NVIDIA RTX 5090 eBay Soars Over $9K

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 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. Entrepreneurs and AI businesses, unable to afford Nvidia's datacenter GPUs, see the RTX 5090 as the most viable alternative, regardless of the inflated resale prices.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Images

5 ImagesThis supply shortage and the rampant scalping have prompted a clever, if cynical, response from the gaming community. eBay is now flooded with fraudulent listings designed to deceive buyers. These listings offer, not the GPU itself, but a photograph of the RTX 5090.

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 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.

The underlying problem is the lack of significant 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 enjoys a monopoly. The resulting scarcity and inflated prices present a discouraging outlook for high-end PC enthusiasts and builders.