Buying

Reported 8 GB and 10 GB

Every CMP 170HX on the market is a used ex-mining card. In October 2026 prices moved every week, a share of the cards sold were broken, mislabelled or never shipped, and several buyers in the Discord lost money to scams. This page collects what those buyers learned. It is written for someone about to buy their first card.

Named sellers and suppliers, with what buyers reported about them, are under #Sellers and suppliers. Reports age fast; ask in #suppliers-chat on the Discord before you buy.

Short version

Know what a listing is before you pay. 10de:20c2 is the 8 GB card, 10de:2082 the 10 GB card, and some "170HX" boards only reach 32 GB. See Which card do I have and #Boards that are not what they seem.
Pay with something your own bank can reverse: a credit card, or PayPal Goods and Services funded by a credit card. Do not pay a stranger by crypto, wire, gift card or PayPal Friends and Family. See #Paying.
Buy where a return is possible, and run the tests inside the return window. Do not solder the x16 cap mod before the tests pass.
Ask the seller for text output from the exact card you will get (serial number, memory test log), not a video.
Test the card on arrival with memory, tensor-core and real-workload tests. A quick memory test alone misses known faults. See Acceptance checklist and Testing and burn-in.
A price far below the going rate, "brand new" cards, or a listing that promises PCIe 4.0, NVLink or 80 GB are the usual signs of a scam or of a 32 GB board. See #Scam patterns.

This list summarises the sections below, which carry the sources.

8 GB or 10 GB

What each card gives with public tools, late October 2026. Details and how to tell them apart are on Which card do I have and Unlocks.

	8 GB card	10 GB card
PCI ID	`10de:20c2`	`10de:2082`
Memory after cmpunlocker	64 GB	40 GB; 48 GB only on cards whose sixth memory stack is not defective
SMs	74 with cmpunlocker v0.5	74 public; more after a RIR fuse burn, per card
PCIe	Gen2 after the unlock; x4 stock, x16 with the cap mod	Gen3 after a RIR fuse burn; the public burn tool does not support Gen4
Fuse headroom	no usable RIR records	16 free RIR records, unless a previous owner used them

The RIR burn tool for the 10 GB card refuses the 8 GB card because that SKU has no free RIR records, and states Gen4 is not supported. Source: repo github.com/evanrodgers/cmp-170hx-rir-burn-util by evanrodgers on GitHub, posted by @hezz1891, 2026-10-26. About 6 of 30 10 GB cards that @djpandaman saw tested could do 48 GB. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-17 48 GB needs the sixth memory partition to be non-defective. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-17

How people choose:

Take the 10 GB card if you want tensor parallel or a faster interconnect. Take the 8 GB card if pipeline parallel is fine, or if you want to bet on a fuller unlock later. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-17
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-17
Do not mix the two in one tensor-parallel group unless you can tune around the Gen2 bottleneck. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-17 In tensor parallel a 64 GB card and a 40 GB card behave like two 40 GB cards and run at the speed of the slower one. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-27
Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-27 VRAM is the bottleneck in most workloads. Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-10-27
@c133 runs both: 8 GB cards for KV cache room, 10 GB cards for faster ComfyUI video and audio work. Source: @c133, 2026-10-17 The 10 GB card is the better pick for training and image or video generation. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-13
For labs: buy for what the cards do today, not for a rumoured unlock. @djpandaman treats the 10 GB card as 40 GB, 80 SM, PCIe 4.0 x16 and the 8 GB card as 64 GB, 74 SM, PCIe 2.0 x16. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-14

Contested The PCIe 4.0 figure for the 10 GB card is not what the public tools deliver (Gen3 after a fuse burn, see above); @daveedcoles asked about it in the same thread. Source: @daveedcoles, 2026-10-15

Buying a used 10 GB card

Read the fuses before you pay. @dottoreargus expects 10 GB cards with spent RIR records and no unlock to reach the used market. Source: @dottoreargus, 2026-10-20 The read-only commands of 170hx-rir-tool and gpcprobe show the RIR state and which units are disabled or defective.
The number of defective GPCs varies per card. @matstatman: "1 defective is pretty good", "0 defective is god mode". Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-07
Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-07 @ghostinthedatacenter_87281 checked these counts before buying and found two 10 GB cards with no defective GPC. Source: @ghostinthedatacenter_87281, 2026-10-09
Paid hardware unlocks. A friend of @aaasss1456 had a 10 GB card unlocked at a factory in China for nearly 500 USD; it now identifies as an A100. Source: @aaasss1456, 2026-10-10
Source: @aaasss1456, 2026-10-10 @wakeupmbrc1: "thats rir macro burn". Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-09 Theory @con3po7016 asked whether anyone had shipped cards from the US to a contact in China for such an unlock; nobody had. Source: @con3po7016, 2026-10-09

Boards that are not what they seem

Warning Some "170HX" cards only reach 32 GB after the unlock.

PG199-origin boards. Cards sold as "new" 170HX are often PG199 boards reconfigured to 170HX specs, which unlock to 32 GB. Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-10-13
Source: @boz._., 2026-10-13 @douya4305 bought one for more than 9,000 yuan. It reported device 10de:20c2 and subsystem 10de:1586. Source: @douya4305, 2026-10-13 A normal 8 GB card has board part number 900-11001-0108-000 in nvidia-smi -q. Source: @zefrench6961, 2026-10-19 Check the board part number and VBIOS version before paying 170HX prices. The full list of tells is on Which card do I have.
Tesla-origin cards in a cheap listing. The Taobao store shop35050154, a large store with good ratings, listed many "170HX 8GB" cards at 9,999 RMB (just under 1,500 USD). The small print said they were PG199-origin cards. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-11
Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-10-11
Single-rank cards. Single-rank cards stop at 32 GB after the unlock; 3 of 4 cards one buyer bought were dual-rank. memtest_vulkan passed on a single-rank card that reported 64 GB, while a CUDA memory test failed past 32 GB. Source: repo github.com/PixelML/club-170hx by PixelML on GitHub, posted by @c133, 2026-10-20.
Salvaged and transplanted chips. Salvaged 32 GB chip cards are on the market. Source: @lycorascence, 2026-10-14 @civiloid recalls fake cards with no chips, and one CMP whose die had been transplanted from the 32 GB A100. Source: @civiloid, 2026-10-13
Source: @civiloid, 2026-10-13
Other CMP models. Check that a listing says 170HX and not only "CMP 8GB". Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-11

What to ask a seller for

Seller videos prove little. Sellers send a video with many terminals and fast tab switching, with nothing that ties the card in the video to the card you get. Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-04 Many reuse the same video. Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-11 Ask for text from the exact card and a written statement:

the nvidia-smi -q output with the serial number, and the memory test report as a text file. Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-04
a statement in writing that the card was tested and works. @boz._.: "pictures and videos are useless". Source: @boz._., 2026-10-11
a test of the tensor cores, not only memory. Some cards pass memory tests while their tensor cores return garbage without any error. Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-08 Stay away from sellers who refuse full tests that include tensor-core output; @_____josh_____ says this includes Alifond, which "won't test the exact cards you are buying". Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-08
Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-08 "Anything that refuses to test has issues." Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-12
a tensor throughput number from mmapeak or a PyTorch GEMM benchmark. Source: @jimtjames, 2026-10-11
the card's InfoROM black box from blackbox.py (gpcprobe): power-on hours and the logged Xid errors. @globalapathy said @matstatman's tool saved him from buying bad cards; only one of the batch was good. Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-20
for a 10 GB card, the gpcprobe readout and the RIR state (see above).

