs_Wear_Out_From_Heavy_Use%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Do GPUs Wear Out From Heavy Use?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-779614\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/gpu_hero_3.jpg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/gpu_hero_3.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/gpu_hero_3.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A GPU card on a blue background\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-illustration\/graphics-card-modern-gaming-gpu-processing-1937061646\">Maxx-Studio\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019re planning on doing intensive gaming, GPU computing, graphics rendering,\u00a0Folding@home, or crypto mining on your graphics card, you might be worried that your GPU will wear out from heavy use. But will it? We\u2019ll investigate.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Yes_But_Its_Complicated\"><\/span>Yes, But It\u2019s Complicated<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most information about lifespans of graphics cards you\u2019ll find online is anecdotal, with numbers that can vary dramatically depending on whom you ask. With hundreds of different models of graphics cards released over the past decade, it\u2019s hard to boil down data on such wildly different cards into simple <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>izations.<\/p>\n<p>So far, we know this: According to a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.extremetech.com\/gaming\/313458-reseller-rma-data-shows-fascinating-pattern-between-amd-nvidia-gpus\">2020 report from a German retailer<\/a>, most recent graphics cards have about a 2-5% failure rate (measured in returns to the retailer) overall. And in 2021, Nvidia <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/news\/nvidia-is-preparing-these-older-gpus-for-the-driver-chopping-block\">still provided driver updates<\/a> for cards that were around 9-10 years old (such as the GTX 600 <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a>), so you can possibly expect a decade of use out of a well-treated GPU card\u2014although those might be outliers, as we\u2019ll see ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of the numbers, there\u2019s some hard physics at work. The materials and components used in the composition of GPU cards aren\u2019t magical: The more you use them, the faster the parts degrade, and the more likely they will fail completely. So heavy use does affect lifespan.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-726654 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/multi-gpu-rig.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Several GPU cards in a crypto miner.\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/graphics-card-digging-bitcoin-665264305\" data-credittext=\"socrates471\/Shutterstock.com\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">As you\u2019ll see, crypto mining will decrease the lifespan of a graphics card. <span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/graphics-card-digging-bitcoin-665264305\">socrates471\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Whether you\u2019ll see a failure in your GPU card depends on wildly different variables, including exactly how heavily the GPU has been used, the nature and degree of temperature swings in the circuitry, how many times the card has been powered on and off, and how clean the operating environment is.<\/p>\n<p>Because a GPU card is a complex device with many parts, each one can fail or degrade in different ways. We\u2019ll go through several major parts of a GPU card and examine how they might wear out from heavy use over time.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"First_to_Go_Cooling_Fans\"><\/span>First to Go: Cooling Fans<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Of all the parts of a graphics card that are likely to fail first, we\u2019d have to point to the cooling fans (or fan), which are physical moving parts. Fans keep your GPU cool by moving hot air away from the GPU chip (with a heat sink) so it can keep operating.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-726652 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/gpu.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A GPU card with spinning fans.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"555\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/close-inside-desktop-pc-gaming-cooling-1590467296\" data-credittext=\"FeelGoodLuck\/Shutterstock.com\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/close-inside-desktop-pc-gaming-cooling-1590467296\">FeelGoodLuck\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Why is heat bad? With enough heat, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/electronics.stackexchange.com\/questions\/13873\/why-exactly-do-chips-start-malfunctioning-once-they-overheat\">transistors don\u2019t work properly<\/a>, which means the GPU card won\u2019t function. With even more heat, the transistors in chips on the card can be <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/electronics.stackexchange.com\/questions\/13873\/why-exactly-do-chips-start-malfunctioning-once-they-overheat\">permanently damaged<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Over time, cooling fans often clog up with dust, reducing their ability to move air efficiently. Or the fans might fail completely if an internal lubricant breaks down. Either scenario will raise the temperature of the GPU.<\/p>\n<p>Every GPU protects itself from overheating by using thermal throttling, which slows down the operation of the GPU to lower the operating temperature. Doing so severely limits performance. So if you have a GPU that\u2019s suddenly noisier than usual (the fan is spinning faster) or performing worse, thoroughly clean your GPU\u2019s cooling fans and heat sink with compressed air.