Gamer Scores AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT for $5 Through Thrift Store Find and Simple Repair

Finding hidden value in thrift stores occasionally yields remarkable tech discoveries, but one gamer's recent acquisition sets a new benchmark for bargain hunting. According to a Reddit post by user u/12kdaysinthefire, they purchased what appeared to be a broken AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card for just $4.99 – a staggering discount from its original $399 launch price. While the legitimacy of such claims can't be independently verified, the accompanying photos and repair details suggest a plausible scenario for tech-savvy bargain seekers.

The GPU arrived in non-working condition due to previous owner modifications. As u/12kdaysinthefire documented, the card had copper blocks improperly installed in place of the cooling assembly, with all thermal interface materials completely absent. Thermal pads and thermal paste are critical components that transfer heat from the GPU die and memory modules to the heatsink. Without these materials, the card would rapidly overheat and fail during operation.

After reinstalling the cooler with fresh thermal pads and paste – a repair requiring basic technical skills and under $10 in materials – the RX 5700 XT reportedly booted successfully. This six-year-old GPU, featuring 2560 stream processors and 8GB of GDDR6 memory, originally targeted 1440p gaming when AMD launched it in 2019. While no longer competitive with modern mid-range options like the $250 RTX 4050 (which outperforms it by approximately 20% in current benchmarks), the revived card remains capable for 1080p gaming at medium-to-high settings in many titles.

Performance testing would likely show the RX 5700 XT delivering around 60 fps in games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, or older AAA titles at 1080p resolution. Modern demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077 would require significant setting reductions. The card lacks hardware-accelerated ray tracing support and uses more power than current-generation alternatives.

Considering the total investment of roughly $15 ($5 for the card + $10 for thermal materials), this represents extraordinary value. For comparison, used RX 5700 XT models typically sell for $100-$150 on secondary markets. While not a solution for high-fidelity gaming, this restoration demonstrates how basic troubleshooting can breathe new life into discarded hardware, offering a viable entry point for budget-conscious gamers or a capable secondary system component.

Source: u/12kdaysinthefire