User Receives Counterfeit MSI RTX 5090: GPU and VRAM Chips Detached from PCB; Rising Incidents of Fake GPUs Sold on Amazon

It has come to light that a recent GPU may have been sent to one of the infamous Chinese laboratories, known for their practice of extracting GPU and VRAM chips from RTX 5090 graphics cards.

Reddit User Buys MSI RTX 5090 Ventus 3X from Amazon; Discovers Missing Components After Investigation

The emergence of counterfeit GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs continues to pose challenges for consumers. While instances of such deception are not new, this particular case bears resemblance to previous reports. The GeForce RTX 5090 is highly sought after, especially within the AI sector in China. Unfortunately, due to a governmental ban in the region, the distribution of these GPUs has shifted towards smuggling operations.

A Reddit user, who goes by the username u/Nice-Screen-4193, appears to be an unfortunate victim of this fraudulent scheme. He purchased what was advertised as a new GPU from Amazon France, specifically marked as “sold and shipped by Amazon” rather than through an unknown third-party vendor. His suspicions arose when he noted the absence of a tamper seal on one of the screws located on the GPU’s rear, suggesting prior access to the device.

Image Credit: Reddit

Despite his initial hesitations, the user decided to test the GPU further, only to find that it was inoperative. Upon inspection, he observed that the PCIe gold finger appeared worn and discolored. A closer look, enabled by a flashlight, revealed a concerning discovery: beneath the heatsink, no memory chips were present under the thermal pads. Following disassembly, it became clear that not only were the memory chips missing, but the entire GPU substrate was absent, leaving merely the soldering points on the PCB.

Graphics card and cooling system with a cartoon character overlay in a tech setup. — GPU chip and memory modules removed from the MSI RTX 5090 Ventus 3X. Image Credit: Reddit

This incident exemplifies a prevalent form of fraud, likely orchestrated by the Chinese labs known to reconfigure thousands of RTX 5090 cards. These facilities strip the GPU die and VRAM chips, repurposing them to be soldered onto alternative PCBs for AI server applications. The empty GPU shell was cleverly reintegrated into the supply chain, ultimately reaching the Reddit user. This serves as a stark reminder that even products labeled as sold and shipped by Amazon are susceptible to such deceptive practices, highlighting the widespread nature of this issue.

Order summary: MSI NVIDIA RTX 5090 graphics card, €1, 994.73, dispatched July 2025. — The order summary for the GPU, sold and shipped by Amazon. Image Credit: Reddit

The smuggling of GeForce RTX 5090s to China appears to be thriving. While the conversion of genuine RTX 5090s to AI GPUs is concerning in itself, the influx of counterfeit cards into the market presents an even greater threat to consumers.

For further insights, visit the source on Reddit.

Source & Images