THE NVIDIA AI GPU BLACK MARKET:
SMUGGLING, ARRESTS, & HIGH-TECH CRIME
The United States Government has imposed export controls and restrictions on high-end GPUs that could be used for “AI” tasks and military simulations, restricting the sale of these GPUs by US entities to China. People have been arrested for smuggling GPUs out of the United States, but no one has gotten the middlemen and smugglers to go on-record and on-camera with the users of these GPUs. We embedded in Asia for 3 weeks to talk on-camera with smugglers, suppliers, middlemen, users, and innovative repair shops building their own high-end video cards with parts from NVIDIA’s defective products, all fueling what the US Government considers to be a “black market” of GPUs. In GN’s world-first story, we learn directly from those making this market tick and how cards get into China and past US export controls. Now, we need your help to produce this documentary to the highest possible quality levels, so we’ve introduced backer rewards to fund our effort and get you high-quality items in return.
UPDATE: DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH ORDER VOLUME, WE ARE IN WAVE 2: New orders placed for BACKER ITEMS relating to the Black Market documentary will ship from October 15 to November 30.
UPDATE (SEPT. 2): We’ve sent out an email blast to everyone who bought one of the backer packs (up through September 1) with information on digital rewards timing, KINGPIN tier Q&A signups, and more. Find that here!
UPDATE 9/9: The KINGPIN Backer tier is now SOLD OUT. We have to close this tier for orders so that we can finalize booking for the Q&A sessions and render the final USB movie with the credits in them, and so no more orders can be placed. The other tiers will remain open for a few days: MULE, FENCE, and FIXER.
UPDATE: DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH ORDER VOLUME, WE ARE IN WAVE 2: New orders placed for BACKER ITEMS relating to the Black Market documentary will ship from October 15 to November 30.
THE MULE transports and smuggles GPUs around the world, carrying high-value goods at the hope of a small payday. This is our entry-level backer tier for the Black Market GPUs Documentary. This tier includes one shirt design, one pint glass, wallpapers, and a sticker pack. The bonus videos start at “THE FENCE” tier. All physical items can be purchased separately except the canvas print of the Hong Kong skyline painting (which is only available with “The Kingpin” tier). Digital items (such as bonus videos) can only be gotten in these tiers.
Includes:
Digital wallpaper pack
1x “Blacklisted” T-Shirt
1x GPU Diagram Pint Glass with Gold Halo Rim
1x Sticker Pack of at least 5 stickers, including “Black Market” themed GPU backplate stickers and case side panel stickers (sizes listed on sticker pack store page)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION & DIGITAL REWARDS
SHIPPING: We will begin shipping items on August 31. We expect to complete all shipments by September 30. UPDATE: NEW ORDERS SHIPPING OCT 15 TO NOV 31 due to high volume.
SIZES: Tiers with multiple shirts will all be the same chosen size. All shirts in the tiers are cotton.
DIGITAL REWARDS: These will be distributed on or before September 30. These will be distributed via the email attached to your order, so please use a valid email. Please add support@gamersnexus.net to your filters to ensure it does not end up in spam.
BACKER ITEM (GPU BLACK MARKET).
UPDATE: DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH ORDER VOLUME, WE ARE IN WAVE 2: New orders placed for BACKER ITEMS relating to the Black Market documentary will ship from October 15 to November 30.
THE FENCE buys and sells smuggled GPUs between users and suppliers, connecting the illicit imports to the rest of the industry. This is our third-highest backer tier for the Black Market GPUs Documentary. This tier includes two different shirt designs, one exclusive bonus video, one pint glass, wallpapers, and a sticker pack. All physical items can be purchased separately except the canvas print of the Hong Kong skyline painting (which is only available with “The Kingpin” tier). Digital items (such as bonus videos) can only be gotten in these tiers.
Includes:
Digital wallpaper pack
1x “BLIND EYE” T-Shirt
1x “Blacklisted” T-Shirt
1x GPU Diagram Pint Glass with Gold Halo Rim
1x Sticker Pack of at least 5 stickers, including “Black Market” themed GPU backplate stickers and case side panel stickers (sizes listed on sticker pack store page)
Bonus Video: Steve and Ben (GN’s main researcher for this video), who compiled over 400 pages of information, discuss the research process and logistics
IMPORTANT INFORMATION & DIGITAL REWARDS
SHIPPING: We will begin shipping items on August 31. We expect to complete all shipments by September 30. UPDATE: NEW ORDERS SHIPPING OCT 15 TO NOV 31 due to high volume.
