GoKawiilWTF?! Nvidia has rejected an RMA request for an RTX 5090 Founders Edition after determining that the card's serial number could not be read, according to a Reddit user. Other RTX 5090 owners have described similar fading on the markings, though the limited reports show different outcomes when cards are submitted for warranty service.
The owner said the GPU began suffering black-screen crashes and was sent to Nvidia for replacement. Before shipping the card, they noticed that the serial number printed on its metal bracket had become difficult to read.
Nvidia retained the flagship for more than a month before returning it, the owner said. The company did not initially explain why it rejected the RMA. After contacting support again on September 14, the user said Nvidia highlighted the unreadable serial number as the reason for the decision.
The Reddit post said the GPU had not been altered. The owner wrote that they had "never opened, modified, repaired, or tampered with the card."
The owner added that Nvidia's support chatbot said the claim could proceed if they had the original box and proof of purchase. Both were available, but Nvidia declined the replacement after receiving the hardware.
Several commenters on the post said they had seen the same kind of fading on Founders Edition cards. The serial number is printed in gray on a metal portion of the I/O bracket, where the text can become difficult to distinguish from the surrounding surface.
PC Gamer reported a similar issue with the serial number on its own RTX 5080 Founders Edition, which the publication said had faded, though it did not report sending that card in for warranty service or having an RMA rejected.
One Reddit commenter said the issue became apparent while trying to photograph the number: "When I went to take a photo of the serial number, I noticed it was faded almost the same color as the metal bracket it was printed on... It just seems designed in such a way to make it easy to refuse RMAs."
The reports do not establish how common the fading may be or what causes it. Some suggested that heat exposure or normal handling could be involved.
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