Video shows new RTX 5090 cards dismantled and rebuilt as blower GPUs for AI servers

A video reposted by Hong Kong hardware outlet HKEPC on Oct. 23 shows large numbers of brand-new NVIDIA RTX 5090 gaming graphics cards being dismantled and converted into dual-slot blower cards for AI servers. The footage shows retail-box units from multiple brands, including NVIDIA’s own Founders Edition-style cards, being stripped of their original triple-fan cooling systems. Workers then remove the GPU and memory with hot air, transplant them onto different boards, fit blower coolers, and run performance and stability tests before repackaging the cards for shipment. The report says the full RTX 5090 is subject to U.S. export controls and cannot be sold into China, where NVIDIA instead offers the lower-spec RTX 5090 D. While outside reports have pointed to a Chinese modification factory, the video itself does not disclose the location, and neither the site nor the operator has been independently confirmed. The report also says there is no proof showing how these cards entered China. Before the video surfaced, RTX 5090 listings had already disappeared from many channels in the U.S. and Taiwan, fueling production-stop rumors. NVIDIA Senior Vice President of Personal Computing Jeff Fisher denied those claims on Oct. 16, saying shipments would continue while acknowledging tight supply. On Newegg, most RTX 5090 listings were priced above $9,300, with the highest at $10,899, versus a $1,999 MSRP.