Nvidia's latest generation of high-end graphics cards, the RTX 5090 and 5080, officially launched on January 31, 2025. Demand for these two flagship GPUs was incredibly high, selling out almost instantly across all retailers and leaving many consumers unable to purchase them. As expected, the RTX 5090 quickly became a target for scalpers, who began reselling it on e-commerce platforms at exorbitant prices. 
PC gamers know the RTX 5090's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is $1,999. However, on e-commerce platforms like eBay, prices quickly skyrocketed to over $6,000, at one point even exceeding $9,000. These outrageous prices not only fueled player resentment towards scalpers but also prompted a "clever trick" as gamers devised an alternative method to fight back.
Recently, a surge of "fake auctions" appeared on eBay. These listings advertised "RTX 5090" but were, in reality, just photos of the graphics card. The goal was to deceive bots and scalpers using automated purchasing mechanisms. 
One listing's description read: "Bots and scalpers are welcome to buy. Humans, please do not order, as you will receive a framed photo of the 5090, not the graphics card itself." Another item, priced at $2,457, clearly stated in its title: "Geforce RTX 5090 - PHOTO ONLY, NOT PHYSICAL ITEM," emphasizing that purchases were non-refundable.
As previously mentioned, the scarcity of the RTX 5090 and 5080 appears to be linked to a design flaw in Nvidia's Blackwell processor. This defect in the Blackwell design has reportedly led to low production yields, impacting the manufacturing of both RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards.
via： IGN