Disrupted Graphics Card Delivery: Customer Receives RTX 5090 Without Essential Components - Initial Purchase Valued at $2,300, Arrives with Guts Removed from Inside
In the world of high-end graphics cards, the Nvidia RTX 5090 is a coveted piece of hardware. However, a recent incident on Amazon France has raised concerns about potential scams involving this top-tier GPU.
On August 11, 2025, a Redditor named Nice-Screen-4193 shared their experience of being scammed on the PCMasterRace subreddit. After a seemingly endless wait, a supposed MSI RTX 5090 graphics card arrived. Upon opening the box, the Redditor noticed that the graphics card's packaging was perfectly sealed, with no signs of tampering.
However, upon closer inspection with a flashlight, a shocking discovery was made. The RTX 5090 graphics card was missing its GPU core and GDDR7 memory modules. The four screws surrounding the GPU core were also stripped, suggesting that the components had been removed.
This incident raises questions about a potential scam involving the harvesting of GPU cores and memory modules from RTX 5090 cards for resale on other GPUs. However, it's important to note that such a scam is not widely reported or common in the current market or media.
While hardware scams involving fake or counterfeit GPUs are prevalent, the specific scam of harvesting GPU cores and memory modules from RTX 5090 cards does not appear to be a known or frequent criminal practice.
This is supported by various factors. The GPU industry deals with advanced chips like the RTX 5090, which are complex and densely integrated, making physically removing and successfully transplanting cores and memory modules extremely challenging and likely cost-ineffective for scammers.
Moreover, there is no specific evidence or widespread documented reports of this practice involving RTX 5090 GPUs in reliable tech sources as of mid-2025. A detailed repair case on Tom's Hardware, for instance, did not mention any instances of component transplant or core/memory removal for scams on RTX 5090 cards.
Reports of black market smuggling of Nvidia chips exist, but they primarily focus on entire chip or server shipments, rather than component-level grafting or reselling modified retail cards.
In China, there have been reports of RTX 5090 dies and GDDR7 memory modules being transplanted onto slimmer blower-style graphics cards compatible with AI servers. However, these instances are more likely to be specialized repair processes rather than mass-market scams.
In conclusion, while the incident on Amazon France raises concerns, it's crucial to approach such cases with a discerning eye. The specific scam of harvesting GPU cores and memory modules from RTX 5090 cards to resell on other GPUs does not appear to be a known or frequent criminal practice.
Users are encouraged to stay vigilant and follow reliable tech sources like Tom's Hardware for updates on such matters. You can follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to receive updates in your feeds. Users are also advised to inspect their hardware thoroughly before use and to purchase from reputable sellers.
The incident on Amazon France has sparked discussions about the potential resale of harvested GPU cores and GDDR7 memory modules from RTX 5090 cards, raising concerns about specific hardware scams in the tech market. However, it's crucial to note that such scams are not commonly reported or documented in reliable tech sources as of mid-2025.
In the world of artificial-intelligence, the advancements in AI servers have led to reports of RTX 5090 dies and GDDR7 memory modules being transplanted in China, but these instances are more likely to be specialized repair processes rather than mass-market scams.
