News
- Those buying an RTX 5090 at Micro Center now have to fill out a declaration form
- This includes having a government-issued photo ID scanned by the retailer
- Some approve of the policy as it's an anti-scalping measure, but others view it as an annoyance or a pointless move
If you're buying an Nvidia RTX 5090, or a PC with the graphics card inside, over in the US, you may have to fill out an official form to declare that you don't intend to export and resell the GPU – or at least you will at Micro Center.
PC Gamer spotted the 'advanced computing product purchaser declaration' which a Redditor was forced to complete and sign – including a scan of their driving license for ID – when buying a PowerSpec AI90 workstation PC with an RTX 5090.
The Micro Center store was in Tustin, California, but someone else posting on the Reddit thread claims that the same form has been introduced at the Columbus, Ohio store.
Apparently this is a new policy that only started this week at Micro Center (but seemingly other retailers already follow this practice in the US, including Central Computers).
In case you hadn't guessed, this move is about trying to prevent scalpers from buying up the RTX 5090, or PCs containing it – which can be around the same price as the standalone GPU these days, and are sometimes the only way of getting this graphics card at all – in order to sell it on to China and turn a profit.
Analysis: a pain in the neck, or a valid anti-scalper tactic?(Image credit: Micro Center / Krothic on Reddit)As some of the commenters on Reddit are quick to point out, this form isn't legally binding, and there are question marks over how any of this might be enforced. Somebody breaking the terms of the agreement is likely to just shrug their shoulders about the consequences, perhaps.
However, as PC Gamer notes, the use of the ID check is certainly a deterrent of sorts for GPU exporters. And what this is doing is preventing people who are making a short trip to the US buying an RTX 5090 and selling it on when they get back home for a hefty mark-up. Those people won't be able to provide a US address and government photo ID that can be verified as belonging to them, of course.
The fact remains that it's a bit of a pain for Micro Center's customers to have to go through this form filling and ID check, although that said, some of the folks on the above Reddit thread don't have a problem with the process given that it's an anti-scalping measure. Others are concerned about having to give a retail store personal information for an unnecessary reason as they see it, or they're just annoyed and think it's a waste of time. As one Redditor put it: "This is ridiculous."
Going by the Reddit thread, another measure Micro Center enforces is that there's only one purchase of an RTX 5090 GPU per customer full-stop, forever. Once you've bought one, you can never buy another, we're told.
- An upcoming data center cited by previous Prime Minister Keir Starmer as part of the UK’s AI Strategy will no longer open as planned
- The Nscale site in Loughton, Essex, which counts Nvidia among its investors, had already raised eyebrows when it was revealed earlier this year to still be in operation as a scaffolding yard
- UK Power Networks has told Nscale that the electricity grid will not be able to produce enough power for the site until the early 2030s
A new AI data center – dubbed the UK’s largest AI supercomputer – is facing delays thanks to challenges supplying power to the facility. Built by Nscale, with backers including Nvidia, the neocloud installation was set to launch in 2027, but power issues have forced UK Power Networks to come clean over the data center’s intended viability.
Oddly, the site – which was highlighted by the UK’s recently replaced Prime Minister, Keir Starmer – was still operating as a scaffolding yard as recently as March 2026.
In order to operate, the Loughton data center in Essex, England, requires 90MW, around the same energy requirement as 315,000 homes. However, the UK’s National Grid has a backlog of over 300 data centers requiring power, with the total demand more than 60% greater than the UK’s current capacity.
The Nscale neocloudConstructing the neocloud – a GPU-based AI cloud data center – is the first project for Nscale, a UK startup that is preparing for a £26 billion ($35 billion) public listing and has already raised around £2.55 billion ($3.36 billion) in pre-IPO funding.
However, while cited as a key example of the UK’s commitment to AI, the Nscale neocloud cannot operate without the 90MW supply.
National Grid, the company that owns networks in the UK, don’t comment on individual cases. Its representative told the Guardian: “We’re continuing to work closely with Neso, distribution network operators and customers to identify opportunities to accelerate connections where possible and support economic growth.”
But the power supply roadblocks materializing for the Loughton data center are not exclusive to that project.
UK power capacity concernsOther data center plans around the UK are being held up by power supply problems. Regulator Ofgem revealed in June 2026 that 315 data centers were awaiting connection to the National Grid. They represent a demand of 73GW, exceeding the country’s entire capacity of 45GW by 62%.
The UK’s power generation is a diverse mix of gas, nuclear, wind, solar, and biomass. Some power comes from mainland Europe. Over the past 25 years, the UK has focused more on renewable energy resources, deprioritising nuclear, and using gas as the fall-back. However, the increasing demand for AI has revealed that strategy requires an urgent rethink.
Around 100 data centers are planning to build their own gas-fired power stations, according to reports earlier this year, which noted that 100GW of data center projects were awaiting connection to the UK’s power infrastructure.