Recently, large shipments of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs have been reported in China, suggesting the country may have found ways to bypass export restrictions. This development comes amid ongoing discussions about banned hardware entering China despite efforts to curb such activities. According to various reports, these shipments appear to be from well-known manufacturers like MSI and Gigabyte, and notably, the packaging lacks the “v2” label typically required for legal export to China.
NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 Allegedly Arrives in China
The conversation about hardware restrictions has been fueled by recent sightings of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards in China. According to a post on the PCMR Reddit community, these GPUs were identified as coming from MSI and Gigabyte. Observers on Reddit argue that while these GPUs are not banned in China, U.S. manufacturers are prohibited from directly exporting them there. Instead, China accesses these components through other countries not subject to these restrictions, such as Malaysia and Singapore. Furthermore, Chinese AI companies reportedly exploit the ‘rental compute’ loophole to access advanced computing power.
AI-driven demand is a significant factor in the influx of these GPUs, as they are ideal for AI workloads due to their high VRAM capacity. Reports suggest that consumer GPUs are being repurposed for AI use by enhancing their VRAM and modifying them to a blower-style design. The AI demand has made it increasingly difficult for consumers in China and worldwide to acquire these GPUs for gaming purposes.
Impact on the Gaming Market
The availability of the RTX 5090 for gaming enthusiasts is severely limited due to its high demand in AI sectors. Reports indicate that the market is facing significant shortages of these GPUs, with future prices potentially soaring to $5,000. As a result, PC gamers are finding it nearly impossible to secure these units in the current market climate. This scarcity has frustrated gamers who are eager to upgrade their systems but face stiff competition from AI industry demands.