Fake GPUs have gotten so good, even a repair expert was initially fooled by this scam Nvidia RTX 4090 so be careful out there

Date:
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Description:
'This is the best scam I've ever seen': repair expert can't believe how good this fake Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU is.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Fakes are now reaching a very high standard An Asus ROG Strix RTX 4090 proved to be indistinguishable from
a genuine Nvidia GPU on first inspection by a repair expert There's a
worrying level of sophistication here, and we've also seen this in recent times with fake SSDs A fake Asus ROG Strix RTX 4090 is an example of just how authentic scam hardware can seem, and it's a worrying reminder given that
this kind of fraud is very much on the rise of late.

VideoCardz reports that Northwest Repair (a Kentucky-based repair shop in
the US) highlighted the incident with a YouTube video (which you can see below). As Northwest Repair (NR) points out, the color of the board didn't look at all faked, and overall, it appeared to be a factory-made, genuine Nvidia graphics card . Typical clues like missing thermal compound around the corners of the GPU chip which would indicate the chip had been removed (and then switched out) were not present. Article continues below You may like Nvidia RTX 5090 buyer is scammed as GPU is replaced by laundry detergent SSD fakes are now more sophisticated here's how to avoid falling victim Walmart shopper reportedly buys Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU at almost half-price

On first inspection, the only discernible clue was the thermal compound being somewhat darker than normal (or more "baked"), which NR picked up on, but noted that this could be due to the RTX 4090 being used for some serious overclocking, perhaps it's not necessarily a telltale sign of a fake.

Even the laser-engraving of the model number on the chip looked authentic,
and the same was true for the video memory.

In short, this was a carefully crafted fake GPU which, as NR makes clear, is made to a standard that the repair expert hasn't witnessed before. "This is the best scam I've ever seen," he observed, noting, "We've reached a point where the scam has gotten so good that even the trained eye cannot detect
it."

Only examining the board under a microscope, in fine detail, revealed the small clues (related to soldering mostly) that gave away that this was a
fake. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Nvidia
4090 PERFECT SCAM just hit the marker - YouTube Watch On Analysis: a reminder that we need to be ever more vigilant The advice NR gives is clear: don't buy an expensive flagship GPU second-hand, as these days, there's too much of a risk that someone could be trying to con you out of a lot of money. The only exception is if you're buying the graphics card from a friend you can trust.

Fakes also cast doubt on the practice of buying 'open box' returns, because the buyer who returned that hardware could have switched it out for a fake one that stands up to inspection (but not to testing, though the retailer won't necessarily check that).

The sad reality of inflated prices for all PC components is that we're seeing a rise in hardware scams targeting this market. That includes graphics card scams, and incidents where a third-party marketplace seller doesn't even bother to include a fake GPU, but just a weighty 'dummy' item instead ( a packet of laundry detergent, for example , or more commonly a rock or lump of metal). What to read next GPU price hikes are getting out of hand going by a new report Nvidia RTX 5070 GPU dies and PNY reportedly replaces it with an
RTX 5070 Ti Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti graphics card with a hole in it breaks world record

What you should be careful of most right now, though, is scams relating to
RAM and SSDs, where prices have spiked to ridiculous levels , tempting fraudsters to try their hand more with these components. As well as this highly sophisticated fake of an RTX 4090, we've seen some very convincing counterfeit SSDs of late here's what you need to know in terms of watching out for them .

The level of scamming that's been seen this year has even prompted action
from RAM manufacturers Corsair has introduced new packaging in an attempt to make life more difficult for criminals who are trying to rip off consumers. The best graphics cards for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best graphics card 1. Best overall: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 2. Best budget: Intel Arc B580 3. Best Nvidia: Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti 4. Best AMD: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/gpu/fake-gpus-have-gotten-so-good-even-a-r epair-expert-was-initially-fooled-by-this-scam-nvidia-rtx-4090-so-be-careful-o ut-there


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