Buyer pays $350 for broken RTX 4090 project only to find realistic fake GPU die and swapped memory — Russian repair specialist reveals sophisticated new cam using dummy PCBs
A customer paid approximately $350 for what appeared to be a repairable RTX 4090, only to receive a fake GPU with components that were painstakingly designed to resemble the real thing.
A Russian GPU repair specialist has exposed a new scam involving a counterfeit RTX 4090 graphics card. Purchased for $350, the graphics card arrived with a fake GPU die and memory chips designed to mimic legitimate components. The specialist, VIK-off, received the card from a customer intending to use it for repairs. Though the cooling system was absent, inspecting the board revealed dummy components.
The counterfeiters managed to replicate intricate details, including labeling, package markings, chip markings, and the compound surrounding the processor. The fake GPU die was soldered onto the PCB using a ball grid array (BGA), giving the appearance of original manufacturing. However, inconsistencies like substrate color, surface reflections, and lettering revealed the fraud.
Further examination showed the contact area of the fake GPU package was unlike a functional processor, and the solder mask started to deteriorate. The memory chips appeared genuine but were revealed to be GDDR6, not the GDDR6X chips used in RTX 4090. The PCB design may have been based on an RTX 3090 Ti, though this is unconfirmed.
This scam is not the first; a similar replica RTX 4090 surfaced in June, featuring a plastic imitation of Nvidia's AD102 GPU die and a manufactured date marked as 2030. Buyers of used high-end graphics cards, especially those marketed as repairable or untested, should remain vigilant. Even convincing-looking components do not guarantee genuine hardware.
Request proof of functionality from the seller and, if possible, test the card in a system before making a purchase.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Hardware's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