Reading a seller's numbers:

gpu-burn -tc at about 83 TFLOPS is normal: that is TF32 tensor throughput. BF16 or FP16 should give 150 to 200 TFLOPS. Source: @jimtjames, 2026-10-11 A seller's clpeak run showing 83 to 84 TFLOPS on its tensor stress line raised the same question. Source: @golden_panda_97088_61593, 2026-10-11
A seller who quoted 1,800 USD and refused video testing was judged suspicious; at that price there "shouldn't be any memory errors". Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-12
Source: @programmer_007, 2026-10-12

Listing text that should stop you:

Warning Claims that the card unlocks ECC, PCIe 4.0, NVLink and 80 GB. That was a seller's description. Source: @tugoubxs, 2026-10-14 Of these only ECC is in the public cmpunlocker v0.5. Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-13 Stable 80 or 96 GB on a 10 GB card would need internal Samsung keys. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-13
"PCIe 4.0" on eBay listings is autofill from before the cards were cracked, which is also why those listings do not say 64 GB. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-11
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-11 A seller screenshot showing "PCIe 4.0 x16" described the slot; the card itself was at x1 Gen1. Source: @xeax, 2026-10-18
Source: @xeax, 2026-10-18
"Brand new, never inserted." No new cards exist; sellers clean and relabel used ones. Source: @chris0chris0chris, 2026-10-13
Source: @chris0chris0chris, 2026-10-13
Product photos that are AI-generated, even from a seller with 9 years on the platform. Source: @con3po7016, 2026-10-14
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-14

Prices as reported

Prices are in the currency the poster used. They are reports from buyers and observers on the date shown, not a price list. Check current sold listings before you buy. The eBay seller research page (Terapeak, sold tab) shows real sales but needs a seller account. Source: @quark2world, 2026-10-04
Source: @quark2world, 2026-10-04 Some say sellers can skew sold prices after the sale. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-07

Date	Where	Card	Price	Source
before August 2026	mining market	8 GB	about 100 to 300 USD as mining cards	Source: repo github.com/PixelML/club-170hx by PixelML on GitHub, posted by @c133, 2026-10-20.
before the unlock news	not stated	10 GB	200 USD each, 4 cards	Source: @cuddylac997, 2026-10-07
mid to late July 2026	eBay	8 GB	550 USD each, first 4 cards; 12 of 16 later orders cancelled	Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-14 Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-14
first day of the public unlock	not stated	8 GB	about 580 USD each; 800 a day later	Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-10-07 Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-10-07
August to September 2026	various	8 GB	about 800 to 1,400 USD	Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04 Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04
2026-10-01	eBay US, sold	8 GB	1,900 USD	Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-12
2026-10-04	Xianyu, one seller (wanted payment in USDT), quote	not stated	about 1,850 USD, not including import duties or shipping	Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-04 Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-04
2026-10-06	Xianyu, two sellers, quote	not stated	1,800 to 1,900 USD	Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-06
2026-10-04 to 10-07	Alibaba, Ailfond (Alifond)	8 GB	2,400 USD, then 2,299 to 2,599, then 2,699 on 10-07; an order was cancelled at the increase	Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-10-04 Source: @lenxtroz, 2026-10-04 Source: @busulle, 2026-10-05 Source: @cibernox, 2026-10-07
2026-10-05	Alibaba	8 GB	buyer waited at 1,600, paid 2,100 USD	Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-05
early October 2026	Alibaba, DDP to the EU	8 GB	about 2,150 to 2,200 EUR including the cap mod	Source: @quark2world, 2026-10-07 Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-07
2026-10-07	eBay US	8 GB	2,100 USD paid; listings 2,300 to 2,600; offers of 2,000 accepted the week before	Source: @locs_locs, 2026-10-07 Source: @monroestreet, 2026-10-07 Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-07
2026-10-04 to 10-07	Austria (a company), Czechia	8 GB	about 2,800 EUR; 3,000 USD unlocked to 64 GB	Source: @busulle, 2026-10-04 Source: @dany0_, 2026-10-07
2026-10-06	eBay Australia	8 GB	about 4,000 AUD	Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-06
2026-10-12	China, direct from a miner, quote	8 GB	1,700 to 1,800 USD; another quote 1,750 USD	Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-12 Source: @dany0_, 2026-10-12
2026-10-13	China	8 GB / 10 GB	8 GB 17,000 to 19,000 RMB; 10 GB 20,000 RMB; about the same on Goofish	Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-13 Source: @tony_smartecom, 2026-10-13 Source: @douya4305, 2026-10-13 Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-13
2026-10-13	Western markets	8 GB	3,000 to 3,500 USD	Source: @lenxtroz, 2026-10-13
2026-10-14	US, landed	8 GB	2,600 USD after fees and shipping; quotes reached 3,500 while an order was in transit	Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-14 Source: @programmer_007, 2026-10-14
up to 2026-10-14	Alibaba, one buyer	8 GB	1,200, 1,250, 1,500 and 1,900 EUR for four cards in sequence	Source: @domrockt2, 2026-10-14
2026-10-14	eBay	8 GB	2,500 USD for a first card	Source: @ybryany, 2026-10-14
2026-10-15	eBay EU; Xianyu	8 GB	at least 3,000 EUR; Xianyu about 2,500 USD	Source: @reala7096, 2026-10-15 Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-15
2026-10-16	Taobao or Goofish, collected in Kazakhstan	8 GB, x16 modded	2,390 USD; China DM offers 17,500 RMB for 10 pieces (about 2,650 USD)	Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-16 Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-16 Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-16
2026-10-17	eBay US	both	8 GB sold at 2,500 to 3,000; 8 GB listings 3,000 to 4,000; nothing below 2,500 for 10 GB	Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-17 Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-17 Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-17
2026-10-18	private sale; eBay	8 GB	2,100 USD each privately; eBay 2,750 USD plus tax	Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-18 Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-18
2026-10-22	China	8 GB	18,500 RMB regular; 24,000 RMB per card for bulk lots of 10	Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-22 Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-22
2026-10-22	CIS	8 GB	bought at 2,380 USD, arrived costing 3,600+ USD; no change in the US yet	Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-22 Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-22
2026-10-23	China	8 GB	3,000 to 3,600+ USD	Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-23 Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-23
2026-10-24	private sale	8 GB	four cards for 14,000 USD; eBay prices dropping	Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-24 Source: @busulle, 2026-10-24
2026-10-25	international dealers, delivered	8 GB	3,300 to 3,600 USD including shipping and taxes, plus about 100 USD Alibaba payment fee	Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25 Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25 Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25
2026-10-25	Xianyu	not stated	about 2,500 EUR for legitimate offers, before DDP shipping to Europe	Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25
2026-10-25	EU, between members	8 GB	buyers offered 2,500 USD to 2,800 EUR per card	Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25 Source: @zingy90210, 2026-10-26
about 2026-10-23	Huateng price sheet	not stated	3,199 and 3,099 USD (two tiers)	Source: @legitsplit, 2026-10-26
2026-10-19	Facebook, a seller in Tampa	8 GB	18 cards, asking 100,000 USD for the lot	Source: @ghostinthedatacenter_87281, 2026-10-19 Source: @con3po7016, 2026-10-19
2026-10-23	recalled	not stated	"i remember when 170hx were 2k"	Source: @amishrakefightr, 2026-10-23
2026-10-24	general	not stated	at least 3,000 USD for a real card (said of the 700 USD AliExpress listings, see #AliExpress and shopping search)	Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24
2026-10-25	Sydney, local seller	not stated, sold liquid-cooled	3,000 AUD when bought; up 500 a week later; 4,300 AUD on 2026-10-25	Source: @zingy90210, 2026-10-25 Source: @zingy90210, 2026-10-25 Source: @zingy90210, 2026-10-25
2026-10-25	offer to a member	8 cards, Gen2 x16 cap mod done, factory tested	23k for the eight (in $, currency not stated)	Source: @siriusrhi, 2026-10-25 Source: @siriusrhi, 2026-10-25
2026-10-26	general	not stated	past 3,000: "prices of cmp has officially crossed 3k"	Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-26
2026-10-22	general	not stated	"almost 3K a card now" (DeeJay)	Source: @deejay9983, 2026-10-22
2026-10-21	one member's local market	10 GB	none for sale: in August "everyone was avoiding the 10g versions", now "nobody is selling them at all" (akkerstone)	Source: @akkerstone, 2026-10-21

