When we talk about lavish computer hardware, we tend to think about high-end multi-GPU setups or binned liquid-cooled chips. Asus, on the other hand, takes the word to a whole new level, ordering the creation of a one-of-a-kind gold RTX 5090D graphics card worth more than $500,000. Unlike the gold-plated ROG Astral RTX 5090 Dhahab OC Edition, which targeted wealthy Middle Easterners who could afford the $10,000 price tag, this new and unnamed design uses a full-gold body.
Asus gave the task of making this absurdly expensive card to Cai Qian, a Chinese content creator who previously had experience in making objects from gold. But, even with his experience, the task wasn’t easy. First, Cai Qian had to find more than 5kg of pure gold to smelt, worth some $700,000 as we speak. Note however that the card was made before or around the May time frame to be presented by Asus’ Uncle Tony during the Bilibili World 2025 convention in Shanghai. Back then, this gold amount would have been worth between $500,000 and $600,000.
With enough gold secured, Cai Qian began creating the mould needed to forge this expensive material into shape. He started by disassembling the ROG Astral RTX 5090D to use as a reference for the cast, before pouring silicone to make a rough negative. After curing, the void was filled with wax using a special machine, which will be used as a base for the next step.
This wax frame was then put inside a container before being covered in plaster. After curing, the plaster was heated to melt the wax out and leave an empty imprint of the ROG Astral frame. Unfortunately, this step wasn’t smooth sailing, as the first attempt ended up with a broken mould. However, since Asus was set to reveal this creation during the Bilibili event, Cai Qian had no choice but to try his best to patch the situation. Thus, the showcased card had a hole in its back plate.
After the event ended, Cai Qian went back to the oven and started all over again until an acceptable result was achieved. This took dozens of repeats until all parts turned out without defects. Even the heatsink was gold electroplated. With the casting done, Cai Qian proceeded to put the final touches, carving patterns inspired by the Shang and Zhou dynasties directly into the gold frame.
The result is a one-of-a-kind handmade graphics card that most of us can only dream about. With nearly 6kg of gold on top of an already heavy heatsink, the final card weighed 7.56kg. Its owner better have a sturdy GPU holder. Speaking of which, the card was originally meant to be auctioned, but in the end, some unknown private collector convinced Asus to take it away, with the proceeds going to charity.
Looking at this journey’s complications makes you appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into such projects. While I am not the number one fan of gold products, I find the result very nice and so unnecessary at the same time. That said, I have room in my PC for an RX 9070 XT Gold Edition.
