- Chinese firm turns RTX 5090 cards into two-slot AI accelerators using custom PCBs
- Factory automation in China converts Nvidia gaming GPUs into data center hardware
- Export restrictions are bypassed as RTX 5090 boards are reworked into rack-ready AI modules
A video circulating on Bilibili shows how enterprising Chinese technicians are converting GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards into high-efficiency AI accelerators, bypassing export restrictions in the process.
Instead of using the retail GPUs as is, a local manufacturer is removing the GB202 chips and memory modules from the gaming boards.
The components are then transferred onto custom two-slot PCBs and paired with blower-style cooling, optimized for server rack environments.
Large scale production
The operation appears to be being run at factory-level scale. Robotic arms extract GPU modules, pick-and-place systems reassemble them onto redesigned boards, and automated soldering equipment finalizes the electrical work, before visual inspection systems confirm alignment and build quality.
The process is fast, repeatable, and efficient, far beyond what might be expected of a small workshop, but what makes this enterprise even more notable is the sheer volume of RTX 5090 cards seen in the video, despite restrictions on their export to China.
Nvidia has not officially released the 5090D variant, designed to comply with U.S. sanctions, and yet shelves of full-power RTX 5090 units can be seen undergoing retrofitting.
Gaming models with three-fan cooling are too large for server chassis, and their power connectors are often positioned awkwardly for rack use, so the cards are physically modified to fit data center constraints.
The redesigned blower cards shift the power input to the tail end of the PCB, simplifying cable routing and avoiding risk of overheating.
From a hardware standpoint, the GPUs function identically.
By shifting them onto slimline, server-compatible boards, Chinese firms are essentially creating their own high-end AI accelerators.
If hardware intended for gamers can be so easily adapted for AI research and model training, then questions about the effectiveness of the current export controls surely have to be asked.
It’s clear from the scale of the operation in the video that there is strong demand for AI accelerators built from repurposed RTX 5090 cards.
For AI developers in China, it means they can get the computing power they need without having to rely on official supply channels.
Via Guru3D.com
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