SIZES: Tiers with multiple shirts will all be the same chosen size. All shirts in the tiers are cotton.
DIGITAL REWARDS: These will be distributed on or before September 30. These will be distributed via the email attached to your order, so please use a valid email. Please add support@gamersnexus.net to your filters to ensure it does not end up in spam.
BACKER ITEM (GPU BLACK MARKET).
UPDATE: DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH ORDER VOLUME, WE ARE IN WAVE 2: New orders placed for BACKER ITEMS relating to the Black Market documentary will ship from October 15 to November 30.
THE FIXER is an expert at high-level connections and ‘fixing’ any ‘problem’ that needs to be solved. Or ‘solved.’ This is our second-highest backer tier for the Black Market GPUs Documentary. This tier includes three different shirt designs, two exclusive bonus videos, behind-the-scenes footage, two pint glasses, and more. All physical items can be purchased separately except the canvas print of the Hong Kong skyline painting (which is only available with “The Kingpin” tier). Digital items (such as bonus videos) can only be gotten in these tiers.
Includes:
Digital wallpaper pack
1x “BLIND EYE” T-Shirt
1x GPU “Paper Launch” T-Shirt
1x “Blacklisted” T-Shirt
2x GPU Diagram Pint Glasses with Gold Halo Rim
1x Coaster Pack 1 set (4 coasters)
1x Sticker Pack of at least 5 stickers, including “Black Market” themed GPU backplate stickers and case side panel stickers (sizes listed on sticker pack store page)
Bonus Video: Steve and Ben (GN’s main researcher for this video), who compiled over 400 pages of information, discuss the research process and logistics
Bonus Video: Basic travel Chinese lesson with Steve, featuring extremely specific computer hardware terminology (for a funny twist but educational twist)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION & DIGITAL REWARDS
SHIPPING: We will begin shipping items on August 31. We expect to complete all shipments by September 30. UPDATE: NEW ORDERS SHIPPING OCT 15 TO NOV 31 due to high volume.
SIZES: Tiers with multiple shirts will all be the same chosen size. All shirts in the tiers are cotton.
DIGITAL REWARDS: These will be distributed on or before September 30. These will be distributed via the email attached to your order, so please use a valid email. Please add support@gamersnexus.net to your filters to ensure it does not end up in spam.
BACKER ITEM (GPU BLACK MARKET).
UPDATE: DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH ORDER VOLUME, WE ARE IN WAVE 2: New orders placed for BACKER ITEMS relating to the Black Market documentary will ship from October 15 to November 30.
UPDATE 9/9: This tier is now SOLD OUT. We have to close this tier for orders so that we can finalize booking for the Q&A sessions and render the final USB movie with the credits in them, and so no more orders can be placed. The other tiers will remain open for a few days: MULE, FENCE, and FIXER.
THE KINGPIN organizes the smuggling operations and reaps the benefits. This is our highest backer tier for the Black Market GPUs Documentary. This tier includes all physical items, exclusive bonus videos, behind-the-scenes footage, a credit in the video, a bonus canvas print of the Hong Kong skyline that Steve’s mom painted with watercolors (from a photo Steve took), and an exclusive group Q&A livestream with Steve and other backers of this tier. These will be split into small groups to ensure everyone has an opportunity to enter questions into YouTube chat for the stream. Additionally, the “BLIND EYE” T-Shirt in this tier will be SIGNED by Steve. All physical items can be purchased separately except the canvas print, which is only available with this tier.
