Nvidia RTX 5090 Price Skyrockets on eBay

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

Consequently, both cards, especially 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 pricing stems from the RTX 5090's appeal beyond gaming. Its capabilities are highly sought after for AI workloads, making it a desirable asset for AI startups and businesses needing to run models locally. With Nvidia's datacenter GPUs often out of reach for many, the RTX 5090 becomes a viable—albeit expensive—alternative.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

5 ImagesThe gaming community's response to this scarcity and the rampant scalping has been…interesting. 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 bluntly 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 reportedly sold for $2,457, clearly states: “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 undeniable. The current shortage and inflated prices paint a bleak outlook for high-end PC builders and enthusiasts.