Nvidia RTX 5090 eBay Price Hits $9,000 Amid User Protests with Fake Listings

The long-awaited RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs have finally hit the market, creating a frenzy among tech enthusiasts and professionals alike. These high-performance and high-cost graphics cards have sold out rapidly across various retail platforms, leaving many eager buyers disappointed. As a result, the RTX 5090, in particular, has become a prime target for scalpers, with the card being resold on platforms like eBay at exorbitant prices. Shortly after their release, RTX 5090s were being snapped up for over $6,000, and prices have since soared to an astonishing peak of $9,000—a staggering 350% markup from the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1,999.

The demand for these GPUs, especially the RTX 5090, extends beyond gaming enthusiasts. The card's capabilities make it an attractive option for AI workloads, drawing interest from startups and businesses in the AI sector. With Nvidia’s datacenter GPUs often out of reach for many, the RTX 5090 emerges as a viable, albeit pricey, alternative for running AI models locally.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

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In response to the shortage and scalping, the gaming community has taken a creative stance. eBay is now flooded with satirical listings aimed at tricking scalpers and bots. One such listing humorously warns potential buyers: "Bots and scalpers welcome, do not buy if you are a human, you will be getting a framed photo of the 5090, not the 5090 itself. The photo dimensions are 8 inches by 8 inches, I got the frame from Target. DO NOT BUY IF YOU’RE A HUMAN." Another sold listing for $2,457 blatantly states: "Geforce RTX 5090 (read description) Picture Only - Not the Actual Item," emphasizing that no refunds will be issued for the image, which is not the actual RTX 5090.

The underlying issue stems from the lack of competition in the high-end consumer GPU market. With AMD’s RX 9070 series unable to challenge Nvidia's dominance and Intel trailing behind, Nvidia holds a commanding position. This scarcity of high-end GPUs, combined with their exorbitant prices, presents a challenging scenario for PC builders and enthusiasts looking to upgrade their systems.