ASUS RTX 4090 Disposed as E-Waste After Thermal Failure, Refund Falls Short

An ASUS GeForce RTX 4090 returned for warranty repair ended up destroyed by the service center instead of being fixed. This outcome matters because it highlights a gap between consumer expectations for hardware repairs and the actual policies of some retailers. Buyers of high-end components face the risk of losing their entire device value when a unit fails under load.

Retailer destroys card due to heat, leaving buyer with original price refund

The dispute centers on a user who sent their graphics card to Galaxus after experiencing severe thermal issues. The GPU was hitting a hotspot temperature of 112 degrees Celsius while causing black screens and system reboots during full usage. These symptoms pointed to a critical failure that required immediate attention from the service provider.

• Hotspot Temperature: 112°C
• Average GPU Temperature: under 70°C
• Launch Price: $1600
• Current Market Price: $3000-$4000

Galaxus informed the user that the defect was too severe to repair and had already disposed of the card as electronic waste. The retailer cited a policy that mandates the destruction of unrepairable devices in such cases. The user had originally selected the repair or replacement option, but the service center determined the hardware could not be restored.

The financial impact of this disposal is significant given the current market conditions for the RTX 4090. The card launched at $1600, but it now sells for between $3000 and $4000 on major retailers. Galaxus offered a refund that reflects the original purchase price rather than the current replacement cost, leaving the user with a substantial financial loss.

We tracked this ASUS GeForce RTX 4090 case while monitoring other similar hardware failures, including our earlier coverage on Lenovo Legion 7i RTX 4090 Bricked. The final outcome confirms that some service centers prioritize waste disposal protocols over component recovery. This sets a precedent for how warranty claims are handled for high-value gaming hardware.