Repair channel buys ASUS RTX 4090 for $222 and finds plastic die with fake NVIDIA markings - TweakTown

A Chinese repair channel on Bilibili recently uncovered a sophisticated GPU scam involving a broken ASUS RTX 4090 sold for just 1,500 RMB (around $222). Upon disassembly, the channel found a plastic d... Read original →

This counterfeit RTX 4090 scam reveals a critical gap in end-of-chain GPU oversight. Technically, plastic dummy dies—though non-functional—can mislead repair shops into logging false failure modes, corrupting NVIDIA’s AD102 reliability analytics. Compliance-wise, China’s unregulated secondhand electronics market enables fraud with near-zero penalty, compelling OEMs to embed costly anti-counterfeit measures (e.g., laser micro-engraving, blockchain IDs), raising BOM costs by over 5%. Strategically, AMD may leverage this to promote its 'Verified Authenticity Program' across MI300 and RDNA3 channels in Greater China. Over the next 12–24 months, expect GPU vendors to co-develop chip-level digital passports with customs and e-commerce platforms—akin to automotive VINs—or risk gray-market infiltration exceeding 15% of premium GPU sales, directly eroding OEM margins.