<\/p>\n<p>If a GPU cooling fan has failed completely, you can usually replace it if you can find an equivalent fan from a computer parts supplier.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Thoroughly Clean Your Dirty Desktop Computer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Another_Suspect_Faulty_Thermal_Compound\"><\/span>Another Suspect: Faulty Thermal Compound<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Between every heat sink and GPU chip there is a layer of thermal conductive material, such as a pad of putty or paste that helps transfer heat from the GPU chip to the heat sink.<\/p>\n<p>Over time, thermal paste can crack or lose potency. When that h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens, the heat sink doesn\u2019t cool as effectively, and the GPU temperature will rise. As we\u2019ve seen in the fan section above, high GPU temps result in thermal throttling, which will slow down your GPU.<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-box \">\n<div class=\"product-img product-img-noaward\">\n<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0795DP124?tag=hotoge-20&amp;linkCode=ogi&amp;th=1&amp;psc=1\" onclick=\"fbq('track', 'Buy Button'); if (fb_t_convert){fb_t_convert();}\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/414O+bN3LFL._SL160_.jpg\" height=\"147px\" alt=\"\" role=\"presentation\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><br \/>\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The best fix in that scenario is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nicehash.com\/blog\/post\/how-to-change-thermal-paste-on-a-gpu\">replacing the thermal paste<\/a> yourself. You can buy thermal paste from computer parts sellers.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Failures_in_Other_Components_Solder\"><\/span>Failures in Other Components, Solder<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Aside from the GPU chip, a graphics card will include dozens of other electronic components such as capacitors, resistors, memory chips, and more. Any of those could potentially fail from heavy use or exposure to too much heat. Some are more likely to fail than others.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-779897 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/capacitors.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A photo of capacitors sitting loose on a PCB.\" width=\"650\" height=\"395\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/electronic-component-capacitor-on-blue-printed-1074550598\" data-credittext=\"Andrei Kuzmik\/Shutterstock.com\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/electronic-component-capacitor-on-blue-printed-1074550598\">Andrei Kuzmik\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Capacitors in particular are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.electricalterminology.com\/causes-of-capacitor-failure\/\">prone to failure<\/a> over time. They\u2019re sensitive to frequent temperature changes, and some are defective when first produced. If you\u2019re handy enough to troubleshoot capacitor issues, you can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/AskElectronics\/comments\/kv75no\/a_capacitor_just_exploded_on_my_graphics_card_is\/\">potentially replace bad capacitors on a GPU card<\/a> if you can find equivalent replacement parts.<\/p>\n<p>Also, the solder that bonds chips and components to your GPU card\u2019s circuit board can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rushpcb.com\/detection-prevention-of-solder-joint-failure\/\">age and crack over time<\/a> from frequent temperature shifts, rough physical handling, improper storage, or running too hot. So yes, heavy GPU usage could increase the risks of solder joint failure. Repairing bad solder joints can be technically difficult, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eevblog.com\/forum\/repair\/my-experiences-reflowing-videocards-(so-far-100-success-rate)\/\">but it\u2019s not impossible<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Failures_in_the_GPU_Chip_Itself\"><\/span>Failures in the GPU Chip Itself<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>So the question remains: Can a GPU chip eventually wear out from heavy use? The answer is yes, theoretically, under extreme circumstances. But you\u2019ll likely see the failure of another component on the graphics card long before that time.<\/p>\n<p>The GPU chip on your graphics card contains millions or billions of transistors, etched into a piece of silicon. Transistors <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transistor_aging\">age over time<\/a>, affecting their performance. When enough transistors misbehave, the chip will fail.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/semiengineering.com\/aging-not-always-a-bad-thing\/\">Semiconductor Engineering<\/a>, there are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/semiengineering.com\/chip-aging-becomes-design-problem\/\">several major reasons<\/a> why transistors malfunction over time from aging (<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/electronics.stackexchange.com\/questions\/13873\/why-exactly-do-chips-start-malfunctioning-once-they-overheat\">one of which is heat<\/a>), and the errors are more likely the smaller the feature size on the chip. Experts suspect computer chips made today won\u2019t last as long as chips made in the 1990s, but <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/semiengineering.com\/are-chips-getting-more-reliable\/\">predicting an exact lifespan is still guesswork<\/a> since the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> is so new.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-779904 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/gpu_illustration.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"An illustration of a GPU chip.