A holder of more than 100 8 GB cards in China said they are hard to sell abroad because eBay's seller threshold is now high. Source: @newman_08462, 2026-10-07
Source: @newman_08462, 2026-10-07

Disputed prices

Contested 10 GB versus 8 GB price. On 2026-10-13 one member put the 10 GB card 500 to 800 USD below the 8 GB card; another said it costs much more because of its extra unlock. Source: @lenxtroz, 2026-10-13
Source: @endbr64, 2026-10-13 The same week the two cost about the same on Goofish while eBay still had the 10 GB card cheaper. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-13
Source: @froggao, 2026-10-13

Contested Listed versus delivered price, 2026-10-25. Alifond's cheapest 170HX listing was 2,600 USD (and 900 USD DDP for a V100). Source: @manicraft1001, 2026-10-25 @kellertreppe123 put the real price at 3,300 to 3,600 USD with shipping and taxes included, plus about 100 USD Alibaba payment fee. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25 The 2,600 USD listing was called "not real" for the 8 GB card; the poster agreed extra fees would likely follow. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-25
Source: @manicraft1001, 2026-10-25 Listings around 3,000 USD were judged likely out of stock or a scam. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25

Why prices moved

Prices follow the unlock news. Bridges went from 500 RMB to 780 to 900 RMB after the unlock. Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-10-08 One buyer's seller dragged out the order and raised the price twice while news broke. Source: @zaknafar, 2026-10-10
Sellers read the Discord. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04 "This discord seems to have an effect on price fixers actions in the market." Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-09
Reported Mining pulled cards back: before August nothing profitable could be mined on them, then PRL mining made them profitable again, no major farm is willing to ship, and the sourcing cost in China rose to 16,000 CNY or more per card (2026-10-25). Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-25
Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-25 Nobody confirmed this from inside China. Source: @_syn_thetic_, 2026-10-25

Rules of thumb

Opinions, not market data.

Contested GPUs settle at about 20 USD per GB of VRAM at end of life, and the 170HX should be 30 to 40 USD per GB, so about 1,920 to 2,560 USD. Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-06 Others say VRAM pricing is not linear. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-06
Contested A 170HX is worth about two RTX 3090s. Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-20 Or 1.5 once failure rates are counted. Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-21
Theory An AI estimate posted on 2026-10-25 put a 64 GB card at about 1,200 to 1,800 USD in a normal market without the unlock hype and PRL mining. Source: @con3po7016, 2026-10-25
Contested Wait or buy? On 2026-10-04 @_____josh_____ said prices would halve within weeks because sellers were chasing lost sales. Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-04
Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-04 Others said demand was lower but cards still sold, and that sellers would rather sell 10 cards at 3,000 than 100 at 1,000. Source: @sojun80, 2026-10-04
Source: @quark2world, 2026-10-04 Prices kept rising through October (see the table).

Alternatives people priced

A 40 GB A100 on eBay at 3,500 USD. Source: @deejay9983, 2026-10-07 A 40 GB A100 SXM4 module at about 2,300 to 2,500 USD plus a conversion board, which needs a 48 V supply. Source: @programmerboi, 2026-10-13
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-10-13 Four 32 GB V100 SXM2 cards plus an NVLink board for about 3,000 EUR (128 GB). Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24 Two unlocked 170HX instead of four RTX 3090s for one or two agents: the 170HX runs inference at about 200 W per card. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-05 80 GB A100 SXM4 modules at about 6,000 EUR before VAT from European refurbishers such as bargainhardware.eu (AIS on the US west coast was named as a major refurbisher), and 40 GB SXM4 modules at about 2,500 USD on eBay (2026-10-23 and 10-24). Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-10-23
Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-10-23
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-23
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24
Source: @intervitens, 2026-10-24 An eBay listing offered 600 racks of 32 40 GB A100s, so more A100s are coming to market. Source: @c133, 2026-10-26 Used workstation cards rose too: an RTX A2000 12 GB at 800 USD. Source: @lenxtroz, 2026-10-15

Contested Chinese "A100 SXM4 to PCIe" cards on eBay. One view: an SXM4 module on a conversion board, without NVLink, at about 2,500 USD plus 800 to 1,000 USD for the board, against 4,000 to 6,000 USD for a real A100 PCIe. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-08
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-08 The other: the GPU is removed from the SXM module, reballed and soldered onto a new A100 PCIe board, where only the device ID gives it away. Source: @petrikrohn_26497, 2026-10-08

More data points from 2026-10-24 to 10-26:

