The highly anticipated RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs have arrived, but their launch has been marred by severe shortages and rampant price gouging. Both cards quickly sold out at retail, leaving many gamers and professionals empty-handed.
Consequently, resale markets like eBay are flooded with exorbitantly priced listings, particularly for the RTX 5090. Prices initially soared past $6,000 and have since reached a shocking $9,000 – a 350% markup from the MSRP of $1,999.
This inflated 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 expensive, alternative for local model processing.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Image Gallery
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This scarcity has, unfortunately, attracted malicious actors. eBay is now rife with fraudulent listings selling images 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, bluntly advertised: “Geforce RTX 5090 (read description) Picture Only - Not the Actual Item,” with a clear disclaimer against refunds.
The underlying problem is the lack of significant competition in the high-end GPU market. AMD's RX 9070 series appears unlikely to challenge Nvidia's dominance, and Intel remains a distant contender. This monopoly, coupled with the current shortage and inflated prices, presents a bleak outlook for high-end PC enthusiasts.
