Vietnam’s Lê Thành, the self-proclaimed ‘King of VGA,’ is having some fun on Facebook (opens in new tab) (via I_Leak_VN (opens in new tab)). In photos and videos shared on the social media site, it looks like the store has started to use street trader tactics to grab passersby and sell them GPUs by the kilo.
Lê Thành shared pictures of dozens of used GPUs stacked up on the curbside in a clear parody of a Vietnamese street food stall. There is also a video with the vendor patiently waving away flies with a net, awaiting passersby. Then, a scooter stops, and the rider buys a bundle of GPUs after the seller weighs them, then drives off with them in a flimsy red takeaway bag. Other photos show the street seller waving used GPUs at scooter riders in the street. Moreover, there are stacks and stacks of GPUs shown in Lê Thành’s shop, with all the major brands represented.
There has been plenty of talk about graphics card oversupply in the post-Ethereum GPU mining era. Indeed, we have seen consumer graphics card prices slide since this tech event. Even leading up to the death of GPU mining, the crypto business was running out of steam as coin valuations dropped precipitously, and recessionary forces started to grip the world. The widespread ending of pandemic-related lockdowns didn’t do consumer electronic sales any favors, as did the squeeze on disposable income due to rising energy prices.
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GPU makers have reflected the cooling of demand in recent financials. As a result, most have a gloomy outlook for the coming months but appear to hope for relief in the New Year. In the case of Nvidia, the biggest discrete GPU vendor by quite some margin, it expects sales of its gaming and professional graphics processors to decline quarter-over-quarter. However, it seems to be g well with its hot-selling GeForce RTX 4090 and high-end accelerators to China before US sanctions bite later in 2023.
Have readers noticed an abundance of used GPUs at attractive prices where they live? Naturally, it is easy to be tempted to upgrade, but buyers should beware of buying a used model of unknown provenance.