A large A100 server lot appeared on eBay (@froggao totted it up at 1.2 PB of system RAM and 384 TB of VRAM); @con3po7016 called about 6,500 USD per card plus the hardware not a bad price, and @theg9483 expects the market to be flush with cards soon. Source: @theg9483, 2026-10-24
Source: @froggao, 2026-10-24
Source: @froggao, 2026-10-24
Source: @con3po7016, 2026-10-24
An SXM4 baseboard was listed at about 10,000 USD. Single SXM4-to-PCIe adapters exist, but they are expensive too. @kellertreppe123 expects 40 GB A100s to become e-waste soon; @xeax: that could take a while, since even V100s have risen in price. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25
Source: @xeax, 2026-10-25
Source: @xeax, 2026-10-25
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25
Source: @xeax, 2026-10-26
In China (@ob88594): an A100 80 GB costs 80,000 to 90,000 CNY (about 12,000 USD) and "no one would even glance at that price"; an 8x Gaudi 2 server costs about 300,000 CNY (about 45,000 USD). For Gaudi 2, only a single-card OAM adapter has been handled properly so far, without the interconnect, and open-source optimization roughly approaches A100 performance. Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-26
Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-26
Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-26
V100. 16 GB V100s once sold for about 200 USD, with affordable SXM baseboards (@endsjeremy); prices have risen since (@xeax). @xeax recommends V100s as 4 or 8 SXM2 modules with NVLink and 1CatAI/1Cat-vLLM, an SM70-focused vLLM: without NVLink you cannot do tensor parallel, so inference is slower. V100s can also be driver-patched for gaming. Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-24
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-24
Source: @xeax, 2026-10-24
Source: @xeax, 2026-10-24
Source: repo github.com/1CatAI/1Cat-vLLM by 1CatAI on GitHub, posted by @xeax, 2026-10-24
Source: @xeax, 2026-10-24 In #development-general @lia_oc called a 32 GB V100 SXM "realistically" the next best value after the CMP, though four of them only reach 128 GB; @ob88594 answered that the core issue is that the V100 "cannot organize enough VRAM on a single node". Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-24
Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-24
Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-25
A100 SXM4 40 GB in the UK. About 2,400 GBP, cheaper than an 8 GB 170HX but with 24 GB less VRAM; a retail card, but not as easy to run (@lia_oc, 2026-10-24). Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-24
Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-24
Renting instead. Unlocked CMPs were offered for rent on Lium at about 200 USD per month. Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-24
Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-24

Selling an RTX PRO 6000 for CMPs?

Contested @siriusrhi considered selling two RTX PRO 6000 Max-Q cards, whose price had doubled locally (about a 60,000 AUD budget), for four or more CMP 170HX to run DeepSeek V4.1 Flash or GLM 5.3 Flash. He runs GLM 5.3 Flash on SGLang with an EXL3 quant and 8 x 524K contexts. Source: @siriusrhi, 2026-10-25
Source: @siriusrhi, 2026-10-25 The answers, in the order posted:

@shirogeek: first look at what people get from Maya and Strata; if the claims hold, more VRAM buys only a low single-digit percentage of speed. Source: @shirogeek, 2026-10-25
@ob88594: read the open-source 170HX projects on GitHub and their published numbers; that is what you get for 20 to 50 % of the price, so decide whether you accept it. A month earlier one RTX PRO 6000 traded for ten 8 GB 170HX; now about six, with bargaining. Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-25
Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-25
Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-25
@segmond: he would not sell a Pro 6000 for CMPs; the 6000 would crush the CMP if people put the same effort into tuning inference for it. Source: @segmond, 2026-10-25
Source: @segmond, 2026-10-25
@wakeupmbrc1: a Pro 6000 is about 20k and trades for 6 to 7 CMPs, which beat it "in anything"; a single CMP has about the same memory bandwidth as a Pro 6000 (he puts them at about 1.9 and about 2 TB/s). Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-25
Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-25
Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-25
Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-25
Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-25
@munisix owns Pro 6000 Max-Q cards but rarely uses them since he got seven 170HX running well; the CMPs are much harder to cool quietly (see Fans and ducts#Noise). Source: @munisix, 2026-10-25
Source: @munisix, 2026-10-25

Where people buy, and how it went

eBay

eBay gives the strongest buyer protection: 30-day returns, and eBay sides with the buyer. Source: @sojun80, 2026-10-14
Source: @froggao, 2026-10-14 Make sure the item can be returned at all, preferably for free. Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-14 By 2026-10-12 @djpandaman would just buy on eBay. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-12
Sellers cancelled when prices rose. One buyer ordered 8 cards from several sellers and got 2: "out of stock" liars. Source: @sojun80, 2026-10-07
Source: @sojun80, 2026-10-07 @gnasherrr ordered through eBay and some through Newegg: "And those got cancelled". Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-14
Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-14
Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-14
Many US listings do not ship to Germany. Source: @humandrone8721_60165, 2026-10-06 From the US to the EU expect 200 to 300 USD in transport and customs. Source: @quark2world, 2026-10-06
Sellers report the reverse scam: buyers who return rocks and still get refunded. Source: @ybryany, 2026-10-14

Alibaba

Contested Trade Assurance. Some always buy with it. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25 Others say suppliers game it: a claim keeps your money inside Alibaba, suppliers pressure you to cancel the order yourself, and the platform still tries to keep its fee. Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-25
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-25 One buyer found Trade Assurance no help and got the money back by a chargeback with his bank. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25
Quotes. A quote is nominally fixed for 10 days, but "we will raise the price later so buy now" is a bluff. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04 Sellers pretend not to understand fees or specs to keep the quote vague. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04 Different sales reps quote different prices and haggling works. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04 Unknown buyers get higher quotes; never confirm you would accept an earlier price. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04 Buyers from Korea were quoted higher; a friend asking in Chinese got a lower quote. Source: @artistosu, 2026-10-04
Source: @artistosu, 2026-10-04 A repeat customer got a 55 USD discount. Source: @cibernox, 2026-10-04
Resellers. A reseller may sit on your order hoping to find stock after his own supplier raised the price. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04 Some vendors list stock they do not have and source it on the fly. Source: @c133, 2026-10-17 Most excuses for delays are lies. Source: @artistosu, 2026-10-04
Refunds. A seller-cancelled order refunded in full, after a 30-day wait. Source: @skirtchaser, 2026-10-04
Source: @skirtchaser, 2026-10-04 A wire takes 7 to 10 days each way, so a wire refund takes about twice as long. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04
Warning Payment stuck. @fnerdman's 8-card order from the seller of the Alibaba listing "170HX-B300-Turbo-GDDR6X-384Bit", paid by T/T, sat for two weeks in the "supplier must confirm payment" state although the money had arrived. Source: @fnerdman, 2026-10-18 An earlier lot of 48 he had locked in with that seller never shipped. Source: @fnerdman, 2026-10-18 @adusts: "this seems to be the same seller using multiple different accounts". Search the Discord before buying from any Alibaba merchant. Source: @adusts, 2026-10-18
Source: @adusts, 2026-10-18
One buyer's results. @boz._. bought 10 cards through Alibaba from several suppliers; only Alifond was not a scam, and it refunded a card with bad HBM. The suppliers he names are under #Sellers and suppliers. Source: @boz._., 2026-10-23
Condition. Cards from Alifond arrived very dirty, with thermal pads missing on the back of the PCB and on the side components, although Alifond does the cap mod before shipping. Source: @_syn_thetic_, 2026-10-25
Source: @_syn_thetic_, 2026-10-25 @kellertreppe123 called the quality horrendous: his Alifond card had a bent bracket, oxidation and a screw rusted off, likely from a water-curtain cooling installation, and his cards had about 3,000 hours on them. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-19
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-19
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-23 Outside corrosion means the board may be corroding too. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-19 Plan to clean, repad and repaste such cards; see Cooling and power.
Contact harvesting. After one quote request on Alibaba, @kellertreppe123 got three emails from different addresses. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-18 @djpandaman: "Joshua keeps texting my WhatsApp which is exclusively for family and friends". Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-18
Excuses. @landontg's Alibaba seller, recommended by @redpandamining, stalled because uploaded documents had not been reviewed by Alibaba "since it is a holiday"; @voidgiraffe said the seller did not look like any Ailfond rep he had talked to. Source: @landontg, 2026-10-04
Source: @landontg, 2026-10-04
Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-04

