Leaked Video Shows China Taking Apart Thousands of RTX 5090s and Turning Them Into Zombie AI Servers

A leaked video reveals China taking apart thousands of Nvidia's high-end RTX 5090 graphics cards and converting them into AI servers. The skyrocketing cost of PC components has made it nearly impossible for consumers to acquire or upgrade their gear. Larger graphics cards, like the sought-after RTX 5090, are particularly scarce and expensive.

One reason for this shortage could be Chinese facilities purchasing these cards and repurposing them for AI, according to Tom's Hardware. The video shows the inside of one of these facilities, where the circuit boards are replaced and a turbine-style cooler is added. This is causing the cards to occupy less space than consumer-grade versions, making them more suitable for AI inference and training server racks.

The opaque supply chain, which involves multiple middlemen, makes it difficult to determine where these cards end up. While Nvidia maintains that the RTX 5090 is still alive and production hasn't ceased, the supply chain remains constrained. Nvidia senior vice president Jeff Fisher acknowledged the issue in February. The repurposing of cards in China highlights the current state of the electronics market, with companies fighting over existing stock to profit from the AI gold rush.

PC builders and gamers are left with outdated components that are unable to keep up with the industry's demands.