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Chinese labs cannibalize GeForce RTX 5090 cards to build high-density AI accelerators

NicoGG 0 comments 2 min read

Chinese labs are cannibalizing GeForce RTX 5090 cards to build high- density AI accelerators, shrinking consumer supply as GB202 dies are repurposed for servers.

Chinese labs cannibalize GeForce RTX 5090 cards to build high-density AI accelerators
PC HARDWARE

A large number of 5090 graphics cards are now going off the normal retail shelves and instead making their way into Chinese modding shops. These modifications are effectively creating a parallel market for high-density AI accelerators. In the process, supply of normal consumer GPU hardware is also shrinking. Regular RTX 5090 cards for gaming purposes might become more difficult to find as these cards are cannibalized for parts.

Modding shops extract GB202 dies and GDDR7 memory for bespoke server hardware

The RTX 5090 graphics cards are being disassembled to extract the GB202 GPU dice and 32 GB of GDDR7 memory chips. The parts are then placed on bespoke PCBs made for the server world. These AI accelerators also come with dual-slot blower cooling solutions to better suit the thermal profile of AI workloads.

RTX 5090 AI Accelerator Specifications

  • GPU Die: GB202
  • Memory: 32 GB GDDR7
  • Cooler Type: Dual-slot blower-style

In HKEPC footage, we see the process with cards from the Asus ROG Astral and Nvidia Founders Edition. The purpose of this modification is to support AI server operations. Those require high-density server solutions with optimal airflow. This is not the first time we have seen reports of RTX 50-series (based on Blackwell) being modded in the region.

We have been following GeForce RTX 5090 fairly closely and had seen previous reports like Nvidia reportedly halts GB202 chip supply for RTX 5090 (for RTX Pro cards). This new modding operation, though, would indicate that there's a lot of supply for these unauthorized modifications to happen. There's currently no clear indication, through available information, of the extent to which Nvidia is aware or involved in these resales.

The re-use of normal consumer RTX 5090 hardware for AI accelerator is yet another indication of how the demand for components is changing. These modded cards bring high-density blower-cooled solutions for specialized workloads. Such activities continue to take away from the normal gaming hardware market.

Source: NotebookCheck

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