It’s no secret that the RTX 4090 is currently the best graphics card on the market, as far as performance goes. That makes it a highly sought-after GPU (that doesn’t come cheap), with many people turning to the used/second-hand market to try and score a great deal. You should be warned though, some deals may be too good to be true.

There has been at least one case of this scam reported online via Facebook marketplace, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it be a relatively common occurrence in an attempt to catch unsuspecting buyers out. Nvidia’s 40 series continues to be popular, allowing opportunist scammers to try this kind of thing.

YouTuber warns of RTX 4090 scam on Facebook marketplace

This news comes from YouTube channel northwestrepair, a popular channel specializing in GPU repairs. A viewer sent them an RTX 4090 that was listed as in working condition on the Facebook marketplace, but failed to operate once the buyer tested it at home. They were offered a measly $200 for it from a local store due to its condition, so they instead turned to northwestrepair.

Well, when taking the GPU apart, the YouTuber found that the GPU core and memory had been completely removed, assumedly to be sold separately as parts. As one comment suitably puts it, it’s like buying a car with no engine inside. In our RTX 4090 review, we demonstrate its flagship performance, but this customer’s card is going nowhere.

Is it worth buying a used GPU?

We aren’t going to say that places like Facebook marketplace are full of scammers, but it is something you need to be aware of – especially with tech. The same goes for any other PC component or a gaming PC build. We still think that buying a used GPU is worth it if you want to save cash, but be certain of the actual value of what you’re buying to help spot anything suspicious.

Furthermore, if you can do some testing and/or benchmarking before you buy, this is ideal. Considering the example in the video above seems to look like the scammer did the deal in the middle of a footpath, it obviously looks pretty shady.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.