Scam Alert: User Pays $2,000 for a “Cheap” RTX 5090, Receives GPU With No Chip or VRAM Installed
The high-stakes market for NVIDIA's flagship GPUs has given rise to yet another shocking scam—this time involving a fake ZOTAC GeForce RTX 5090 with its core components entirely removed. A recent teardown by the trusted YouTube repair channel Northwestrepair has exposed the growing sophistication of GPU scams, particularly surrounding sought-after high-end cards.
A $2,000 Mistake: Missing GPU Chip and VRAM
According to Northwestrepair, a user who purchased what was advertised as a ZOTAC RTX 5090 for $2,000 USD from a Chinese seller found themselves victim to a cruel bait-and-switch. The card arrived intact in appearance, complete with an imposing heatsink and branded backplate. However, when disassembled for inspection, it was discovered that the entire GPU substrate, the critical GB202 die, and all GDDR7 memory chips had been ripped off the PCB.
This wasn't a typical case of a wrong chip being soldered onto a fake board—as seen in some RTX 4090 scams—but rather a completely hollowed-out PCB, making the unit visually deceptive yet functionally worthless. Since the GPU chip and memory modules account for up to 80% of the manufacturing cost, the remainder of the board has no standalone value.
A Growing Trend of Sophisticated GPU Frauds
This is far from an isolated incident. In previous cases, GPU packaging has been filled with backpacks, rice, or even pasta, and still resealed to appear genuine. But the latest trend involves gutted real PCBs, using either pre-owned or factory-rejected boards with removed dies, making the fraud extremely hard to detect until professional inspection.
In this case, the card also featured damaged screws and concealed indicators, adding to the challenge for regular users to disassemble and inspect the unit.
The Buyer’s Logic and the RTX 5090 Hype
The buyer, believing they were securing a rare bargain in the overheated RTX 5090 market, was lured by the $2,000 offer—well below the typical market price exceeding $2,500–$3,000 USD. The RTX 5090, built on NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace-Next architecture, is a hot commodity not only among gamers but also AI professionals, especially since RTX 5090 and 5090D are banned from export to China under U.S. trade regulations.
This restriction has created a gray-market demand and made it fertile ground for counterfeit sellers and component scavengers looking to make quick profits off desperate buyers.
YouTuber’s Advice: “If It’s Too Cheap, It’s Not Real”
Northwestrepair warns that any RTX 5090 sold below retail price without official distributor backing should be considered suspicious. Given the tight global inventory, export limitations, and elevated production costs, scammers are exploiting consumer eagerness with increasingly convincing forgeries.
What Can Buyers Do?
Only buy from authorized retailers or verified marketplaces.
Avoid deals that seem too good to be true, especially from third-party international sellers.
Inspect packaging for tampering or inconsistencies in serial numbers, weight, or included accessories.
Use payment methods with buyer protection, and verify seller reputation thoroughly before purchase.
Don’t hesitate to get a GPU inspected by a local technician if anything feels off.
Have you ever come across a fake GPU or questionable seller? What steps do you take to avoid scams when buying high-end hardware?
