Bargain hunter snagged two Nvidia RTX 3090 GPUs on eBay for $650, an unexpected upgrade from the 3080s they originally ordered, outsmarting Dell OEM cards priced in the thousands.
In an unexpected turn of events, an eBay user named u/EmuAreExtiinct recently discovered that they had received two Nvidia RTX 3090 GPUs instead of the RTX 3080 GPUs they had ordered, paying only $650 for the pair.
Upon closer inspection, the user found evidence that the received cards were actually RTX 3090 GPUs, as evidenced by the presence of Nvidia's SLI technology. The RTX 3090, with 24GB of VRAM, is a high-performance GPU, offering superior gaming and rendering capabilities compared to the RTX 3080.
The user noticed that both RTX 3090 GPUs had a bent backplate and some cooling issues. After fixing the backplate and applying new thermal paste, both GPUs reportedly work fine. However, the user's 850W PSU may not be able to handle the power load for the SLI configuration of the RTX 3090 GPUs, raising questions about whether the cards will be used in the SLI configuration they're built for.
The incident has gained attention on Reddit, with users discussing the potential consequences for both buyers and sellers. For buyers, receiving higher-value products than ordered can lead to ethical and legal issues, as they may be required to return the GPUs or face disputes. There is also a risk of accusations of fraud or unfair gain if buyers attempt to keep the more expensive GPUs without paying the proper price.
For sellers, accidental shipment of more expensive items results in financial loss, and there is a risk of negative feedback, disputes, and damage to reputation on platforms like eBay. Sellers may also face legal or transactional disputes demanding resolution, including returns or refunds.
It appears that the RTX 3090 GPUs may have been taken from a pre-built system, although it's unclear whether this was intentional or a mistake on the part of the seller, beebee1423. Preliminary searches suggest that there might be more RTX 3090 GPUs in circulation unbeknownst to their buyers and the misinformed seller.
The eBay seller, beebee1423, may have sold more than 20 mislabeled GPUs, with each RTX 3080 listed as 'Dell GeForce RTX 3080 10GB GDDR6X Graphics Card' and sold for $325. In contrast, a Dell Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, with 24GB of VRAM, sold on eBay a few days ago for $820.
While notable incidents of sellers unknowingly sending RTX 3090 GPUs instead of RTX 3080s on eBay have occurred, there is no clear indication of a significant increase in these events. As such, buyers are advised to exercise caution when purchasing high-value items on eBay and to verify the authenticity of products before making a purchase.
The user's discovery of Nvidia's SLI technology in the received RTX 3090 GPUs suggests a potential connection with artificial-intelligence applications, given that SLI technology is often used to accelerate machine learning tasks.
The incident involving the mislabeled RTX 3090 GPUs on eBay underscores the importance of gadgets and technology being accurately represented, as it can significantly impact the associated costs and performance capabilities.
