German electronics retailer Alternate has listed three Zotac GeForce RTX 5090 Solid OC graphics cards as B-stock products, despite these units missing Render Output Units (ROPs).
First spotted by Videocardz, the affected GPUs are reportedly missing 8 out of the expected 176 ROPs, which can potentially negatively impact rasterization performance and rendering efficiency in certain workloads. Notably, Alternate is selling these ‘defective’ GPUs at €2,899 ($3,132.12), a price nearly identical to fully functional RTX 5090 units.
ROPs play a crucial role in finalizing rendered frames, making them particularly important for high-resolution gaming and professional workloads. A reduction in ROPs could lead to slightly lower performance, particularly in 4K gaming and compute-heavy applications. Despite this, Alternate has not meaningfully discounted these defective GPUs, making them a questionable purchase for uninformed buyers.
Zotac raised the price of its entire RTX 50-series lineup just three days ago. The price hikes have essentially eliminated MSRP models, making the RTX 5090 even more expensive across the board. This comes despite Nvidia recently implementing price cuts for its RTX 50-series GPUs in Europe, as reported by The Verge, due to currency fluctuations and market conditions. However, Zotac’s decision to increase prices suggests that consumers may not see the full benefit of Nvidia’s adjustments.
While this situation raises concerns about both transparency and pricing, Alternate has included a note in the product listing, disclosing the missing 8 ROPs. However, the lack of a meaningful discount on these defective units remains a point of contention, as they are priced nearly the same as fully functional models. While the missing ROPs may not severely impact performance in all scenarios, enthusiasts and professionals investing in high-end GPUs should be cautious, as it could result in lower frame rates and reduced rendering speeds in certain applications.
Further complicating matters, the Zotac GeForce RTX 5090 Solid is out-of-stock at most retailers in the EU, making it difficult for consumers to find a standard, fully functional unit at MSRP. A search revealed a listing on Caseking, where the GPU is listed at €3,101.82, significantly higher than the defective units being sold by Alternate. This suggests that supply constraints and increased demand could be playing a role in pricing inconsistencies across different retailers.
With GPU demand still high and pricing trends already unfavorable due to Zotac’s recent price hikes, the listing of defective RTX 5090s at premium prices adds another layer of frustration for consumers. Neither Nvidia nor Zotac has provided a statement regarding why these GPUs have made it to market despite their hardware limitations. For now, prospective buyers are advised to check specifications carefully before making a purchase, even with disclosure present on B-stock listings from retailers like Alternate.
