A YouTube repair channel discovered that a customer’s Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU bought from Amazon was actually a fake.
An Amazon customer purchased a returned RTX 4090 and discovered it needed repairs due to what they thought was shipping damage. They sent it in to YouTuber North West Repair. While attempting to fix the GPU, North West Repair discovered that the card was a trainwreck of problems, including a cracked printed circuit board (PCB) and a melted power connector.
However, when North West Repair removed the GPU’s plating and heatsink, they discovered that the GPU core on the card was in fact an RTX 4080, not an RTX 4090. It appeared the board had been tampered with. North West Repair documented all his findings in a YouTube video posted to his channel.
The RTX 4090 is Nvidia’s flagship desktop GPU and costs an eye-watering $2,100 or more, whereas the 4080 comes in at a cheaper (but still very expensive) $1,800. The specific in the video was an Asus ROG Strix RTX 4090 that the customers received in a pallet deal from Amazon Returns. It’s no surprise people are looking for ways to save money on a 4090, and no surprise scams are focusing on the card.
It’s unclear if this issue is widespread or just a one-off. However, it may be best to exercise caution when buying used or refurbished GPUs.
Nvidia recently announced the RTX 40 Super Series, with the launch of the RTX 4070 Super on January 17th. The RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4080 Super are slated to launch near the end of January.
Image credit: Nvidia
Source: @NorthWestRepair Via: Digital Trends
