It's not just the GeForce RTX 5090, which is getting converted to a blower-style GPU for the AI market, but other slower cards are following the same path as well.
Multiple GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs are Turned Into Blower-Style GPUs for the AI Market; Prices Start at $573 for RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
Remember the Chinese labs where the banned GeForce RTX 5090 were getting converted into blower-style GPUs? Well, not only does that go almost unrestricted, but more NVIDIA RTX 50 series GPUs are now seeing a similar transformation. Since the RTX 5090 has a huge demand in China, while the US govt has banned the sale of this GPU, NVIDIA had to release the 24 GB variant, known as the GeForce RTX 5090 D V2.
A huge inventory of the standard RTX 5090 still easily manages into Chinese markets, where specific shops/labs remove the GPU chip and the VRAM from the PCB to deploy on newer ones that utilize a blower-style cooler. These are then sold in the market for AI usage, and that's also one of the reasons why it gets even harder for gamers to get their hands on the flagship RTX 50 GPU. But if you think the rest of the lineup is untouched, then you are mistaken.
Recently, Taobao has started listing other blower-style RTX 50 series cards, which include almost the entire lineup except for a few SKUs. Apparently, three more GPUs are now getting converted into blower-style GPUs, including the GeForce RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5060 Ti, all of which boast 16 GB GDDR7 memory. We don't know which one is shown in the pics, but these may or may not be the PCB from NVIDIA or its board partners.
It's possible that, similar to the RTX 5090 blower-style GPUs, these are the converted cards with newer PCBs. With a blower-style cooler attached to the PCB, these GPUs are now fit for deployment in machines where the heat needs to be dissipated via the I/O, and these also have the power connector located on the right edge to ensure more clearance in the chassis and allow a multi-GPU setup. Right now, none of the cards seem to have an upgraded memory configuration. which is going to be particularly more difficult at the moment, given the market conditions.
Price-wise, some of these are quite expensive, especially the RTX 5090 32 GB GPU, which is sold for nearly $4150. The RTX 5090 D 32 GB variant is a bit cheaper at $3,869, and the V2 is just over $3400. RTX 5080 is selling for nearly $1300, and the RTX 5070 Ti is at around $1100. The RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB is going for sale at $573, making it the cheapest 16 GB card.
News Source: Videocardz
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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