In Thailand, the latest RTX-50 graphics cards from NVIDIA are available, but those who want one apparently have to dig deep into their pockets – because retailers are only selling them in combination with a complete system.
At least that’s what a Reddit user claims, who shares his experiences in a post. According to darkshado34, it is not possible to purchase an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 individually – anyone who just wants to replace their old GPU currently has bad luck in Thailand and has to buy a new gaming PC (via Reddit).
What could be behind the sales strategy? Perhaps retailers want to prevent GPUs from being immediately bought up by resellers with this practice. These so-called scalpers often buy sought-after hardware in large quantities to sell it later at a higher price, which leads to artificial scarcity and price increases.
By tying the graphics cards to the purchase of a complete system, the acquisition becomes less attractive for resellers, as the financial effort increases and the profit decreases.
A contradiction to the actual concept
How does the community react? Opinions are fundamentally divided. Some users can understand the possible strategy to protect against scalpers, yet the logic behind it is being questioned. Especially considering the average monthly income in Thailand, expensive bundle offers costing several thousand euros seem unwise – as user darkshado34 points out.
Others, on the other hand, feel generally disadvantaged, especially if they only want to upgrade their existing hardware without wanting or being able to invest in a completely new system. Therefore, those who just want to replace their old graphics card apparently have bad luck.
User 3cto even considers the practice absurd, as it contradicts the fundamental idea of a PC – namely the possibility to upgrade or replace individual components.
What is there to the story? The reports about this sales strategy come from a Reddit thread that describes the situation in Thailand. There are currently no official confirmations from retailers or larger tech media. Whether this is a nationwide practice or just the approach of individual shops remains unclear.
Current developments in the GPU market: The mentioned sales strategy appears even more remarkable as the global GPU market continues to be characterized by high prices and supply shortages.
The introduction of the NVIDIA RTX 5090 and 5080 has caused a stir worldwide. Despite high prices starting at 2,300 euros for the RTX 5090 and 1,200 euros for the RTX 5080, demand remains high, leading to supply shortages. Scalpers continue to exploit this situation to resell GPUs at excessively high prices (via Boltwise).
Those currently looking for a new graphics card should take a close look at which models offer the best price-performance ratio. Not every expensive GPU also provides the greatest performance leap. An overview of the best gaming graphics cards can be found here: The best graphics cards in gaming for every budget 2025
