Scammers in China sell $222 RTX 4090 with fake GPU die made out of plastic instead of real silicon - marked with 2030 production dates, the card didn't even have working VRAM

Scammers in China sell $222 RTX 4090 with fake GPU die made out of plastic instead of real silicon - marked with 2030 production dates, the card didn't even have working VRAM

Nvidia dupes keep getting more sophisticated as time goes on, with the latest example using a plastic die instead of real silicon on an RTX 4090.

A new twist on a classic scam. We've seen a wide variety of fake GPUs end up on Tom's Hardware, including entirely hollow ones that don't have a die to begin with. Now, scammers have found a new trick to make the con more believable - they're selling graphics cards with dies made out of plastic.

That's what happened with Brother Zhang, a well-known Chinese hardware shop owner, who came across a used, broken RTX 4090 purchased for roughly $222. Creating a fake 4090 by repurposing a 3080/3090 die is nothing new. What's new, however, is that this specific example uses plastic to imitate the silicon die. There is no "glue" or "adhesive" surrounding the silicon. Furthermore, the markings are completely incorrect.

As expected, you're receiving a dud for that price, and it's usually a gamble these vendors are willing to take in order to repair the GPU and flip it for profit. Or, in this case, produce educational content for spreading awareness.

Inspection reveals plastic die and fake markings

At first, the PCB inside the graphics card looked normal, but upon closer inspection, the die already had irregular markings. It said it's an "AD102-300-A1" die, which is what the RTX 4090 actually uses. However, the "TW 3043E2" above it indicates the card was somehow manufactured in 2030, which is not possible unless you're a time traveler. There was no QR code engraved at the corner of the die either.

All the componentry surrounding the chip also didn't look authentic, as if it had been replaced. When the technician touched the core, it felt unusually smooth, and, sure enough, it turned out to be plastic; there was no silicon inside.

VRAM also non-functional

The VRAM wasn't made out of plastic, which is a real possibility, but all the chips were "scrap" and only put there to fill up the PCB. So, neither the GPU nor the GDDR6X memory was real. Brother Zhang essentially got a $200 paperweight that looks kind of cool if you're a hardware geek.

A cautionary tale for secondhand buyers

Thankfully, this card didn't belong to any customer, and the fact that it ended up with a repair shop means it can serve as a precautionary tale. Always remain vigilant when making secondhand purchases, especially for expensive parts like a graphics card.

In this day and age, just benchmarking a GPU isn't enough because scammers have been known to swap RTX 4090 dies for RTX 3090 or 3080 silicon. If a deal looks too good to be true, it more than likely is. Unless you can open up the card to check its PCB, make sure to tally the benchmark results with the performance you see for it online.

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Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he's not working, you'll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.

- Unolocogringo: Scammers are always scamming.

- PEnns: I picked up a Asus Dual 5070 from Microcenter. Got home and opened it up and was met with a 2060. Of course Microcenter made good on the exchange for a real 5070. It just cost me 3 hours drive time and gas to return it to the store.

In this cycle of everything shortage / over-priced components, it turns out that plastic is the new silicon.