What was reported
Vik-On's client paid about 30,000 rubles, roughly $350, for a dead RTX 4090 that he hoped to revive. According to VideoCardz, the seller offered it as a bare PCB with no cooling system, which made it hard for the buyer to check whether it worked. That detail matters. With no cooler fitted, a buyer can't sensibly power the board and test it.
The teardown found a counterfeit GPU package that imitated the real chip closely. VideoCardz says the makers copied the RTX 4090 label, the package, the chip markings and the compound around the processor. The part was also soldered down with a ball grid array, so it looked factory-installed rather than glued on.
The reported giveaways were subtle:
- Vik-On noticed differences in the substrate color, the surface reflections and the lettering.
- After the package was removed, the contact area did not look like that of a functional processor, and the solder mask began deteriorating during cleaning.
- There was no usable RTX 4090 silicon inside, so the board cannot be restored to a working RTX 4090.
The memory problem
The memory was counterfeit too. Its markings were close enough to genuine Micron parts that even the repair specialists struggled to tell them apart at first. After one package was removed, it appeared to be GDDR6, not GDDR6X. The wording is hedged in the reporting, so it is a strong indication rather than a lab-certified identification.
The comparison point is solid. NVIDIA's RTX 4090 page lists 24 GB of GDDR6X memory. Third-party spec databases agree that the card uses a 384-bit bus and 24 GB of GDDR6X. GDDR6X was therefore the memory type a genuine board should carry, which is why the mismatch stands out.
What is still unconfirmed
Several claims in the coverage should be read as suspicion or hearsay:
- The seller's stock. The buyer says the seller claimed five or six more similar cards. Nobody has verified that.
- Factory origin. Vik-On suspects a factory in China, but the reporting says the origin has not been confirmed. Claims of mass production are speculation.
- PCB identity. The specialist suspected the PCB design resembled an RTX 3090 Ti. VideoCardz notes this was not conclusively established.
- No software testing. The card was sold as dead, and the reporting describes no GPU-Z, BIOS or driver checks. Nobody should assume a software check would have exposed it.
How it compares with earlier fakes
This is the latest in a run of RTX 4090 fakes, but the methods differ. They are separate incidents, not proof of one supply chain.
| Case | Method reported |
|---|---|
| July 2024, Northwestrepair | A card with a GPU labeled AD102 actually held a GA102 chip from the RTX 3080 Ti class, apparently re-marked |
| June 2026, Brother Zhang | VideoCardz reported a plastic imitation of the die with scrap memory packages, bought as a broken card for around $222 |
| October 2026, Vik-On | Soldered dummy GPU package with copied markings, plus memory that appeared to be GDDR6 |
In the June case, UNIKO's Hardware noticed the date code was impossible and the substrate lacked the expected QR code. Vik-On's fake apparently fixed that kind of sloppiness. VideoCardz says the labels are clearly improved over the newer fake's predecessor. That suggests counterfeiters are learning from public exposés.
What buyers can take from this
The reporting doesn't give a safe consumer test for this kind of fake. The firm evidence came from desoldering components, which isn't a buyer's job. A few cautious conclusions follow, and they are my own analysis, not findings from the teardown:
- "For repair" doesn't mean repairable. In this case there was no recoverable GPU at all.
- Price is context, not proof. VideoCardz says a working RTX 4090 sells for around 240,000 rubles (about $2,800) in Vik-On's market. That is a local figure. It shows why a cheap repair board tempts buyers, but a cheap price alone doesn't prove a card is fake.
- Treat untested boards as parts-or-loss risks. VideoCardz made a similar point about the June case: with no working test, no verified serial data and no return option, assume a total loss is possible.
- Prefer sellers who allow inspection or returns. Ask for close photos of the GPU package and memory, then compare them with known genuine boards. Photos may not be enough, because Vik-On's own team found the fake hard to distinguish at first.
Why Windows and PC readers should care
Second-hand flagship GPUs are popular for AI work, rendering and high-end gaming. Tight supply and high prices push buyers toward risky listings. A card that never boots wastes money, and one that does boot but carries misrepresented parts can waste even more through instability and warranty problems. If a deal looks too good, the board may be a "parts card" at best.
The takeaway is simple. Counterfeiters now target the repair market, where buyers expect a faulty card and may not look closely at the silicon. The most reliable defense remains buying from sellers who offer verification and returns.