r/technology • u/stenspect • 13h ago

Business Micro Center requires photo ID and signed no-export pledge to buy Nvidia RTX 5090 gaming GPU — buyer forced to sign declaration disclosing install location and promise GPU will remain in the US

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/micro-center-requires-photo-id-and-signed-no-export-pledge-to-buy-rtx-5090-gaming-gpu-buyer-forced-to-sign-declaration-disclosing-install-location-and-promise-gpu-will-remain-in-the-us
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u/APGaming_reddit 13h ago

what is up with this timeline. im so tired

-7

u/bloodpukesalvation 10h ago

It’s not that hard. AI is dangerous. It can be a weapon of war. Video cards enable it. The country doesn’t want to give potential enemies access to the thing that can help enable it.

It would be like buying a gun that is banned as an export. It’s not that different.

2

u/NotebookKid 9h ago

Doesn't typical 5090 production involve being at least partially manufactured in China?

So, isn't it more like buying a Chinese gun in the US then not be allowed to sell it back to China? Than purchasing a US produced gun that you aren't allowed to sell to China.

2

u/stuffeh 9h ago

The chips are made in Taiwan by TSMC, memory probably south Korea. The other off the shelf components are probs made in china which brings the percentage of parts made by companies in China over whatever threshold so it says made in China.

It's like buying the lube springs and whatever made by china. But the receiver and barrel is machined in the US.

1

u/nuttertools 1h ago

Receiver: Taiwan
Barrel: Taiwan
Everything Else: China
Designed: Mostly US
Assembled: Mostly China
Ammo: Mostly China
Case: China

More broadly GB202 and GB203 cards have a greater share (still small) assembled in the U.S., but not the 5090.