The release of Nvidia’s RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards took place yesterday (January 30th). Both of them sold out within minutes, with very little stock to go around in what is being called a “paper launch“. While this kind of thing tends to happen around highly-anticipated PC hardware launches, this time it feels amplified to a ridiculous degree.

Anyway, with hardware, one thing you always need to be aware of is scalpers. People who snap up all the stock and then re-sell it at inflated prices. While there may not even be enough stock going around to make this as widespread as usual, some people are trying to combat scalpers by making them waste their money – by listing a photo of GPU for a high price.

People are selling photos of 5090 & 5080 for MSRP

We’ve seen this tactic before and it is designed to trick scalpers using an automated bot to buy the new GPUs wherever they can. Anyone looking on eBay will currently be met by a bunch of listings that suggest you read the description. Once you do, you’ll notice that they explicitly tell you not to buy if you’re a human; bots of course are welcome.

***DISCLAIMER**

You will receive a photo of the RTX 5080. You will NOT receive the product. You will receive an 8 1/2 x11 piece of paper with an image of the graphics card.

This is for bots to purchase only, do not buy if you are a human! You will not receive actual product. Buyer will receive an 8 1/2” x 11” piece of paper with a photo of the product.

Source: eBay (1) (2)

These heroic listings are trying to deter scalpers from doing their thing, and who knows, maybe some of these sellers actually made some money off them. However, once the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 return in stock at popular retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, or Newegg, scalpers may still run riot snapping up all those legit listings. If you want to keep on top of where you can find these new GPUs, check out our comprehensive RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 stock tracker.

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.