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27.01.2026 06:20

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Lucky man bought a graphics card for less than 5 euros and brought it back to life with minimal effort

In a world where the prices of computer components are often astronomical, sometimes miracles happen. In January 2026, the internet was flooded with the story of an extremely lucky buyer who spotted an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card at a local thrift store for the ridiculous price of five US dollars. Although the card was sold as non-working, it turned out that it was only a few euros away from a working system to be repaired.

Photo: u/12kdaysinthefire

A story that spread on Reddit and later Notebookcheck proves that hardware knowledge pays off. The buyer risked less than the price of lunch and took home a graphics card that, despite its age in 2026, still offers solid performance at 1080p. After the first test, the card overheated and shut down, which would have put many off, but an experienced user quickly figured out where the problem lay.

After disassembling the card, it became clear that the original thermal pads had completely disintegrated, and the thermal paste on the processor was dry as a rock. Investing a few extra euros in new quality thermal pads and paste, the buyer cleaned the card and reassembled it. The result? The graphics card began to behave like new under load, with temperatures well within the safe range. The RX 5700 XT, which was known for its raw power when it was released, now serves the lucky owner as an excellent secondary card or the basis for an affordable gaming system.

This case is a great reminder for Slovenian DIY enthusiasts that all is not lost on the used market. Many components end up in the trash simply due to a lack of basic maintenance. In 2026, when the durability and repairability of electronics are increasingly emphasized, stories like this encourage us to try to revive an old device instead of buying a new one. For the price of two coffees in Ljubljana, this user got hardware that would otherwise cost him well over 100 euros.