Includes:
Digital wallpaper pack
1x K|NGP|N KPX XOC THERMAL PASTE TUBE from K|NGP|N himself
1x SIGNED “BLIND EYE” T-Shirt
1x GPU “Paper Launch” T-Shirt
1x “Blacklisted” T-Shirt
4x GPU Diagram Pint Glasses with Gold Halo Rim
1x Coaster Pack 1 set (4 coasters)
2x Sticker Pack of at least 5 stickers each, including “Black Market” themed GPU backplate stickers and case side panel stickers (sizes listed on sticker pack store page)
1x Canvas print of a Hong Kong city skyline painting, painted by Steve’s mom
Bonus Video: Limited access stream Q&A session with Steve and other backers of this tier
Bonus Video: behind-the-scenes discussion with production team & Steve
Bonus Video: commentary featuring clips that didn’t make it into the cut
Bonus Video: Steve and Ben (GN’s main researcher for this video), who compiled over 400 pages of information, discuss the research process and logistics
Bonus Video: Basic travel Chinese lesson with Steve, featuring extremely specific computer hardware terminology (for a funny twist but educational twist)
Credit: If you opt-in at checkout, your name will be listed in our “Special Thanks” section of the credits for the movie. ONLY APPLIES if purchased before AUGUST 14 AT 11:59 PM ET
IMPORTANT INFORMATION & DIGITAL REWARDS
SHIPPING: We will begin shipping items on August 31. We expect to complete all shipments by September 30. UPDATE: NEW ORDERS SHIPPING OCTOBER 15 TO NOV 31 DUE TO HIGH VOLUME.
SIZES: Tiers with multiple shirts will all be the same chosen size. All shirts in the tiers are cotton.
DIGITAL REWARDS: These will be distributed on or before September 30. These will be distributed via the email attached to your order, so please use a valid email. Please add support@gamersnexus.net to your filters to ensure it does not end up in spam.
BACKER ITEM (GPU BLACK MARKET).
Backer Rewards feature bundle packs of GamersNexus store items and exclusive digital content that will only be available to backers of our THE NVIDIA AI GPU BLACK MARKET documentary. Exclusive items in various tiers include: A bonus Q&A small group livestream (of only “The Kingpin” backers) with Steve, split into small groups to maximize time with everyone; bonus videos with the production team and research team; wallpaper packs for devices; an exclusive canvas print of a watercolor painting done by Steve’s mom, showing the Hong Kong city skyline of a photo Steve took on the trip; additional T-shirts, pint glasses, and other physical items; and in one tier, a credit in the rendered video itself (if purchased before AUGUST 14 AT 11:59 PM ET).
Each physical item is available separately, with the exception of the canvas print (which is only available in “The Kingpin” tier) and the KPX K|NGP|N thermal paste (only available in the bundle), but bonus videos, the live Q&A with Steve, credit in the video, and other digital rewards are only available in the various backer tiers.
ENOUGH “SOURCES SAY” BULLSHIT: ON RECORD
Every big publication has anonymous “sources” who say things. We worked directly with the experts on camera.
FUNDING GOALs
The graphic will be updated at least once per day.
[DELIVERED] $10,000: Publish full GPU control timeline free of third-party ads on the website
$20,000: Edit & Release unpublished Hong Kong market footage in upcoming video focused on PC hardware culture and markets in Asia
[DELIVERED] $30,000: Add high-quality cityscape drone shots, animations, and increase music licensing budget for the documentary
[DELIVERED] $40,000: Edit & Release FULL 48GB GPU MODIFICATION VIDEO
[DELIVERED] $50,000: Release the documentary without any directly sold computer hardware ads (only GN store ads and YouTube AdSense ads)
$60,000: Edit and polish the research document and release a short version of the most critical points on the website, free of third-party ads
[DELIVERED] $80,000: Create written article version of the full documentary (free of third-party ads)
STRETCH GOALS
[COMPLETE; PENDING GOVT. RESPONSES] $150,000: Physically drive to the US State Department and US Commerce Department to seek answers (and probably promptly get turned away), as neither has responded to emails
[DRIVES DELIVERED; VIDEO PENDING] $200,000: Distribute digital backer rewards on physical USB keys that can be reused later. Drive to Microcenter, make a video of driving Microcenter and buying all the USB sticks, load the digital content for tiers onto them, and also load an exclusive photo of Snowflake only available via the USB sticks
SUPER STRETCH GOALS
$225,000: A full feature, separate video seeking interviews with lawmakers and elected officials about this topic. We adjust the plan for the $150,000 stretch goal. Now, instead of simply driving to Washington DC and likely being turned away, we will actively seek out interview bookings by emailing Senators, Congresspeople, Representatives, and other elected officials until we find people who will speak with us. Instead of becoming a smaller video upload where we likely just get ignored (similar to how our emails to the Secretary of State & Commerce Department were ignored), we now will aim to arrange at least one, but hopefully a few, interviews with elected officials to discuss this topic. This will be a separate, full feature upload once arranged. We cannot put a firm date on it yet as it would depend upon the schedule of the officials who agree. This would still include physically driving to Washington, DC or other government building locations for interviews. This would be uploaded publicly to the GNCA YouTube channel.
