Nvidia RTX 5090 eBay Price Soars to $9,000 as Users Revolt With Framed Photo Listings to Trick Bots and Scalpers

The highly anticipated RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs finally launched, generating significant excitement and, unfortunately, a frustrating reality for many prospective buyers. These powerful, premium cards quickly sold out at most retailers, leaving a trail of disappointed customers in their wake.

Consequently, both GPUs, particularly the RTX 5090, are experiencing rampant price gouging on resale platforms like eBay. Shortly after launch, RTX 5090s were fetching over $6,000, a figure that has since climbed to a staggering $9,000—a 350% markup over the $1,999 MSRP.

This exorbitant pricing stems from the RTX 5090's appeal beyond gaming. Its processing power is highly sought after for AI workloads, making it a desirable asset for AI startups and businesses needing local model processing. With Nvidia's datacenter GPUs often out of reach for many, the RTX 5090 becomes a viable, albeit expensive, alternative.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

5 ImagesHowever, the gaming community isn't idly watching this supply shortage and the ensuing scalping. eBay is now flooded with deceptive listings, targeting buyers eager for the RTX 5090. These listings cleverly offer a framed photograph of the GPU instead of the actual hardware.

One 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, which sold for $2,457, bluntly advertised: “Geforce RTX 5090 (read description) Picture Only - Not the Actual Item,” with a similar disclaimer regarding non-refundable image purchases.

The core problem lies in 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's market control is evident. The current scarcity and inflated prices paint a discouraging picture for high-end PC builders and enthusiasts.