This Expensive, Gold-Plated Nvidia GPU Came With A Certificate Of Authenticity

Some might say that the Nvidia RTX 5090 graphics card didn't need another reason to boost its already sky-high pricing, which is often far more than the $1,999 MSRP, making it among the worst bang for your buck in graphics cards right now. However, Asus saw it and said, "We can make it even more expensive." So, as a "celebration of the rapid evolution of the Middle East," the company created a special edition of its ROG Astral line for extreme gaming, rendering, and AI workloads. Asus topped it off with 6.5 grams (0.014 pounds) of gold plating, bumping the cost to between $7,000 and $11,000. Dubbed the ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 Dhahab Edition, the GPU comes with a certificate of authenticity, akin to the extras you get with a pricey watch.

ROG exhibited a gold RTX 5090 in China. It used 5kg of gold and weighed 7.2kg in total. pic.twitter.com/YIwyAYUZnp

— 孤城Hardware (@realVictor_M) July 12, 2025

Asus reportedly displayed an even more expensive model in China made from $500,000 worth of gold, making it an RTX 5090 that was around $498,000 more than the original launch price of the GPU. Put away your wallet, though. This GPU was made for a private collector and has actually risen in price, with VideoCardz reporting in March that it was now worth over $800,000. The gold 5090 was last seen in a video hosted by Tony Yu, Asus China's general manager, in March, fitted into a small form factor PC.

That said, demand for GPUs from AI data centers has caused prices to skyrocket. As a result, the standard, less-sparkly RTX 5090s are going for more than $4,000, depending on the retailer. 

Asus is selling the card through Middle East-focused online stores, so pricing stems from them. Instead, since then, it has been found on reseller sites, with one eBay listing nearly at $10,000.

As reported by Tom's Hardware and VideoCardz in early 2026, purchasing one of these at MSRP would have been a decent investment. The RTX 5090's pricing has increased dramatically over the last year, and gold prices have steadily risen, too. At the time of writing the original reports, it was calculated that the GPU should be worth about 50% more than it originally was. Between AI fanatics and gaming enthusiasts all clamoring for the same hardware, and gold prices rising, the card's value might go even higher. It's also why waiting for discounts to buy electronics is a risky choice, and why we say don't wait to buy a new graphics card for your computer.