Technicians in China are dismantling new Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards to salvage their GB202 silicon and GDDR7 memory chips for AI server clusters, pushing retail prices near US$10,000, according to a video shared by HKEPC and reported by telset.id and gadget.qoo10.co.id.
Inside the Gray-Market Conversion Workshops in China
Leaked workshop footage reveals skilled workers stripping cooling shrouds and fans from flagship consumer cards, including custom partner models and Nvidia Founders Edition units, as telset.id reported. The process separates the printed circuit boards to extract the core graphics processors and memory modules. Technicians then mount these components onto custom printed circuit boards equipped with dual-slot blower coolers, transforming gaming hardware into high-density server accelerators.
gadget.qoo10.co.id noted that the modification utilizes GB202 graphics processors and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory originally intended for consumer retail. The resulting blower-style design allows multiple cards to fit side by side in dense 4U server chassis where side-venting triple-fan coolers cannot operate. Workshops test the converted accelerators on open-air platforms under heavy workloads before shipping them to data centers and artificial intelligence laboratories.
Retail shelves empty as cards shift to AI supply chains
The large-scale conversions occur while retail markets face severe inventory shortages. telset.id reported that retail prices for the GeForce RTX 5090 have climbed toward US$10,000, with custom variants starting around US$8,500. Meanwhile, Nvidia has faced conflicting reports regarding its manufacturing plans. While industry rumors claimed production of the card had stopped, gadget.qoo10.co.id pointed out that Nvidia recently denied those specific discontinuation rumors.
The aggressive diversion of stock into gray-market AI supply chains has nearly emptied retail shelves in the United States, according to telset.id. To bypass inflated standalone card prices, some buyers turn to prebuilt gaming systems, which occasionally cost less than buying a high-end graphics card by itself. The phenomenon highlights how surging artificial intelligence demands continue to reshape consumer hardware availability across international markets.
Common Questions About the RTX 5090 AI Conversions
Why are technicians converting gaming graphics cards into AI accelerators?
The GeForce RTX 5090 features powerful computing capabilities and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, making it an attractive alternative when dedicated enterprise AI processors are scarce, as gadget.qoo10.co.id reported.
Which specific card models appear in the modification workshops?
Leaked footage from HKEPC shows units from various manufacturers being processed, including the Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 and Nvidia Founders Edition cards, according to gadget.qoo10.co.id and telset.id.
What physical changes do the cards undergo during the process?
Technicians remove the original triple-fan heatsinks, extract the GB202 silicon and memory chips, and install them onto custom printed circuit boards featuring a dual-slot blower cooling system designed for dense server racks, telset.id reported.
Are export restrictions affecting these shipments?
The GeForce RTX 5090 remains subject to United States export controls targeting China, yet large quantities continue to reach domestic facilities for commercial server upgrades, as gadget.qoo10.co.id noted.
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