\" width=\"650\" height=\"340\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-vector\/futuristic-microchip-processor-lights-on-blue-1495690979\" data-credittext=\"ZinetroN\/Shutterstock.com\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-vector\/futuristic-microchip-processor-lights-on-blue-1495690979\">ZinetroN\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Currently, NVIDIA does not publish <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mean_time_between_failures\">MTBF<\/a> (mean time between failure) estimates for their consumer graphics cards, but the company\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=MTBF+filetype:pdf+site:https:\/\/www.nvidia.com\">does publish them<\/a> for some of its industrial and business graphics accelerators. For example, the datasheet for the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nvidia.com\/content\/pdf\/kepler\/tesla-k20x-bd-06397-001-v07.pdf\">Tesla K20X GPU Accelerator<\/a> cites the MTBF for the card (at 35C\/95F temperature) to be 14.7 years for an \u201cuncontrolled environment\u201d and 23.8 years for a \u201ccontrolled environment.\u201d (Note that, generally, industrial graphics hardware is expected to be more robust and hold up better under heavy use than consumer graphics hardware.)<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, we can compare this theoretical number with hard data from out in the field. One of the few empirical studies of GPU lifespan comes courtesy of a 2020 paper titled \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christian-engelmann.info\/publications\/ostrouchov20gpu.pdf\">GPU Lifetimes on Titan Supercomputer: Survival Analysis and Reliability<\/a>\u201d authored by Oak Ridge National Labs. The paper reports on the reliability of the 18,688 Nvidia K20X Kepler GPU cards used in the now-retired <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.olcf.ornl.gov\/olcf-resources\/compute-systems\/titan\/\">Cray XK7 Titan supercomputer<\/a> over a period of almost 7 years (2012-2019).<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-780760 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/cray_titan_supercomputer.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The Cray XK7 Titan Supercomputer\" width=\"650\" height=\"283\" data-credittext=\"ORNL\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Cray XK7 supercomputer provided valuable data about GPU lifespan. <span class=\"imagecredit\">ORNL<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After some initial hiccups due to connection issues, they found relatively high reliability with the XK7\u2019s graphics cards until 2016 (about 3-4 years in), when many began to fail. But guess what? They traced most of the failures in the first batch of cards (before replacement) to a faulty resistor on the graphics card\u2019s circuit board, not the GPU chip itself. Overall, the study\u2019s authors found the average MTBF of the K20X\u2019s heavily-used GPU cards to be around 3 years (not 14-23 years, as cited in Nvidia\u2019s datasheet), with some of the hottest cards in the core failing first. They concluded, \u201cGPU reliability is dependent on heat dissipation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So the odds are high that if you use your graphics card as intensely as one of the world\u2019s largest supercomputers (at the time), it will wear out faster, and that other components such as fans and resistors will fail long before the GPU chip itself. Exactly how long you\u2019ll get depends on factors that we can\u2019t predict.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ultimately_Heat_is_the_Enemy\"><\/span>Ultimately, Heat is the Enemy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the end, from every source we\u2019ve read, the most major deciding factor for how long a GPU card will last is how hot it runs. The hotter the card, the faster all of its components degrade.\u00a0Also, the hotter the card, the more it throttles down in performance to prevent catastrophic failure. Good cooling both extends your card\u2019s lifespan and increases its performance.<\/p>\n<p>So whether you\u2019re mining crypto or gaming, if you keep your GPU card reasonably cool with clean, working fans and effective thermal paste, you\u2019ll likely have a high-performing card that, if you\u2019re lucky, might last until it becomes obsolete and you upgrade.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re planning on buying a used GPU, you should definitely take its history into account, including how its owner treated and used it. More heavily-used cards (that work now) will likely work fine in the short term but are more prone to failure in the long term. We can\u2019t put any exact number on a card\u2019s lifespan, but heavy use definitely wears graphics cards out faster.<\/p>\n<p>Good luck!<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Is It Safe to Buy Used GPUs From Cryptocurrency Miners?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/779600\/do-gpus-wear-out-from-heavy-use\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Do GPUs Wear Out From Heavy Use?&#8221; Maxx-Studio\/Shutterstock.com If you\u2019re planning on doing intensive gaming, GPU computing, graphics rendering,\u00a0Folding@home, or crypto mining on your graphics card, you might be worried that your GPU will wear out from heavy use. But will it? We\u2019ll investigate. Yes, But It\u2019s Complicated Most information about lifespans of graphics cards&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":413920,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/gpu_hero_3.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-413919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413919\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/413920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}