The highly anticipated RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs have launched, creating a frenzy in the market. These powerful, premium cards have quickly sold out at most retailers, leaving many consumers disappointed.
Consequently, both GPUs, particularly the RTX 5090, are experiencing significant price gouging on secondary markets like eBay. Shortly after release, RTX 5090s were fetching over $6,000, a price that has since escalated to a shocking $9,000—a 350% markup from the MSRP of $1,999.
This exorbitant demand stems from the RTX 5090's suitability for both gaming and AI workloads. AI startups and businesses, often 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 – Images
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The gaming community's response to the scarcity and price inflation has been notable. eBay is now flooded with fraudulent listings designed to deceive buyers. These listings deceptively offer an image of the RTX 5090 instead of the actual product.
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 completed listing, sold for $2,457, clearly stated: “Geforce RTX 5090 (read description) Picture Only - Not the Actual Item,” with a similar disclaimer regarding non-refundable image purchases.
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 holds a near-monopoly. The current GPU shortage and inflated prices present a challenging landscape for high-end PC builders and enthusiasts.
