China’s GeForce RTX 4090 Price Skyrockets Amidst US Export Ban

Due to US export restrictions, Chinese gamers are facing a shortage of RTX 4090 graphics cards, with prices doubling or even quadrupling, and retailers delisting them; as a result, gamers are now turning to RTX 4080 cards, and NVIDIA may develop a new RTX 4090 model to comply with the regulations.

Chinese gamers are turning their attention to acquiring RTX 4080 cards, as these remain unaffected by the new restrictions.
NVIDIA has a history of developing models with hardware or software modifications.
It took several months for the crypto-mining community to bypass the Lite Hash Rate series.

Chinese gamers are facing a shortage of the highly sought-after RTX 4090 Graphics Cards as retailers in the country either remove them from e-commerce platforms or increase their prices. This scarcity is a direct result of new export restrictions imposed by the United States, which specifically target high-performance graphics chips like the nVidia H800 data-center and RTX 4090 gaming GPUs.

The restrictions, outlined in the U.S. ECCN 3A090 documents, impose limitations on memory bandwidth and processing unit compute power. The RTX 4090 exceeds these limits, placing it in the restricted category. As a result, popular retailers in China have quickly sold out of these cards, with some official stores even delisting them.

The RTX 4090 was initially released in October 2022 at a price of 12,999 RMB. However, due to the scarcity caused by the export restrictions, the current lowest price for the card is now 26,000 RMB, double its original cost. Some users have reported prices quadrupling. Even official stores, including NVIDIA’s own Founders Edition, have removed their listings. It’s important to note that China is not the only country affected by these restrictions, but it is one of NVIDIA’s largest gaming markets.

In light of these circumstances, Chinese gamers are now turning their attention to acquiring RTX 4080 cards, as these remain unaffected by the new restrictions. Given that gaming sales are a significant priority for NVIDIA alongside data centers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a new RTX 4090 model that complies with the updated regulations. NVIDIA has a history of developing such models with hardware or software modifications. A recent example is the Lite Hash Rate series, which effectively reduced the cryptocurrency mining hash rate. While the crypto-mining community eventually found ways to bypass this feature, it took several months to do so.

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Background Information

About nVidia: NVIDIA has firmly established itself as a leader in the realm of client computing, continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation in graphics and AI technologies. With a deep commitment to enhancing user experiences, NVIDIA's client computing business focuses on delivering solutions that power everything from gaming and creative workloads to enterprise applications. for its GeForce graphics cards, the company has redefined high-performance gaming, setting industry standards for realistic visuals, fluid frame rates, and immersive experiences. Complementing its gaming expertise, NVIDIA's Quadro and NVIDIA RTX graphics cards cater to professionals in design, content creation, and scientific fields, enabling real-time ray tracing and AI-driven workflows that elevate productivity and creativity to unprecedented heights. By seamlessly integrating graphics, AI, and software, NVIDIA continues to shape the landscape of client computing, fostering innovation and immersive interactions in a rapidly evolving digital world.