A Redditor recently shared an alarming discovery after ordering an MSI RTX 5090 Ventus 3X from Amazon. Expecting a brand-new GPU, the user, u/Nice-Screen-4193, received a product without the usual tamper seal. Upon closer inspection, they found the GPU chip and VRAM components missing entirely.
This incident highlights the ongoing issue of counterfeit GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs in the market. With high demand in the AI sector, particularly in China, these GPUs face challenges due to restrictions. Consequently, smuggling has become a lucrative endeavor, often resulting in tampered products.
The Redditor noted that despite purchasing the card directly from Amazon, not a third-party seller, the GPU was suspicious. The absence of a tamper seal and a dulled PCIe gold finger hinted at prior use. Further investigation, using a flashlight, revealed missing memory chips under the thermal pads, and disassembly confirmed the entire GPU substrate had been stripped away.
Such fraudulent practices are believed to involve Chinese labs converting RTX 5090s for AI servers by removing GPU dies and VRAM chips. These modified components are then used for other purposes, while the empty shells somehow make their way back into legitimate supply chains, deceiving unsuspecting buyers.
This revelation underscores the persistence of counterfeit operations and the need for consumers to remain vigilant, even with products purchased from reputed platforms like Amazon. The broader concern isn’t just the transformation of RTX 5090s for AI use but the infiltration of these fake versions into the mainstream market.
