How do you finance your GPU purchase?

[tential]

Title of the thread. Inspired from the GTX 1080p and Titan XP thread, how are you guys financing your GPUs?

 

[tviceman]

Whenever I eat out at work (about 9-10 times per month), I put $5 in a jar. Occasionally I'll use some of the money to pay for random stuff (like a coworker's kid's fundraiser) but last year I ended up with slightly under $500. I use that for computer upgrades on top of selling old components.

 

[CakeMonster]

I sell it to friends at a very good price (for them). Its worth not having to deal with strangers, and they get to play more with me.

I justify the rest with being very careful with money in all other aspects of life. The (rare) great games are experiences that are worth a significant amount of money to experience in all their glory.

 

[AtenRa]

Mostly cash, i donate the old hardware to relatives.

 

[DooKey]

I sell my old cards and take full advantage of same as cash financing with Newegg and Paypal. Why expend all the money at once? I can use their money for free and spread out the cash outlay.

 

[Elfear]

I sell my old cards and take full advantage of same as cash financing with Newegg and Paypal. Why expend all the money at once? I can use their money for free and spread out the cash outlay.

+1

Selling old gear can help offset new gear (generally 20-40% for me depending on when I sell). Beyond that I take advantage of credit card offers (e.g. get $500 back after spending $2000) and save those funds for upgrades. I also mine cryptocurrency and use the proceeds for feeding my computer hobby.

 

[RussianSensation]

Whenever I eat out at work (about 9-10 times per month), I put $5 in a jar. Occasionally I'll use some of the money to pay for random stuff (like a coworker's kid's fundraiser) but last year I ended up with slightly under $500. I use that for computer upgrades on top of selling old components.

I am confused by this strategy. It rewards you for eating out, which would mean the more times you eat out a month, the more times you put away $5. Shouldn't it be the opposite -- every time you don't eat out at work, you put away $5 since bringing home food is cheaper than eating out?

---------

For the OP,

I haven't paid for a GPU since HD4890 days. Every NV/AMD GPU has been purchased with Bitcoin, euthereum, etc. I also resell older GPUs on top of this strategy. Technically, my 7970s earned enough bitcoin on their own to never pay for any GPUs over the lifetime but I decided to use that money towards other things instead.

Before mining, I used to buy GPUs with cash/pay off credit card by the due date and resold older GPUs. I try not to keep any older PC parts other than the case, mechanical drives, PSUs and monitors since the resale value on those tends to be rather poor (my experience); and yet for me these components last the longest.

 

[ddogg]

I look for deals on Craigslist, eBay, and/or r/hardwareswap. I almost always find killer deals on cards that are either brand new or close to it. I purchase my new GPUs when I feel comfortable dropping the cash or feel my system warrants an upgrade and tend to do in stages so I'm not dropping a huge sum at one go.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

[DeathReborn]

I pay cash or by card (Debit not Credit mind) always have done. I repurpose my old hardware either to friends & relatives or to other uses (File Server, NAS, Firewall etc). Anything else gets given away, not sold.

 

[tviceman]

I am confused by this strategy. It rewards you for eating out, which would mean the more times you eat out a month, the more times you put away $5. Shouldn't it be the opposite -- every time you don't eat out at work, you put away $5 since bringing home food is cheaper than eating out?

I explained it too simplistically. I'm a firefighter with a 24 hour on / 48 hour off schedule. We grocery shop every day that we are on duty - that is what I was referring to as eating out. We all put in a specific amount of money for groceries (at my station, it's $15 per day). So I just withdraw $20 and hold back $5 for my savings jar.

 

[casiofx]

Already had savings from working, I could buy a high end system with X99 and titan xp, but I rather let the money sleeps inside the bond accounts. FYI if you are indigenous group in my country, you can apply for a bond account that is guaranteed by the goverment. Every year you can get around 7-8% returns. The dividends I got every year can provide me with brand new systems every year, but I never used it, savings from my work is more than enough hehe.

 

[Yakk]

My 5870 back in the day mined enough to pay for gpus probably for as long as I'll buy some.

