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, but their high price and limited supply have created a chaotic market. Both cards sold out rapidly at most retailers, leaving many potential buyers disappointed.

Consequently, these GPUs, particularly the RTX 5090, are being aggressively scalped on secondary markets like eBay. Shortly after release, RTX 5090s were fetching over $6,000, with prices soaring to a staggering $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 scalping has been...creative. eBay is now flooded with fraudulent listings designed to deceive buyers. These listings offer a photograph of the RTX 5090 instead of the actual card.

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

The core problem is the lack of significant 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 monopoly. The current shortage and inflated prices present a bleak outlook for high-end PC builders and enthusiasts.