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 have launched, creating a frenzy in the market. Their high performance and price tag have resulted in immediate sellouts across most retail channels, leaving many potential buyers disappointed.

Consequently, both GPUs, particularly the RTX 5090, are experiencing significant price gouging on secondary marketplaces like eBay. Shortly after release, RTX 5090s were listed for 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 demanding AI workloads. Startups and AI 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

5 ImagesThe gaming community's response to the scarcity and price inflation is noteworthy. eBay is now flooded with deceptive listings, aiming to trick buyers into purchasing a photograph of the RTX 5090 instead of the actual GPU.

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 completed listing, sold for $2,457, clearly indicates: “Geforce RTX 5090 (read description) Picture Only - Not the Actual Item,” with a similar disclaimer against refunds.

The core problem lies in the lack of substantial 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 near monopoly. The current situation of limited supply and inflated prices presents a challenging outlook for high-end PC builders and enthusiasts.