 

[Insomniator]

Wait for a good deal/sale/rebate and sell my old one. I don't spend more than ~$300 so its just cash/direct. 'Financing' a video card is a terrible, terrible idea. If you pay a dime of interest on a Titan XP you are an idiot and buying over your head, go read some Mr. Money Mustache. Buy a 1060 and play the exact same games while also being able to retire before the age of 95.

The older I get the less I really care anymore though. Used to be so excited just to open boxes and see new hardware... now the excitement is hampered by the idea of actually having to take apart my computer.

 

[ElFenix]

i don't see an option for male escort

 

[MrTeal]

I'm surprised by how few crypto miners there are. My last real out of pocket GPU purchase was a 6870, pretty much everything since then has been financed or purchased with expected returns from mining.

 

[maddogmcgee]

I have a decent job that pays sporadically. So every time I convince someone on the phone that I really am a psychic, I put 100 of the extra dosh into my PC upgrades. 200 if it is an old grandma who offers to leave me with her will.

 

[tential]

I sell my old cards and take full advantage of same as cash financing with Newegg and Paypal. Why expend all the money at once? I can use their money for free and spread out the cash outlay.

That would be financing. I didn't add interest rate because yes, it can be free, the whole point is there are people who miss payments/etc. We have no financing votes. Meh, I hope people are being accurate! You can change your votes guys! Ya, I did that because I'm a weird data person who just has to know.

i don't see an option for male escort

Vote is public. Choose Other, say Male Escorting. Don't be shy ElFenix it's ok. If you've got some time, maybe I'll quit saving up for my RX460 and spend that on you =D

 

[William Gaatjes]

I just save money for it until i have saved enough. I sometimes give my old hardware away to relatives or good friends if it still working properly.

 

[DooKey]

That would be financing. I didn't add interest rate because yes, it can be free, the whole point is there are people who miss payments/etc. We have no financing votes. Meh, I hope people are being accurate! You can change your votes guys! Ya, I did that because I'm a weird data person who just has to know.

Vote is public. Choose Other, say Male Escorting. Don't be shy ElFenix it's ok. If you've got some time, maybe I'll quit saving up for my RX460 and spend that on you =D

I suppose it is, but I never pay interest because I pay it off before the interest free period is over. In my case I do that, but I don't have to. I simply prefer to use other people's money rather than outlay the whole amount at once.

Bottom line is I only pay interest on my mortgage and car loan every month. CC's are always paid in full every month. Also, I never pay interest for computer components because I use a CC and pay off in full or same as cash deals with Newegg or Paypal.

I'll change to other since I don't feel the financing thing is really me.

 

[tential]

I suppose it is, but I never pay interest because I pay it off before the interest free period is over. In my case I do that, but I don't have to. I simply prefer to use other people's money rather than outlay the whole amount at once.

Hmmm, I guess that basically is Direct. As long as you aren't paying interest I guess, that's the same concept I'm applying to paying your CC balance in full before interest applies. K. You convinced me.

 

[AdamK47]

I pay using a credit card I get points on. I then pay the full balance off at the end of the month.

 

[philmar]

I will fund my GPU by whoring these photos I've taken while traveling the world:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_marion/albums
Hopefully the GPU's improvement to my digital workflow will pay for itself many times over. Fingers crossed.

 

[Madpacket]

Crypto-Mining. Its paid for all my GPU's and more. Started in late 2011 early 2012. Warning, the first cards free but after that you're hooked 😀

 

[IEC]

Crypto-Mining. Its paid for all my GPU's and more. Started in late 2011 early 2012. Warning, the first cards free but after that you're hooked 😀

Madpacket speaks the truth. When you are calculating if you have enough spare amperage left in the laundry room to run another GPU rig, you have enough GPUs.

As for how cards are purchased initially, I buy them with a CC that gives 2% rewards and never carry a balance.

 

[DidelisDiskas]

Cash that i save up by being frugal and not having expensive tastes, or hobbies. There is practically no market for used pc parts where i live, so i give away my old stuff for free.

To those that made up their gpu cost by cryptocurrency mining, how many gpu's did you need initially for mining? I would think that one would need (even when cc was starting out) a farm of gpu's to get any kind of income from mining.