Why not buy a very cheap graphics card on AliExpress?

Independent of the model or brand, increasingly more graphics cards with an M at the end of their name appear on AliExpress. They have become trendy among users with more modest economies, being wildly successful in Latin American and Asian markets. Still, they could soon make their way to Europe, mainly because of the recent economic crisis. 

 

Their defining feature? 

Rather than being standard models, they are adapted notebook graphics cards. Are they worth buying, or should we avoid them? Under brands unknown to many people, such as Soyo or JieShou, versions called AMD RX 6600M, NVIDIA RTX 3070M, or NVIDIA  RTX 3060M can be found. 

If you were to search among NVIDIA and AMD partners, these nobody would find these companies anywhere, making them appear somewhat suspicious at first glance. The reality is that these manufacturers aren’t lying,these are the graphics cards that contain said NVIDIA and AMD GPUs. 

However, a significant difference exists between them: These specific models are just notebook graphics cards converted to PC graphics cards.

 

Where do these graphic cards come from?

As Ethereum 2.0 arrived, many graphics cards used for mining became less valuable. To get the highest efficiency per watt, some miners reduce the consumption of their GPUs and video memory.

This doesn’t mean that their GPU or video memory is being burned in excess; instead, with the move to Ethereum 2.0, they are no longer as effective for mining purposes.

So why were notebook graphics cards used?

For one thing, at the time, NVIDIA didn’t have LHR restrictions on its laptops like it did on its desktop cards, so manufacturers and assemblers could make more money by selling laptop chips to miners (even though this meant sacrificing sales of gaming laptops). In other words: temporarily accepting lower profits from gamers in exchange for much higher ones from miners.

 

Why are graphics cards on AliExpress so cheap?

It’s important to remember that the graphics cards on AliExpress are laptop models that have been reconverted. Just like their desktop counterparts, they communicate with the processor via PCI Express interface – the only difference is that since they’re on the same PCB, there’s no socket in the middle for plugging in the card.

Notebook models typically run at lower voltages and speeds. Remember that 150 W is considered excessive for a notebook graphics card. These are the same chips used for desktops; however, they don’t come with a complex cooling system or graphic BIOS/firmware explicitly designed for laptops. Using PCIe interface and selling both GPU and video memory as one unit makes it easy to remove them from laptops and build stand-alone graphics cards around them.

 

Buy graphics cards on AliExpress?

Graphics card prices have been skyrocketing, but there are still opportunities to get these products at a lower cost. This is because the materials used to make them can be sourced very cheaply. This allows manufacturers to sell them at a much lower price, making them an attractive option for those with less money to spend.

Of course, we’re not going to tell you how to configure your PC or what components you should buy – that’s entirely up to you! We just wanted to share some information on these AliExpress graphics cards and let you know what they’re all about.

 

Why do we say not to buy it?

Don’t think you’re getting a great deal on an RTX 3070M just because it’s cheaper than an RTX 3070. You’re paying for an inferior product because the models being sold have reduced TDPs and clock speeds. This is where the real problem begins. In notebooks, each model has endless variants because notebook manufacturers can touch the GPU parameters when assembling it in their laptop through tools provided by NVIDIA and AMD to their partners.

Thus, you can find models with a 3070 in the notebook market that performs like a 3060M or worse because they have a reduced TDP. If we assume that these graphics card assemblers buy the models in bulk, we can find that we have disparate performances from the same batch and model. The other problem with AliExpress graphics cards is the after-sales service.

The driver’s issue is complicated because while AMD uses standard drivers for notebook and desktop GPUs, NVIDIA does not. So you will have to consider this if you encounter problems down the driver compatibility line. The biggest problem, though, lies in warranty issues; since they are not partnered with any of the GPU manufacturers, should something happen to your device, expect zero help from them.