A recent scam in China involves the sale of fake RTX 4090 graphics cards, which actually contain RTX 3090 GPUs. The process involves polishing the GPU die and engraving new laser markings to mimic those of NVIDIA.
This is pretty difficult to spot, as the size of the GPU is not enough to identify it precisely. However, the arrangement of capacitors around the chip may betray the scam, according to Uniko’s Hardware. Similar cases had already been observed with RTX 3090 Ti or 3080 Ti. Some counterfeits were only detected after they had been sent in for repair. The cards are often sold well below the usual price, as in one case where it was offered at $550.
The phenomenon is part of a wider practice: some manufacturers dismantle RTX 4090s to recover the GPU, which they install on modified PCBs with more memory. The remaining components, including cooling systems, are then resold.
