01
Why the RTX 4090 still holds its value
Ada Lovelace did not lose its audience when Blackwell arrived. The 4090's 24GB keeps it in front of people running local language models, Blender and long video timelines, a demand that sits underneath the gaming market rather than replacing it.
The 4080 Super and 4070 Ti Super hold the sensible middle: enough memory for 1440p and light creative work without the power draw and case-clearance problems of a 4090. The 4070 and below suit compact builds and ordinary power supplies.
02
The 16-pin connector is the first check
High-end 40 series cards use the 12VHPWR connector, and it is unforgiving of a plug that was never seated fully. We inspect the card's socket and the bundled adapter under good light for browning on the pins, melted plastic on the housing, and deformation of the latch.
Discolouration is not an automatic rejection. A lightly marked adapter with a clean socket is still a card we buy: we price in a replacement cable and note it for the next owner. Damaged pins in the socket itself are a different conversation, and we will show you what we are looking at.
Bring the adapter that came in the box, even if you ran a native cable from your power supply.
03
Repastes, liquid metal and cooler condition
A 4090 that has been repasted is a common sight, and a well-executed job is a plus. Ada's large dies push their factory paste hard, and after two or three years in a warm room a card that holds its boost clock through a long render beats one that sheds 200MHz ten minutes in.
Liquid metal is the one thing to declare. Applied properly on a bare die it works; migrated onto nearby surface components, it does not, and we will want the cooler off before quoting. Mention it before you set off and nothing changes when the cooler comes off.
These are heavy cards, so we check the board for sag stress at the slot and the bracket for bends. Cosmetic scrapes are minor; a twisted bracket is not.
04
Send the exact variant, not just the number
Ada has more confusable names than any recent generation — 4080 and 4080 Super, 4070 and 4070 Super, 4070 Ti and 4070 Ti Super. Each one is quoted separately, so give us the model exactly as printed on the card or the box, Super included.
Send that on WhatsApp with a photo of the card, one of the power socket and one of the serial sticker. Say whether the box, the adapter and the invoice are still with it, and whether the card has run any sustained workload other than gaming — rendering nodes and fine-tuning runs count. The written offer comes back on that basis, and the free bench test either confirms it or explains why not.