Xianyu (Goofish) and Taobao

The price ladder. @djpandaman: the closer you buy to the Chinese source, the cheaper it gets. From most to least expensive: eBay, AliExpress, Alibaba, Taobao and 1688, then Xianyu. He goes no further than Taobao: Xianyu is too niche and he has found little there he would not buy on Taobao, though others use it. Taobao and Xianyu need a third-party forwarder or a contact to ship abroad; forwarding has a fixed shipping cost, so the savings outpace it only as the order grows. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
@ob88594: Xianyu has everything, and there is a good chance a listing comes with a water-cooling package. Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-24
Lower prices exist, but you need a proxy, sellers will not run tests, and they cancel or do not ship. Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-07
Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-07
Xianyu is a used market. Sales between individuals are tax exempt in China; you pay import duty or VAT at your destination. A registered business seller adds Chinese VAT. Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-06
Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-06 The platform takes 0.6 percent. Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-06
Warning A large share of Xianyu requests to deal off the platform are scams. Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-06 A seller offering a much lower price wanted payment in USDT. Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-04 Anonymous payment is "perfect for scammers". Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-04
Most foreign-facing sellers are middlemen who buy on Xianyu and resell on eBay. Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-04
Warning Buying agents such as Superbuy, and Goofish forwarding, have no GPU test bench. One buyer's CMP cards bought that way arrived dead. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25 For other goods they work well. Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-12 Agents earn on the exchange rate and shipping; negotiate with the seller first and have the agent use that price. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-12
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-12 @spectakkular's guess: agents negotiate a discount with the seller after you submit the order, before they place it (which is why placing takes them ages), and keep the spread. @djpandaman had a Taobao order from Bykski (fittings, pumps) discounted about 40 percent off the listed price once it was in the cart, and does not know whether Superbuy would have passed that discount on. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-12
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-12
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-12 Superbuy adds 5 percent to the exchange rate in its estimates, and its cache shows old listing prices. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-11
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-11
Theory A local tech agent in China who checks hardware before export, for about a 10 percent fee. At least one member uses one; nobody named one or reported results. Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-25
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-25 @djpandaman buys through an Alibaba agent and thinks its 10 percent fee is too high. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-12
In person: Huaqiangbei in Shenzhen is unlikely to have them openly. Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-10-14
Source: @daveedcoles, 2026-10-14 @wakeupmbrc1 orders through Taobao or Goofish to Horgos and collects the cards there. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-17
Buying on Xianyu directly avoids tariffs and is cheaper than AliExpress, but even a member with that access called it a hassle. Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-26
Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-26

AliExpress and shopping search

Warning AliExpress 170HX listings are scams: "always has been, always will be". Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-12 Sellers there messaged buyers asking for an extra 500 USD for shipping. Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-14 A 700 USD listing that asked for crypto only was raised on 2026-10-14. Source: @ybryany, 2026-10-14 Any seller who asks you to move to WhatsApp and pay only in crypto is a red flag; you give up all buyer protection. Source: @galygious, 2026-10-14 Cheap 170HX results on Google Shopping are pay-by-crypto scams. Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-27
Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-27

Warning 700 USD listings that take only ETH or BTC (2026-10-24). @feralzi found many AliExpress listings for the CMP 170HX at about 700 USD, one of them the top Google result when searching for the card. Asked by @froggao whether the sellers just ask for crypto, he confirmed they accept only ETH or BTC. Real cards cost at least 3,000 USD at the time, and @phoenixone7 and @djpandaman agree these listings are almost certainly scams; AliExpress is flooded with them. @djpandaman's rule of thumb: if something from China is cheaper on AliExpress than on Taobao or Xianyu, something is fishy. Do not pay these; buy where a return is possible and pay by a method your own bank can reverse (see #Paying). Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-24
Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-24
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24
Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-24
Source: @froggao, 2026-10-24
Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-10-24
Source: @phoenixone7, 2026-10-24
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-24
Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-24

Local and in person

Run a test unlock, or a test script, from a bootable Linux USB stick before you pay. Source: @dottoreargus, 2026-10-11
Source: @dottoreargus, 2026-10-11 A local 8 GB card at 700 EUR is a good buy if it powers on. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-11
For an untested local card, check it is not the 32 GB version; the quick check is to run the unlock. Source: @dottoreargus, 2026-10-19
Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-19
Some sellers prefer cash in person over eBay because of chargeback scams. Source: @hamuki, 2026-10-25
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25

Sellers and suppliers

What members reported about named sellers in October 2026. Each line is what the poster said, with the source; it is not a recommendation. Members' own sales are at the end.

Alifond

Also written Ailfond, ALiFond and Fond. Most October buyers in the Discord dealt with this seller.

