Nvidia RTX 5090 with missing ROPs selling at retailer for a surprisingly high price

Despite supply starting to meet demand, many Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs remain scarce. With some manufacturers raising prices further, even purchasing the cards at MSRP seems less appealing. One potential way to save money is to settle for a B-stock unit. However, a German retailer is selling an RTX 5090 with missing ROPs without a discount.

VideoCardz spotted a damaged Zotac RTX 5090 Solid OC listed at Alternate for €2899. The store notes that the GPU shows signs of use but is fully functional. However, below that disclaimer, it's revealed that the Blackwell card only has 168 out of 176 ROPs active. ROPs are essential components that affect the processing power of a graphics card. Consequently, it's a stretch to say that this RTX 5090 is in full working order.

Some RTX 50 series GPUs shipped with missing ROPs, which Nvidia acknowledged and blamed on early production snafus. While there have been fewer reports of defective cards, some partially crippled GPUs remain in laptops and at retailers. Nvidia has advised buyers to return their purchases to vendors or submit an RMA to manufacturers. It appears Alternate would rather try to make a profit on the RTX 5090 Solid OC than send it back to Zotac.

What's more frustrating is that the German seller is offering the Zotac RTX 5090 in brand-new condition for the same €2899 price. Also, the price of an undamaged white version is lower at €2859. Neither model is in stock, but buyers aren't being compensated for purchasing a B-stock product.

Missing ROPs aren't the only obstacles the RTX 50 series has faced. Driver issues have led to black screens or, in some cases, bricked GPUs. Nvidia has released fixes, but reports of these problems continue on Reddit.