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. High demand and limited supply have resulted in immediate sellouts across most retail channels, leaving many prospective 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 fetching over $6,000, with prices escalating to a shocking $9,000 – a staggering 350% markup over the MSRP of $1,999.

This exorbitant pricing is driven by the card's suitability for both gaming and AI workloads. Startups and AI businesses, often unable to afford Nvidia's datacenter GPUs, see the RTX 5090 as a viable, albeit costly, alternative for running models locally.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Image Gallery

5 ImagesThe scarcity and price inflation haven't gone unnoticed. 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 GPU.

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 indicates: “Geforce RTX 5090 (read description) Picture Only - Not the Actual Item,” with a similar disclaimer against refunds.

The underlying problem is the lack of substantial competition in the high-end consumer GPU market. With AMD's RX 9070 series unlikely to challenge Nvidia's dominance, and Intel trailing behind, Nvidia holds a near monopoly. The current shortage and inflated prices present a challenging situation for high-end PC builders and enthusiasts.