RTX 5090 scalpers sell Blackwell flagship GPU for up to $7,000 — 2X-3X scalper markup over MSRP

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So much for the MSRP.

GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition
(Image credit: Nvidia)

RTX 5090 reviews have been out for more than a day. While these GPUs are said to hit shelves on January 30, scalpers already promise pre-reserved slots (via VideoCardz) without any returns or refunds. It is no secret that the initial supply is constrained at launch, but are you willing to splurge up to $7,000 to be among the first few owners?

The RTX 5090 is around 25% faster than its predecessor, the RTX 4090, in games while carrying a similar price premium, provided you get one at MSRP. With just one week left before launch, OCUK, a large UK retailer, reportedly holds less than 10 RTX 5090s in inventory. Preliminary overseas listings allege a 40% markup versus MSRP if you can purchase one since supply is expected to be very tight.

Scalpers at eBay are charging much higher than MSRP for various RTX 5090 models. If you want a confirmed slot, you could join the dark side and pay a hefty premium. However, be warned that most of these scalpers explicitly disclaim any warranty coverage for these GPUs. One listing, priced at $4,000, reads, "I am an employee of a certain technology retailer and have guaranteed slots for a few of these GPUs. I have no interest in upgrading my current build and am looking to sell my guarantee slot for the card." Attached are a few listings from eBay to illustrate the current market condition for the RTX 5090:

Image 1 of 3
RTX 5090 eBay 2 Corrected
(Image credit: eBay)

Scalpers typically set up bots to snap up listings for an in-demand product, creating artificial scarcity and profiting by selling at inflated prices. We don't know when Nvidia's supply will improve over time. With a large 32GB frame buffer, the RTX 5090 is highly sought-after in the AI market, which may have contributed to this situation.

Still, we suggest you avoid falling prey to scalpers, wait for prices to normalize, and then purchase. If upgrading after a long time, consider alternatives from AMD or maybe hit the used market. While we cannot comment on how the mid-ranged RTX 5070 series will fare in terms of supply, keep an eye out for AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs, which are rumored to arrive in the latter half of March.

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Hassam Nasir
Hassam Nasir
Contributing Writer

Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he’s not working, you’ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.

20 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ekio
    Scalping should become a federal crime.

    And it would be easy to catch the assh*les who are practicing it.
    Reply
  • SomeoneElse23
    Simple solution: never ever buy from a scalper.

    Let them go broke with their greediness.
    Reply
  • dimar
    ekio said:
    Scalping should become a federal crime.

    And it would be easy to catch the assh*les who are practicing it.
    I don't care if it's some person trying to make some cash. But if it's store workers, then they should be exposed.
    Reply
  • joartrak
    Scalping is pretty lame but the people who (if any?) are spending that much money on a freaking GPU. In reality land, $7k pays a lot of bills and removes a lot of debt. Even if you had that kind of money to burn on a GPU, it just feels irresponsible. A giant tech firm trying to supply a business I can see spending lots of money for lots of units, that is about it though. Mind boggling.
    /rantover
    Reply
  • ekio
    SomeoneElse23 said:
    Simple solution: never ever buy from a scalper.

    Let them go broke with their greediness.
    I would never of course,

    But even if you stay apart, they make many people struggle to get what they need because of shortage.

    And that, I can't accept it.
    Reply
  • Daggre
    nVidia should just sell their Founders Edition cards directly to consumers the same way Apple sells their hardware directly to consumers. They should already be taking orders (1 per user/shipping address/credit card) and simply providing an estimated ship date, and nVidia could keep all the profits for the cards instead of sharing that profit with the stores and scalpers. 3rd party scalpers would not be able to do this kind of nonsense if nVidia would just give this option.
    Reply
  • halfcharlie
    Don't let anyone you know forget: NEVER give pathetic scalper scum money, you can always wait and find stock legitimately without supporting criminals.
    Reply
  • Pete Mitchell
    Time to go Luigi on the scalpers.
    Reply
  • Rokinamerica
    Pete Mitchell said:
    Time to go Luigi on the scalpers.
    Black humor or not, you are reprehensible. I will wait for you to google that.
    Reply
  • joartrak
    Daggre said:
    nVidia should just sell their Founders Edition cards directly to consumers the same way Apple sells their hardware directly to consumers. They should already be taking orders (1 per user/shipping address/credit card) and simply providing an estimated ship date, and nVidia could keep all the profits for the cards instead of sharing that profit with the stores and scalpers. 3rd party scalpers would not be able to do this kind of nonsense if nVidia would just give this option.
    That would actually be pretty great, AMD could very well do the same. Would eliminate a lot of guess work, put cards in hands, and they would know how much supply they would need prior to release. I dig it.
    Reply