Due to the extremely chaotic market supply of RTX 5090 graphics cards, DIY enthusiasts are facing an unprecedentedly awkward situation. According to the latest market quotes, the price of a single flagship graphics card has spiraled out of control, exceeding the cost of a complete system, making "buy a graphics card, get a computer for free" a reality.
Currently, the cheapest graphics card available off-the-shelf in the US market is the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 5090 OC, priced at $4,829.99 (approximately ¥34,534 RMB).
Interestingly, HP, a major pre-built PC manufacturer, offers its flagship Omen MAX 45L desktop with an RTX 5090 graphics card for just $4,709.99 (approximately ¥33,676 RMB).
There is a $120 difference (approximately ¥858 RMB) between the two, and the complete system additionally includes the processor, memory, hard drive, and other full hardware components.
Behind this price inversion lies the complete loss of control over graphics card premiums. ASUS initially priced this graphics card at $2,799.99 (approximately ¥20,020 RMB), which was already significantly higher than the reference model price.
However, the current actual selling price has surged by $2,030 (approximately ¥14,514 RMB) compared to the launch price, reaching $4,829 (approximately ¥34,534 RMB). At this price, you could almost buy two and a half reference-model RTX 5090 graphics cards.
Compared to severely overpriced standalone graphics cards, HP's flagship pre-built system delivers core performance powered by the Ryzen 7 9700X processor and 32GB of DDR5-6000 high-frequency memory, along with a 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD for storage.
In terms of design, the system features a spacious 45L chassis to ensure optimal cooling performance. It is equipped with a custom high-wattage power supply capable of driving the RTX 5090, and offers comprehensive connectivity, covering all current mainstream high-speed transmission protocols.
HP's pre-built systems are currently still available for order and are expected to ship by the end of this month. Meanwhile, graphics card supplies in the retail market remain extremely scarce, with prices continuing to rise.