$250,000: We film a separate publicly available upload for the GN channel where we build a high-end, I/O-specialized PC (likely with help from Wendell at Level1 Techs) and figure out how to load all the USB keys that we are sending to ALL BACKERS with Digital Rewards. The video would be a fun PC build project where we get to do some problem-solving for the most efficient way to 'burn' the files to USB keys. This adjusts the plan for the $200,000 stretch goal and uploads to the GN channel within a few months.
[DELIVERED] $300,000: For ALL BACKERS with Digital Rewards, your own high-quality, digital copy of our finalized movie loaded onto the USB sticks that will be yours to preserve in the event our movie is ever taken offline. Usual Copyright laws apply (do not redistribute/reupload our footage or re-use it for profit -- unless we're taken offline, then go for it); however, this would be your copy and would also allow you to watch it without any AdSense ads on your own offline devices in the future.
$400,000: WE GO BACK TO CHINA to produce a feature-length, educational series exploring factories, including showing the start-to-finish design and production process for a popular computer component (separate from other factory tours we have coming up). This would feature interviews with people like designers, manufacturing engineers, and product managers to unveil never-before-revealed details about production cost. We will work with a hardware company to thoroughly document the behind-the-scenes design and making, including the challenges, of a new product. This would be an unfiltered, independent educational look at the process. These kinds of videos are typically difficult to fund due to the educational focus of them; however, they bring important insights that are not only interesting for enthusiasts, but useful for those who may want to work in similar industries. This will require more time to deliver than prior stretch goals due to the nature of travel. If this is met, we will update you all in HW News with the progress.
SUPER Ti STRETCH GOALS
$600,000: An unexpected delay in this process was the rendering. Rendering this full-length movie was not possible on our current editing machines in any reasonable amount of time (or at all, on some of them). Last-minute, we used our Threadripper test bench to render the movie instead. If we hit this amount, we will build multiple Threadripper editing machines for our office, film the process for a PUBLIC UPLOAD, and include unique benchmarks specifically testing this movie render file against various CPU and GPU configurations to provide public data as to the real performance impact of various builds while also improving our capabilities to edit and render our next movies.
Initially achieved stretch goals will be posted/completed by October 1, with the exception of Super Stretch Goals or goals where we note longer timelines are required due to additional production ambitions (such as the visit to DC).
Finding the GPUs
Although the United States Government has issued export controls and “bans” on certain high-performance GPUs getting into China, the irony remains that many of the cards are assembled there.
National Security
Both nations claim national security concerns: China is concerned about US Government backdoors into NVIDIA GPUs, something the company has denied; the United States is concerned about Chinese military simulation using the tools, something for which US company Cadence, at that time run by now-Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, has been found guilty of fueling.
Act Like the Locals
We realized the easiest way to learn about this story would be to act like the locals: We bought a GPU which was smuggled into China.
This 100% cotton, black T-shirt features our digital, Cyberpunk- and Bladerunner-inspired graphic design of the Chinese idiom “睜一隻眼閉一隻眼“ (“Open One Eye, Close One Eye”), which most directly translates to “Turn a Blind Eye.” The shirt is in reference to numerous sources on the ground in China using this idiomatic expression to answer our question of whether NVIDIA is aware of GPU smuggling into China and repurposing of “defective” GPUs from the factories. This T-Shirt will directly support our first-ever, full-length movie: THE NVIDIA AI GPU BLACK MARKET. We need your help to make these happen in the future, and that is best given through these shirts. The artwork is fully designed by our team and features one open eye, including a camera for the iris and pupil, and one closed eye. We used traditional Chinese characters for a few reasons: The first is just an artistic choice, but also because we first saw this phrase written in traditional characters in Hong Kong. It is read right-to-left, top-to-bottom. The design is off-center on the shirt and is carefully constructed to look like vertical towers, almost like a city skyline from our huge adventure. Like many of our shirts, this is printed in Vermont in the US with water-based inks.