Names and storefronts. "Vinsen alifond is basically Huateng Technology just a different name" (@kellertreppe123). Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-23 "huantang is alifond in hong kong, I'd choose that version of the company to deal with" (@endsjeremy). Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-25 Cards carry an "aliiphone" / "Aliifond" sticker, the same sticker found on the eBay listings from ALISE EXPRESS (@lenxtroz, @matstatman). Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-12
Source: @lenxtroz, 2026-10-12 Some say a very large eBay seller is "the same seller as alibabas alifond" (@djpandaman). Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-17
Buying direct. "alifond can be contacted directly via alise operations", bypassing eBay and other fees, paying by PayPal or credit card (@_syn_thetic_). Source: @_syn_thetic_, 2026-10-25 @endsjeremy found the site, aliseoperations.com; there is not much in its US-based store. Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-25
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-25 On 2026-10-23 @kellertreppe123 posted its AliExpress listing ("selling for 'cheap' on aliexpress still"), added "but i am not trusting this anymore", and expects them to "keep the money for a while and refund". Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-23
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-23
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-23
Prices. The early-October quotes are in #Prices as reported. About 2,600 USD while Xianyu sellers quoted 1,800 to 1,900; when cards jumped about 500 USD on 2026-10-06, @voidgiraffe: "its just ailfond". Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-06
Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-06 @spectakkular: if Ailfond believed 2,600 was the real value they would buy up the domestic 1,800 stock; they price on what customers are willing to pay. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-06
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-08 A repeat customer got 55 USD off. Source: @cibernox, 2026-10-04 Different Ailfond sales reps quoted different prices, and buyers from Korea were quoted higher. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04
Source: @artistosu, 2026-10-04 Same price for both variants on eBay (@rrickk420). Source: @rrickk420, 2026-10-09 On 2026-10-16 "alifond updated their price" (@junsulee119), while "their ebay listing is still 3k" (@_arcanum_). Source: @junsulee119, 2026-10-16
Source: @_arcanum_, 2026-10-16 On 2026-10-25: 900 USD DDP for a V100 and 2,600 USD for a 170HX (@manicraft1001), disputed in #Disputed prices. Source: @manicraft1001, 2026-10-25 Several weeks before 2026-10-19 it advertised a built 170HX server for about "20g" (@endsjeremy). Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-19
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-19
What buyers reported. Cards came already x16 modded (@voidgiraffe). Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-04 "they won't test the exact cards you are buying" (@_____josh_____). Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-08 Against that, @landontg posted the pre-shipment video ALiFond sent him: "a video from ALiFond before they ship to me". Source: @landontg, 2026-10-09 "Alifond told me they were testing 80/96, I thought it was a joke", about 10 GB cards (@matstatman). Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-09
Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-09 @landontg received a video from ALiFond of his cards running before they shipped. Source: @landontg, 2026-10-09 @programmer_007's card hit 85 C with the fan at full speed; the fan "came with alifond package". Source: @programmer_007, 2026-10-15
Source: @programmer_007, 2026-10-15 Shipping was good, but the cards were "absolutely filthy" with thermal pads missing (@_syn_thetic_); "quality of them was horendous" (@kellertreppe123). Source: @_syn_thetic_, 2026-10-25
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-25 @kellertreppe123's Alifond card arrived with a bent bracket, oxidation and a rusted screw. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-19
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-19 @adusts waited "like a straight month" for an Alifond shipment. Source: @adusts, 2026-10-18 @boz._. got a refund through Alibaba for a card with bad HBM, and found Alifond "the only one that wasnt a scam" of his Alibaba suppliers. Source: @boz._., 2026-10-23 Alifond programmed @peter643's PEX88096 switch board for 4x x4 bifurcation but would not share the firmware, citing an NDA. Source: @peter643, 2026-10-07
Source: @peter643, 2026-10-08 It also sells an SXM NVLink board for V100s. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24
Contested Vouches.
- "alifond huatang or what they are called are vouched from multiple guys here"; 2.6k USD DDP with the capacitor mod is acceptable (@kellertreppe123, 2026-10-04). Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-04
  Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-04
- "The multiple guys are their own bot accounts. Don't fall for it" (@_____josh_____); "this is true tho" (@djpandaman). Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-04
  Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04
- "id trust shenzen creative technology or alifond" (@kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24). Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24

Maggy Zhou (Alibaba sales rep)

@sojun80 ordered from her about 2021 and again two months before 2026-10-11: "still good yea she's the miner's pick has been for a while". Source: @sojun80, 2026-10-11
Source: @sojun80, 2026-10-11
@finishtilt14 bought from her about two years earlier on a mining YouTuber's recommendation, but "since summer its been such a russian roulette to buy from anyone". Source: @finishtilt14, 2026-10-11
"Maggy is the goat" (@spectakkular). Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-11 @kellertreppe123 likes her "but shes not giving me the dear price"; later "Maggie Zhou is also vouched from what i read", and he expected V100s "from maggie". Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-11
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-23
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24
Another rep named in the same thread: "shoutout Guiyu" (@djpandaman). Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04

Alibaba suppliers named in @boz._.'s results

Warning @boz._. reports, from 10 cards bought through Alibaba (2026-10-23): Source: @boz._., 2026-10-23

Phat Trading Company / CONG TY TNHH DUC: "blatant scammers, profile now removed from alibaba".
Emma Lin / Shenzhen Yige Gangbeng Technology Co., Ltd.: "took my money and sat on it a couple weeks then said they can't get stock and refunded".
Lilian Lilian / Xi'an Qujiang New District Reicha Microelectronics Product Sales Department: "tried to sell me 32gb stock, delays, tried every excuse to cancel". @kellertreppe123 also reports "do not buy from them" about this seller, with two chat screenshots (2026-10-11). Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-11
Adolph ZhuGe / Shenzhen Qianbao Technology Co., Ltd.: "waiting on stock", "stock was defective", "just heaps of delays then eventually offered a refund".

Suppliers members said they would trust: Shenzhen Creative Technology (@kellertreppe123) Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24; Shenzhen Suqiao Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. ("Add ... to the list", @lenxtroz). Source: @lenxtroz, 2026-10-25

Other sellers and listings

xiulianjesen (Shenzhen). @kellertreppe123 got "2180$ with ddp" on 2026-10-07 and asked whether anyone had bought there; on 2026-10-26 he asked again about "xulianjiesen". No one answered with an experience. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-07
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-07
Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-26
Huateng price sheet about 2026-10-23, posted by @legitsplit: 170HX 3,199 and 3,099 USD, 90HX and 50HX 248 USD, V100 32 GB PCIe 725 USD, 4090 48 GB 4,718 USD. Source: @legitsplit, 2026-10-26
"LEGIT DEAL For New CMP 170HX" (Alibaba, 850 USD): see #Scam patterns.
"170HX-B300-Turbo-GDDR6X-384Bit" (Alibaba): see the T/T payment report under #Alibaba.
Superbuy (buying agent): see #Xianyu (Goofish) and Taobao.
gpulab.net (US): lists the x16 mod as a service at about 500 USD. Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-16

Members selling cards, kits and services

Offers posted in October 2026, as posted; they are not current listings.

Member	Offer	Date	Source
@reala7096	4x 8 GB, tested, no x16 mod, 2,400 EUR each, free shipping in the EU only	2026-10-15	Source: @reala7096, 2026-10-15 Source: @reala7096, 2026-10-15
@vektor_prime	2x 8 GB (confirmed working with cmpunlocker) and 1x 10 GB, Chicago area, 200 USD under eBay	2026-10-17	Source: @vektor_prime, 2026-10-17
@matstatman, @cmurrayis	8 GB at 5,500 USD and 5,000 USD each	2026-10-19	Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-19 Source: @cmurrayis, 2026-10-19
@port00	eBay Australia listing 237134840669; one card cap-modded; cash buyers save the eBay fees	2026-10-21 to 10-22	Source: @port00, 2026-10-21 Source: @port00, 2026-10-22
@hamuki, @solada_28598	3x and 2x 8 GB, EU	2026-10-25 to 10-26	Source: @hamuki, 2026-10-25 Source: @solada_28598, 2026-10-26
@colo2442	8x SlimSAS i8 cables plus PCIe x16 adapters, Europe or Germany	2026-10-06	Source: @colo2442, 2026-10-06
@squishysquare	3D-printed shrouds, fans and power cables as a ready-to-go kit (dual and quad), by DM. @ikyo bought the quad version; the EPS cables that came with his PSU did not work with it	2026-10-04	Source: @squishysquare, 2026-10-04 Source: @ikyo, 2026-10-04
@gmzombie	x16 cap mod through an eBay listing, about 50 USD plus shipping, discount for several cards	2026-10-04	Source: @gmzombie, 2026-10-04 Source: @gmzombie, 2026-10-04
@tokukarin	offers the cap mod service; did all his own cards	2026-10-04	Source: @tokukarin, 2026-10-04
@ikyo	knows someone who last quoted 100 USD per card for the cap mod	2026-10-04	Source: @ikyo, 2026-10-04
@neapopa	"i'd supply the caps and ask for $50"	2026-10-27	Source: @neapopa, 2026-10-27

