Nvidia rejects RTX 5090 warranty claim because the card's serial number faded

Nvidia has recently rejected a warranty request for an RTX 5090 Founders Edition graphics card due to its serial number being unreadable, according to a Reddit user. The user reported that the GPU had been experiencing black-screen crashes before being sent to Nvidia for replacement. The person noticed that the serial number on the metal bracket had become difficult to read.

Nvidia held onto the flagship for over a month before returning it, but the company did not initially disclose the reason for rejecting the RMA. After reaching out to support again, Nvidia explained that the unreadable serial number was the reason for the decision.

The owner of the card stated that they had never opened, modified, repaired, or tampered with the card. They also mentioned that they had the original box and proof of purchase, which are typically required to proceed with a warranty claim. However, Nvidia still declined to provide a replacement after receiving the hardware. Several other RTX 5090 owners have mentioned similar issues with fading on the markings of their cards, although the outcomes when submitting cards for warranty service have varied.

The serial number on the RTX 5090 Founders Edition is printed in gray on a metal portion of the I/O bracket, making it challenging to distinguish from the surrounding surface. The individual who experienced the issue with the serial number's readability posted about the situation on Reddit, seeking to know if others had faced the same problem.

A PC Gamer reported a similar issue with the serial number on an RTX 5080 Founders Edition, which had also faded, but the publication did not mention sending that card in for warranty service or having an RMA rejected.

One Reddit commenter suggested that the fading might be due to heat exposure or normal handling, though the exact cause remains unclear. Some users speculated that Nvidia might consider other identifying records, such as information from retail packaging or purchase documentation, when evaluating warranty claims. At least one commenter noted that Nvidia approved an RTX 5090 RMA despite a similarly faded serial number, suggesting that other records could be taken into account in some cases.

The situation has raised questions about how Nvidia assesses claims when physical identifiers deteriorate but customers can still provide original packaging and purchase records. The RTX 5090 card, which can sell for between $7,000 and $10,000, has generated considerable discussion regarding Nvidia's evaluation process for warranty claims when physical identifiers become unreadable.