Micro Center has reportedly implemented a new process for customers seeking to purchase NVIDIA’s highly sought-after flagship GPU, the RTX 5090, which includes providing identification and signing a declaration stating they will not export the controlled substance card. This crazy world keeps getting, well, crazier, and now those with the deep pockets to buy the graphics card, which now equals the down payment of many a car, or in one reported case, a prebuilt system that included one, have some explaining to do at the counter, and not just to their spouses or significant others.
Reddit user Krothic posted their recent experience at Micro Center when settling upon a prebuilt with an RTX 5090 GPU solution. A manager let them know the retailer had just implemented new rules regarding the GPUs, which are banned from being sold in China, but yet so many have managed to find their way to. The manager essentially carded the customer, who took things in stride and didn’t make a fuss, but then had them fill out a form declaring that the customer would not export the GPU.
Such forms are not unusual for those who purchase various types of equipment or devices for businesses or enterprise use, but they can be a bit of a surprise for the average consumer when presented at the cash register. It’s the notoriety of the RTX 5090, which originally launched for $2K and is now going for well over $5K and, in some cases, approaching the $10K mark, that generates more interest here because, as mentioned above, it has been illegally exported, and now Micro Center feels the need to protect itself while investigations into illegal exports expand. It will be interesting if other retailers such as Best Buy, Newegg, B&H Photo, Walmart, Amazon, and more begin to roll out their own processes.
Discussion (8 replies)
Join Discussion →As if being a fire hazard wasn't enough...
Yeah, I was thinking the same.
I wonder if that means they have traced some purchases from Microcenter to ending up in an export restricted or on their way to an export restricted location.
It really doesn't matter in the end. Just like shadow banking, the vast majority of illegal exports have plenty of routes to get to their destination. Reminds me of how pathetic Western Union compliance was when my company used to be an agent for them. $1000 transactions would become available instantly to the receiver. But they would block pitifully small $125 transactions of poor people sending money home for a medical emergency etc. And the customer would shout at us or make us listen to their tale of woe while all we could do was, collect documents from them and tell them to wait until WU compliance released the transaction.
And now this:
[URL unfurl="true"]https://www-techpowerup-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.techpowerup.com/353578/nvidia-reportedly-ending-the-rtx-5090-reserves-gb202-silicon-for-workstation-gpus?amp&_js_v=0.1&_gsa=1#webview=1&cap=swipe[/URL]
Look on the bright side. Fewer fire incidents!
The question now becomes: What do the AIB partners do with their RMA reserves of 5090? That's a very expensive GPU to keep in reserve just for good quality customer service. I say they sell those off quietly and then start rejecting RMA requests left and right. At best you get a 5080 and if you are lucky, maybe the 24GB one.
Good question for sure.
Perhaps whats showing up in other countries is burnt cards that got fixed.
These are silly games anyway, we aint preventing no ones development, let alone china's.
We will prevent our own long term though.