Paying

"Always buy hardware by means that will let you charge back locally with your own bank." Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-14

@mfj4's ranking, from safest to most "gone". He wrote it with an AI from his own experience and asks you to take it with a grain of salt. Source: @mfj4, 2026-10-14
Source: @mfj4, 2026-10-14

Credit card through PayPal Goods and Services
Debit card through PayPal Goods and Services
A real Alibaba Trade Assurance order on a credit card
Affirm or another "pay in 4" service
A seller's "order link" on any site
Alipay transfers, PayPal Friends and Family, Zelle, wire, crypto, gift cards

Debit card chargebacks exist under Visa's rules but are weaker, and the money is out of your account while you wait. Source: @mfj4, 2026-10-14
Source: @adusts, 2026-10-14 Never use PayPal Friends and Family with a seller. Source: @mfj4, 2026-10-14

Costs of the safer options: about 3 percent credit card fee plus 2 percent foreign exchange fee Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-04, and about 3 percent for Trade Assurance. Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-04 One quote was about 300 EUR higher by Visa or Apple Pay than by wire. Source: @busulle, 2026-10-04 "That extra 2-3% you pay for credit card is a life saver for charge back." Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04 A US wire takes 7 to 10 days and cannot be stopped once sent. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04 Some members pay suppliers they trust in USDT, which gives no recourse. Source: @sojun80, 2026-10-04

For parts, contacting a supplier directly for a combined order got @_syn_thetic_ about 140 USD per water block, with discounts even on a small order: "just always use paypal and credit card". Source: @_syn_thetic_, 2026-10-25
Source: @_syn_thetic_, 2026-10-25

Shipping, customs and tax

Check the incoterm on every quote. DAP to the US means you pay customs and about 50 percent tariffs on arrival, though it is usually the fastest. Source: @lenxtroz, 2026-10-04
Source: @lenxtroz, 2026-10-04 A DDP order to the EU went through the seller's own shipper into Germany and then on. Source: @busulle, 2026-10-04
Source: @busulle, 2026-10-04
EU: about 500 EUR in taxes on a card bought inside the EU. Source: @matstatman, 2026-10-18 Swiss VAT is 8.1 percent. Source: @shirogeek, 2026-10-18 There are few ex-mining cards in the EU because electricity was too expensive to mine. Source: @busulle, 2026-10-04
Buying agents can put a lower value on the customs declaration, and will by default. Superbuy under-declared a package for @spectakkular; he made them redeclare it at full value. If you want the full value declared, tell the agent. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-12
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-12
When @wakeupmbrc1 offered to act as a forwarder near the Chinese border, @spectakkular's view was that a domestic middleman (one in your own country) is better, because then you have legal protection. Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-12
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-12
If a quote from China includes Chinese tax, an export channel could recover about 13 percent. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-06
Shipping damage: one of four cards bought by PayPal Goods and Services with shipping insurance arrived in a box with a hole and a bracket bent about 30 degrees. It had shown proof of life and unlock before shipping and was no longer detected on PCIe. He filed a shipping insurance claim and would not know the outcome for about two weeks. Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-18
Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-18
Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-18
Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-18 Reballing a die this size is a job for a repair shop. Source: @_orrorin, 2026-10-18

Scam patterns

Warning Patterns members ran into, with what happened.

Fake tracking. An Alibaba seller built a fake tracking website and tracking number and stretched the Alibaba dispute twice; Alibaba sided with the seller despite the evidence. Only a credit card chargeback recovered the money. Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-07
A box of metal plates. @darkmaniac7 received a sealed multi-card order, bought on eBay, that contained metal plates instead of cards. The parcel came from Hong Kong through a forwarder that had repacked it. The shipping label declared a different item and about half the weight the parcel really had. He filmed the unboxing in one continuous take from the sealed box, kept the delivery camera footage, weighed the parcel, and opened an eBay Money Back Guarantee case ("not as described"). He kept all messages on eBay and refused partial refunds; a card chargeback was held back as the fallback because filing one closes the eBay case. The case was still open when this page was written. Source: @darkmaniac7, 2026-10-26 (lab notes)
Fake delivery to someone else. @mfj4 paid 3,000 USD by PayPal Goods and Services on a credit card for two cards from a Facebook Marketplace listing, "CMP 170HX 8Gb 16x PCIe 64GB Unlock", 1,200 USD each. The seller talked shop and said they modded cards locally. After three weeks of delays the chat moved from Facebook to Gmail, and the FedEx delivery photos showed someone else's door; the seller would not send a picture of the label. After he filed an Item Not Received claim, a new tracking number showed "delivered" to another address in his town. PayPal refunded him the same day. His lessons: Goods and Services on a credit card, never Friends and Family; a seller who will not screenshot the label is your answer; screenshot carrier delivery photos the day they post; file the claim before the fake "delivered" scan; export the chat, because your address in writing matters. Source: @mfj4, 2026-10-14
Source: @mfj4, 2026-10-14
Source: @mfj4, 2026-10-14 @adusts says the pattern is common: a friend of his was hit the same way, with a fake UPS tracking number and payment through a checkout link the seller supplied. Source: @adusts, 2026-10-14
Source: @adusts, 2026-10-14
Source: @adusts, 2026-10-14
Far below market, crypto or wire only. An Alibaba listing titled "LEGIT DEAL" at 850 USD took wire transfer only and blocked the buyer after questions. Source: @domrockt2, 2026-10-07 AliExpress listings at about 700 USD on 2026-10-24 took only ETH or BTC. Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-24 See also #AliExpress and shopping search.
Cancel or reprice after the news. See #eBay and #Why prices moved.
Extra money after payment. Demands for more shipping money after the purchase. Source: @feralzi, 2026-10-14 E1.S drive cages from AliExpress, Alibaba and Taobao followed the same pattern: every seller asked for more money after purchase or claimed the item was broken. Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-10-26
"New" cards and 32 GB boards. See #Boards that are not what they seem.
Reused test videos. See #What to ask a seller for.
Contested Vouches. Whether the many vouches for Alifond are real is disputed; see #Alifond.
No Trade Assurance. @artistosu reports the seller in his screenshot is a scammer, and @spectakkular says the same seller refused Trade Assurance; the name is only in the screenshot. Source: @artistosu, 2026-10-04
Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-04 @djpandaman reports that a seller shown in two of his screenshots (one person, two accounts) "owes me 2 grand". Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04
Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-04
Parts too. A PLX switch board seller with all-positive reviews and good communication sent a defective board twice; it shorted when the CPU power connectors were plugged in. Source: @lubakmanqk, 2026-10-22
Source: @lubakmanqk, 2026-10-23
Source: @lubakmanqk, 2026-10-23

