If there's one single PC component that's always outrageously expensive, it's Nvidia's RTX 5090 graphics card. It launched at $1,999, but good luck finding it for less than $2,300, and some models hit over $3,000.
But what if you find an RTX 5090 on Amazon for, say, $999 or $1,399? Is that the deal of a lifetime? Nope, it's a common scam, and it's not the only one. Here are some scams to be mindful of as you shop for a GPU.
If it's suspiciously cheap, be cautious Unfortunately, retailers don't give away GPUs at half price
Amazon is a fantastic source of PC components, but sometimes, you'll run into a deal that seems too good to be true. Spoiler alert: it probably is.
This is something I see time and time again, especially around big shopping events. When searching for something on Amazon (in this case, the RTX 5090), you may see a couple of strangely underpriced listings right at the top.
At first glance, those listings look legitimate. They often have free Prime delivery, and some are even shipped from Amazon, although the seller is often an unknown brand.
In the last couple of days, I've spotted a bunch of similar listings on the RTX 5090. The cheapest one I found was $999, which is the MSRP for the RTX 5080 -- a card that's miles slower than the RTX 5090. Simply put, a brand new RTX 5090 never goes for less than $1,999, at least not unless there is something majorly wrong with it.
Nvidia GPUs aren't the only ones to get hit by those strange Amazon listings. I've seen AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs being sold at half price, too. If a product is in high demand, there's always a chance that someone might want to take advantage of that.
Amazon is usually good about reimbursing its customers, so if you buy something and it never arrives or you end up getting something else in the package, you should still be fine. But a better option is simply never buying those shockingly cheap GPUs in the first place.
Bidding wars on eBay can be risky, too You can hope for the best, but expect the worst
It's not just Amazon; eBay is filled with shockingly cheap RTX 5090 graphics cards, too. The cheapest one I found was $19, and no, that's not a typo.
The key thing here is that a lot of these listings are bids, meaning the price can (and will) go up before the actual sale happens. But if the bid starts at $1 on a GPU as expensive as Nvidia RTX 5090, and there's no reserve price that guarantees the seller will get the price they were hoping for, then it's firmly in the "too good to be true" territory.
I've even seen a shocking number of listings for the Asus ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 Dhahab Edition GPU. This is a special edition of the RTX 5090, coated in actual gold, and sold for up to $10,000. I can't imagine that dozens of legitimate sellers would be putting it up on eBay for $100 to $1,000.
eBay can be a decent source of used or open-box GPUs, but make sure you're buying from trustworthy sellers.
Some people get scammed even without any warning signs You don't always get what you hope for
I've seen more GPU-related scams this year than ever before.
When the RTX 5090 first hit the shelves in January 2025, eBay was full of listings (priced at anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000), even though the card was largely sold out everywhere. But a fine print in these listings clarified that the item being sold was actually a printed photo of the RTX 5090, not the card itself. I wish I were joking. Some of them were sold, meaning people actually fell for the scam.
The rest of the year was peppered with stories of people buying seemingly legitimate GPUs and receiving something else.
One Micro Center customer received a bunch of backpacks instead of their RTX 5090; meanwhile, an Amazon user got a bunch of pasta, rice, and an old GPU. Another person got an actual brick instead of an RTX 5080 GPU.
Scammers get creative with these sometimes. Northwest Computer Repair on YouTube reported that customers have sent in GPUs for repair that refused to work. No wonder: prior to selling them, the scammers stripped them of the GPU and the memory die. They looked like graphics cards, but they were really just empty shrouds.
How to avoid getting scammed when buying a GPU You really have to stay vigilant these days
At a time when GPUs are so expensive and scams are so widespread, you have to think twice at every step of your shopping journey. It's easy to forget some of these when chasing GPU upgrades, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
Things to be mindful of when buying a GPU
The first step is to vet your listings carefully to minimize the risk of buying something that doesn't exist.
Only buy from reputable sellers, such as from Amazon itself, trustworthy retailers like Newegg, or directly from brand stores on Amazon, such as MSI. If the product is shockingly cheap and yet is marketed as new, steer clear. Open-box and pre-owned cards may be cheaper. Look through other listings for the product. If there are a bunch of cheap offers from different sellers with near-identical names, I'd be careful. On platforms like eBay, only buy from established sellers with hundreds of positive reviews on similar products. Never buy GPUs where the seller doesn't accept returns.
Don't be afraid to message the seller and ask for extra detail or photos. Be mindful, though, because photos are hard to trust these days thanks to AI image generation tools.
Protect yourself once the card arrives
Some of the scams I outlined only get discovered once you get your package. One way or another, if you're buying a GPU online, take the necessary steps to make sure you can easily return it if something goes wrong.
Film the entire process of receiving the GPU. It's annoying, but worth it. Document receiving the package, unboxing it, installing it, and running it for the first time. This makes the return process a lot simpler.
I'm firmly against spending too much money on the GPU, but when a PC part is a lot cheaper than it should be, listen to your gut. Scammers keep finding new ways to fool shoppers. I wouldn't be surprised if we'll see similar listings on RAM soon, all thanks to the ongoing RAM-pocalypse, so stay vigilant.