
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works .
(Image credit: u/GnarDead via Reddit) Share Share by: Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Flipboard Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google At the beginning of the month, one unlucky Reddit user went to the r/pcmasterrace subreddit to ask for advice. After scoring a deal on an Asus Tuf Gaming RTX 5080 at Best Buy and waiting for it to ship out, they opened the box to find the graphics card replaced by a pile of rocks . After nearly a month, user u/GnarDead finally has their RTX 5080 installed.
We've seen plenty of similar stories in the past, from an RTX 5090 box being filled with macaroni and rice to an RTX 5080 being replaced with a brick . We rarely hear what happens next, but GnarDead was gracious enough to update their original post with the results of the investigation, and how they were able to get the $1,200 graphics card in-hand.
If you missed the original story, the buyer found a handful of rocks inside the box for their graphics card, along with a tampered seal. Best Buy's customer service didn't offer to refund the buyer or replace the card; GnarDead claims that an investigation into the issue went on for just seven minutes before they were denied. After hitting a dead end, they proceeded to go into a Best Buy store for support, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, start the process of a credit card charge back, and file a police report.
Customer buys RTX 5080 from Best Buy, but got rocks instead
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/unlucky-rtx-5080-buyer-who-received-rocks-made-whole-after-month-long-investigation-reddit-user-shows-off-new-tattoo-to-commemorate#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
- Micron secures $318 million Taiwanese subsidy for HBM R&D as AI memory arms race intensifies — three-year project aims to develop leading-edge, high-performance
- Patriot Viper PV593 4TB SSD Review — The Viper stays sleeping
- Dev uses Claude AI to write a ‘functional NES emulator’ — you can test it now, playing Donkey Kong in your browser
- Huawei’s Ascend and Kunpeng progress shows how China is rebuilding an AI compute stack under sanctions
- PCIe card housing AMD chipset unlocks more connectivity on any motherboard, including Intel models — or you can give any B650 motherboard the top-tier connectiv
Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.