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 quickly sold out at most retailers, leaving many potential buyers disappointed.

Consequently, both GPUs, particularly the RTX 5090, are being aggressively scalped on secondary marketplaces like eBay. Shortly after release, RTX 5090s were fetching over $6,000, a price that has since soared to a staggering $9,000 – a 350% markup over 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 is, unsurprisingly, negative. eBay is now flooded with fraudulent listings designed to deceive buyers. These listings offer a photograph 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 advertised: “Geforce RTX 5090 (read description) Picture Only - Not the Actual Item,” with a similar disclaimer regarding non-refundable image purchases.

The core problem is the lack of competition in the high-end consumer GPU market. AMD's RX 9070 series appears unlikely to challenge Nvidia's dominance, and Intel remains a distant contender. This, coupled with the current shortages and inflated prices, presents a bleak outlook for high-end PC builders and enthusiasts.