How often cards are bad

Contested

@_____josh_____: the cards have a 50 percent failure rate, the good stock sold earlier, and sellers now mix lemons into shipments. Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-08
Source: @_____josh_____, 2026-10-08
Others: 5 of 5 good Source: @c133, 2026-10-08, 12 of 12 bought a month before the leak Source: @bigfoot1144, 2026-10-08, 4 of 4 Source: @cibernox, 2026-10-08; "nowhere near that high". Source: @lia_oc, 2026-10-08 @ghostinthedatacenter_87281 returned one bad 8 GB card. Source: @ghostinthedatacenter_87281, 2026-10-07
@civiloid: the overall failure rate reported in the Discord is about 20 percent. Source: @civiloid, 2026-10-13
Cheap 8 GB cards in China are often the ones that failed to unlock. Known faults: HBM memory errors, GSP that cannot initialize, engineering-sample versions. Source: @bayley_w, 2026-10-13
Source: @ob88594, 2026-10-13 One member's first card had hundreds of memory errors, too many to work around. Source: @replacedriver47, 2026-10-13
Resellers of mining cards usually do not test; refunds for bad units are built into their margins. Source: @spectakkular, 2026-10-08

What to do with a card that fails is on Testing and burn-in and Troubleshooting.

The x16 cap mod

Stock cards lack the AC-coupling capacitors on 12 of 16 PCIe lanes and train at x4; the cap mod restores x16. It only changes transfer speed. If you may return the card, test it before soldering. Source: repo github.com/dev-boz/cmp170hx-testsuite by dev-boz on GitHub, posted by @boz._., 2026-10-09. Some cards are sold with the mod done. Source: @voidgiraffe, 2026-10-04
Source: @wakeupmbrc1, 2026-10-16

What people paid to have it done:

45 USD per card at a local microsoldering shop in California, found by searching Yelp for "microsolder" and calling around; he supplied the 0402 capacitors. Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-21
Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-21
Source: @gnasherrr, 2026-10-21
About 50 CNY in China. Source: @lxtend, 2026-10-21
A local shop asked 175 USD per card with the capacitors supplied, and would not guarantee the card would be "repaired". Source: @danske1, 2026-10-27
Source: @danske1, 2026-10-27
gpulab.net lists the mod as a service at about 500 USD; the tools to do it yourself cost under 100 USD. Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-16
Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-16

How to do it is on Unlocks.

Other parts people bought

Part	Price reported	Date	Source
PEX88096 PCIe switch boards	3 boards with cables and risers for 1,200 CAD (about 850 USD)	2026-10-22	Source: @gpmickey, 2026-10-22 Source: @gpmickey, 2026-10-22
PEX88096 board on Goofish	about 1,300 RMB, untested by the poster	2026-10-16	Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-10-16
NVLink bridge, dual slot (900-53651-0000-000)	Taobao quote 780 RMB unbranded, 900 RMB NVIDIA branded, no volume discount; US retail 150 USD plus tax; about 500 RMB before the unlock	2026-10-07 to 10-08	Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-07 Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-08 Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-08 Source: @dalzyyy, 2026-10-08
DDR4 ECC RDIMM	about 3 to 3.5 USD per GB (2400/2666); 64 GB 2933 at 230 to 280 EUR	2026-10-06	Source: @zorg33, 2026-10-06 Source: @quark2world, 2026-10-06
DDR4 ECC RDIMM	32 GB 2400 at 150 USD; 32 GB 3200 at 220 AUD; "no cheap ddr4, nothing, anywhere"	2026-10-25	Source: @mlx4, 2026-10-25 Source: @zingy90210, 2026-10-25 Source: @endsjeremy, 2026-10-26
DDR4 RDIMM, 256 GB (8x 32 GB 2933)	1,724.68 AUD	early October 2026	Source: @globalapathy, 2026-10-16
DDR4 from local decommissioned servers	960 GB (60x 16 GB 2666) for 300 USD; used DIMMs bring bad sticks	2026-10-12	Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-12 Source: @sojun80, 2026-10-12
EPYC platform	7742 with board and 256 GB 2933 for 1,200 USD (mid 2025); EU board alone about 1,100 EUR now	2026-10-21	Source: @froggao, 2026-10-21 Source: @rh3dai, 2026-10-21
EPS-to-EPS cables (Australia)	Amazon or PC Case Gear, then trim with a Dremel to fit; @danske1 bought 8 with a Gigabyte chassis from eBay AU item 800469481794, which ships from China	2026-10-27	Source: @zarquon3157, 2026-10-27 Source: @danske1, 2026-10-27 Source: @danske1, 2026-10-27
PEX88096 per-slot bifurcation	needs custom switch firmware; the procedure and files are on an oshwhub project page; Alifond preloaded it on @peter643's board but would not share it (NDA); only about 8 bytes seem to change	2026-10-07 to 10-08	Source: @peter643, 2026-10-07 Source: @peter643, 2026-10-08
Tyan S8030GM2NE board	about 3,000 yuan new in box; @djpandaman bought his from the Taobao shop 苏锐服务器 (shop_id 69496519)	2026-10-12	Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-12 Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-12 Source: @djpandaman, 2026-10-12
E1.S 4 TB drives (Intel NVMe)	8 for 2,000 total on AliExpress from a seller with 2 reviews; the first seller was a scam. That is about 16 USD per TB; @civiloid puts new NVMe at about 100 USD per TB or more (the cheapest he ever saw was about 45 USD per TB for QLC in 2023) and says E1.S being rarer than U.2/U.3 does not matter much	2026-10-15 to 10-23	Source: @civiloid, 2026-10-15 Source: @civiloid, 2026-10-15 Source: @civiloid, 2026-10-15 Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-10-23 Source: @cute_sc2, 2026-10-24

Where to look for cheap DDR4: used workstations often hide cheap DDR4 ECC (@kellertreppe123); DDR3 ECC is the fallback, depending on how desperate you are (@xeax); @petrikrohn_26497 calls DDR4 unobtainable now. Source: @kellertreppe123, 2026-10-24
Source: @xeax, 2026-10-24
Source: @petrikrohn_26497, 2026-10-24

Water blocks, fans and power supplies are on Cooling and power. Boards and servers are on the platform pages.

Checking a card on arrival

Follow the Acceptance checklist. Test inside the return window, and keep the evidence.