Leaked footage suggests a Chinese factory is converting new RTX 5090 cards into AI server hardware
If the footage is accurate, a grey-market diversion may be one reason consumer buyers find the card so hard to get.
Consumer RTX 5090 cards have been nearly impossible to buy in the US and many other markets, even though Nvidia says production continues. A leaked video, posted on X by HKEPC, reportedly shows a Chinese factory where large numbers of new RTX 5090 cards are stripped down for conversion into AI server hardware. Workers remove the original three-fan coolers and heatsinks, and the GPU and memory are moved onto separate boards for dual-slot cooling suited to server racks. The footage suggests hundreds, possibly thousands, of cards are involved, and the operation appears to sit in a grey market, since the card is not officially sold in China. The report links this diversion to the scarcity of the card, and PC Gamer notes that remaining US listings are third-party sellers asking far above list price.
Why it matters
For consumers in the US and other markets, the report offers a possible explanation for why RTX 5090 cards are scarce even though Nvidia says production continues. The footage is reported rather than independently confirmed, and it suggests the cards are being redirected from retail into data-centre use through unofficial channels in China. Buyers who can find the card at all are mostly facing third-party listings well above list price. What follows for supply depends on how widespread such conversions are, which the report does not establish.
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