The “Nexus Smuggling Co.” Black Market GPU sticker pack includes 5 high-quality stickers, including some die-cut and some transparent stickers. The transparent stickers are a great fit for placement on computer case glass panels, with the die-cut “Black Market” sticker sized to fit most modern video card backplates so that you can let everyone know you got your GPU from the seedy underbelly of the industry — probably Newegg or Amazon, but same thing, really. The two stickers with Chinese characters read “Black Market,” with English translation and “Nexus Smuggling Co.” present alongside the art. We also include a GPU Shredder (“Paper Launch”) sticker with the pack.
Stickers are in production now. The images shown are final art files and renders. These will ship between August 31 and September 30.
Stickers Included & Dimensions
Black Market (“Nexus Smuggling Co.”) Yellow Die-Cut Sticker: 1.9” x 2.97” (~48×75mm)
GPU Shredder (“Paper Launch”) Die-Cut Sticker: 3.27” x 5” (~83×127mm)
Black Market Red Clear Sticker: 4.91” x 3” (~125×76mm)
Oxidized GPU Hourglass Clear Sticker: 3.19” x 5” (~81×127mm)
Blind Eye Clear Sticker: 3.0” x 1.2” (~76×30mm)
This is the GPU VRAM design GamersNexus glass, suitable for all drinks — beer, soda, water, you name it. This glass is a 16 oz. clear glass with a GPU VRAM stack on one side and a GPU + VRAM on the other. A gold-colored ink is used to accent some of the print, with a halo trim around the rim of the glass to give it a brilliant shine. The print is resilient to washing and highly durable, printed by a supplier that knows quality from its work with real bars. This is a high-quality glass with a perfect weight to it, with vibrant, detailed print and colors. The design is fully made in-house by GN and includes a dot-and-line pattern of a GPU and VRAM on one side (perfect to make-up for the lack of VRAM on real video cards) and a VRM on the other.
Washing & Care Recommendations
Do not use in microwave. Wash well before first use. Hand-washing is recommended. The glass itself is top-rack dishwasher safe; however, hand-washing will offer the best protection of any prints or trims over long periods of time.
This “BLACKLISTED” T-shirt will get plenty of use on GN and GNCA going forward, as we continue to publish reviews without mincing words and while we expand our consumer advocacy focus. The unbranded shirt carries a paint splattered “BLACKLISTED” badge in the center, seeing as we’ve been on and off various company “blacklists” for reviews for years now. The back is blank. This shirt is 100% cotton. Buying these directly helps fund our ability to purchase our own review hardware at times when we need to. Like many of our shirts, this is printed in Vermont in the US with water-based inks.
We also have a tri-blend version of this shirt.
The GPU “Paper Launch” T-Shirt is pretty on the nose: It’s a GPU going into a shredder. We thought about stylizing the paper coming out to look like shredded money, but there’s only so on-the-nose that you can get in one shirt design. This one features a paper variation of a certain GPU getting securely shredded into bright green strips. This is a front-only design with a vibrant green, no GN branding, and a long print. Like many of our shirts, this is printed in Vermont in the US with water-based inks.
The shirt is available in Tri-Blend and in 100% cotton. This listing that you’re reading is for the Tri-Blend T-Shirt, which has a lighter weight feel and is ultra breathable. The print will have a more vintage look to it.
The GPU “Paper Launch” T-Shirt is pretty on the nose: It’s a GPU going into a shredder. We thought about stylizing the paper coming out to look like shredded money, but there’s only so on-the-nose that you can get in one shirt design. This one features a paper variation of a certain GPU getting securely shredded into bright green strips. This is a front-only design with a vibrant green, no GN branding, and a long print. Like many of our shirts, this is printed in Vermont in the US with water-based inks.
The shirt is available in Tri-Blend and in 100% cotton. This listing that you’re reading is for the 100% Cotton T-Shirt, which is a darker fabric and cotton material.
TIMELINES & OUR OBLIGATIONS
SHIPPING: We will begin shipping items on August 31. We expect to complete all shipments by September 30. In the event of high volume, we will update this page with information for a second shipment wave.
SIZES: Tiers with multiple shirts will all be the same chosen size. All shirts in the tiers are cotton.
DIGITAL REWARDS: These are only available via the Backer Tiers, not if purchasing items individually. These will be distributed on or before September 30. These will be distributed via the email attached to your order, so please use a valid email. Please add support@gamersnexus.net to your filters to ensure it does not end up in spam.
If you’d prefer to donate rather than buy items from us, you can do so using the following button. We sincerely appreciate donations of any amount.