Nvidia RTX 5090 eBay Scalping Thwarted by Photo Frames

The highly anticipated RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs have launched, creating a frenzy in the market. Their high performance and price tag have resulted in immediate sellouts across most retail channels, leaving many gamers and professionals disappointed.

Consequently, both cards, particularly the RTX 5090, are experiencing significant price gouging on secondary marketplaces like eBay. Prices for the RTX 5090 rapidly escalated from over $6,000 to a shocking $9,000 – a 350% markup over its $1,999 MSRP.

This exorbitant demand stems from the RTX 5090's suitability for both gaming and demanding AI workloads. Startups and AI businesses, unable to afford Nvidia's datacenter GPUs, see the RTX 5090 as a viable, albeit costly, alternative for local model processing.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Images

5 ImagesThe scarcity and price inflation haven't gone unnoticed. eBay is now flooded with deceptive listings, selling framed pictures of the RTX 5090 instead of the actual GPU.

One such listing explicitly states: "Bots and scalpers welcome, do not buy if you are a human, you will be getting a framed photo of the 5090, you will not receive the 5090. The photo detentions [sic] is 8 inches by 8 inches, I got the frame from Target. DO NOT BUY IF YOU’RE A HUMAN.”

Another listing, sold for $2,457, clearly advertised: “Geforce RTX 5090 (read description) Picture Only - Not the Actual Item,” with a similar disclaimer against refunds.

This situation highlights the lack of competition in the high-end consumer GPU market. With AMD's RX 9070 series seemingly unable to challenge Nvidia's dominance, and Intel trailing behind, Nvidia's market control is evident. The current shortage and inflated prices present a significant challenge for high-end PC builders and enthusiasts.