Miner's Curse: How Cryptocurrency Mining Impacts Gaming PCs

A computer repair technician from Zhobin, Belarus, recently encountered a case that highlights the potential problems associated with graphics cards that have been used for cryptocurrency mining. A client brought in a PC experiencing significant frame rate drops while playing Dota 2. After a thorough examination, the technician, who wishes to remain anonymous, identified the issue as power consumption dips in the RX 580 graphics card. "The card is showing power consumption drops, sometimes down to 20 watts," explained the technician. This suggests that the card, likely used for mining in the past, is showing signs of wear and tear. The technician believes that the age of the card and its prior use in cryptocurrency mining are likely contributing factors to the problem. The case serves as a reminder to gamers to consider the history of their graphics cards, especially those purchased second-hand.