ZOTAC Denies RTX 5070 Ti RMA Claim After User Ships Card for $40 Due to Fan Issue Citing Scratches Near PCIe Interface
A new RMA dispute has surfaced in the PC hardware community, echoing a similar situation recently involving ASUS and an RTX 5090. This time, a ZOTAC RTX 5070 Ti owner reports that their warranty claim was denied despite the card being fully functional and sent in solely for fan repair. The incident was detailed by Reddit user u I Main TwistedFate, who shared the full experience on Reddit, with an additional update available.
According to the user, the GPU began producing abnormal noise due to faulty fans. Wanting the issue resolved through warranty, they shipped the card to ZOTAC for inspection at their own expense which amounted to forty dollars. After review, ZOTAC informed the user that they have “Limited Tools” to conduct the repair, though it was unclear whether this referenced the fans or the PCB. Based on the follow up communication, it appears they were referring to what they described as scratches or a crack near the PCIe interface.
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In a second email, ZOTAC claimed the PCB near the PCIe connector had an irreparable crack. As a result, they denied warranty service entirely. More unusually, ZOTAC then presented the customer with two choices: have the graphics card returned in its current state with no fan repair or allow ZOTAC to dispose of the card at their facility at no cost.
The user reiterated online that the GPU is fully functional and only required fan servicing. They are now attempting to forward the card to Gamers Nexus for third party examination and verification to determine whether the claimed damage truly impacts the card’s behavior.
The situation closely mirrors recent reports involving ASUS, where repair requests were denied due to secondary defects unrelated to the customer’s original RMA purpose. The growing concern among consumers is the perception that vendors are scrutinizing every microscopic PCB detail even when the request has nothing to do with the cited issue. While thorough inspection is justified in warranty procedures, critics argue that small cosmetic marks or scratches that do not impair performance should not override legitimate repair claims.
Cases like this raise ongoing questions about RMA transparency, repair fairness, and consumer protection surrounding high value PC components. With more users sharing their experiences publicly, the community continues to scrutinize how manufacturers interpret and enforce physical condition clauses within warranty policies.
What do you think about GPU vendors denying RMAs over unrelated cosmetic damage? Should functional defects still be repaired when unrelated marks exist on the PCB? Share your thoughts below.
