Yesterday marked the launch of the highly anticipated RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards. These powerful, premium GPUs quickly sold out at most retailers, leaving many prospective buyers disappointed.

Consequently, both cards, particularly the RTX 5090, are experiencing significant price inflation on resale markets like eBay. Shortly after launch, RTX 5090s were fetching over $6,000, a price that has since climbed to a staggering $9,000—a 350% markup over the $1,999 MSRP.

This exorbitant demand stems from the RTX 5090's suitability for both gaming and demanding AI workloads. Startups and businesses involved in AI are actively seeking these chips for local model processing. With Nvidia's datacenter GPUs often inaccessible to smaller operations, the RTX 5090 becomes a viable—albeit expensive—alternative.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

5 ImagesHowever, the gaming community's response to the scarcity and rampant scalping is proving creative. eBay is now flooded with deceptive listings designed to trick buyers into purchasing a photograph of the RTX 5090 instead of the actual card.

One 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, bluntly reads: “Geforce RTX 5090 (read description) Picture Only - Not the Actual Item,” with a similar disclaimer regarding non-refundable image purchases.

This situation highlights the lack of competition in the high-end consumer GPU market. With AMD's RX 9070 series unlikely to challenge Nvidia's dominance, and Intel still playing catch-up, Nvidia's market control is evident. The current shortage and inflated prices paint a bleak outlook for high-end PC builders and enthusiasts.