GPU prices stop rising, scammers adapt
- TechSpot’s April 27 survey found consumer graphics card prices largely stopped rising across 10 countries, but most Nvidia and AMD models still sell above list. - Northwest Repair said a used Asus ROG Strix RTX 4090 was a near-perfect fake, with shaved chips re-lasered to mimic genuine memory and core. - Prices flattened as demand cooled, but high-end resale fraud kept evolving. (techspot.com)
Graphics card prices stopped climbing in April 2026, but buyers are still paying inflated prices for many gaming cards. (techspot.com) TechSpot’s April 27 pricing survey tracked the lowest in-stock prices for GPUs across 10 countries and found entry-level pricing had “stabilized, but not improved.” The GeForce RTX 5050 was 3% higher than February on average, and the RTX 5060 was roughly flat. (techspot.com) In the United States, TechSpot listed the RTX 5050 at $290 in April versus $250 in November 2025, and the RTX 5060 at $330 versus $290 in November. The outlet said November 2025 marked the low point in its dataset before prices moved higher in early 2026. (techspot.com) A graphics card is the chip-and-memory board that renders games, video, and some artificial intelligence workloads. Street price is what buyers actually pay at stores or marketplaces, and that number can stay above the manufacturer’s list price even when demand cools. (techspot.com) That cooling showed up in April. TechSpot said weak demand meant prices had “stopped getting worse,” but most cards were still selling at levels the site described as above normal enthusiast pricing. (techspot.com) At the same time, the used market produced a sharper warning for high-end buyers. Northwest Repair received an Asus ROG Strix RTX 4090 that arrived with a “no-detect” fault and initially looked normal inside. (techspot.com) (youtube.com) Technician Tony said the memory rail showed a dead short, but injecting up to 10 amps did not reveal a hot component. Under a microscope, he found signs that solder had been removed, and then discovered the memory chips and GPU package had been shaved and laser-etched with markings matching a real RTX 4090. (techspot.com) (youtube.com) Tony said “this is the best scam I’ve ever seen,” adding in a comment that work at that quality “could only be done at the factory.” He said the fake core appeared closer to an RTX 3080 or RTX 3090 chip than the AD102 processor used in a true RTX 4090. (techspot.com) (youtube.com) The seller reportedly said the card came from an Amazon pallet deal, according to Northwest Repair’s video. Tony’s advice was blunt: avoid buying RTX 4090 or RTX 5090 cards from strangers unless you are certain who is selling them. (youtube.com) (techspot.com) That leaves the market in an awkward place on April 27, 2026: new-card prices have stopped accelerating, but the savings in used listings can carry a much bigger risk. For buyers chasing a flagship GPU, “flat” pricing has not meant “safe.” (techspot.com 1) (techspot.com 2)
