Swedish retailer Inet has reportedly informed multiple customers that their ROG Matrix Platinum RTX 5090 graphics cards shipments are being delayed. Apparently, Asus has recalled these cards due to some quality issues, which it is working to resolve. Though unfortunate, it is better than having to resend the card after receiving and installing on a machine.
The story started as an eager user searched among stores for one that may still have a unit in stock. For those unaware, there are only 1,000 units of this special edition card, so obtaining one isn’t straightforward even if money isn’t an issue. After finding and ordering one, the user was informed that the allocated stock had not yet been shipped to the store. After sharing this story on Asus’ ROG forums to see if others are in the same boat, users have confirmed a similar experience.
Most notably, one customer indicated that their retailer (Inet) has informed via email that the order won’t be delivered as planned due to unexpected delay from Asus’ side. Said email reads as follows:
”I am contacting you regarding your order for the ASUS GeForce RTX 5090 32GB ROG Matrix Platinum 30th Anniversary Edition. Unfortunately, we have been informed by ASUS that they have identified a quality issue with this particular model. Due to this, we are unable to deliver the card as planned. ASUS is currently working on a replacement version without these issues, but at this time there is no estimated date for when a new copy will be available. We fully understand that this is an unfortunate situation, but unfortunately it is completely beyond our control.”
If I had to guess, I would say it has something to do with the way Asus applied the liquid metal retention barrier. If the retail version of this card uses the same paste-looking barrier showen by der8auer, instead of the rubber gasket most brands go with, Asus may have discovered a flaw in its ability to retain liquid metal.
Such a situation could be especially catastrophic since many prospective card owners are getting it for the special look and thus are likely to install it in vertical orientation where liquid metal could drip to the memory chips, or worse, to the PSU depending on where the card is positioned, causing shorts.
That said, we can’t be sure until Asus releases an official statement, which it may never do. Also note that while these reports sound legit, they are coming from customers and not from a store or some kind of official figure.
Regardless of the issue, we are happy to see that Asus is pre-emptively recalling the cards to avoid disappointing its customers, especially when said customers paid double the regular price just to get a fancy design with improved overclocking potential. Though many will likely never push it above its default configuration to avoid damaging it, which is understandable after shelling out $3,999, if you are still interested in acquiring one, keep your eyes open as some may cancel their orders.
