A month after a customer accidentally snapped the PCIe section of their $10,000 Nvidia RTX Pro 6000 workstation graphics card by shipping their PC with the GPU still installed, NorthridgeFix has issued a major update: Nvidia is giving the customer a full replacement, despite the damage being caused entirely by user oversight. The company has also requested that the broken card be sent back so its engineers can examine the failure.
This marks the second known instance of Nvidia replacing a GPU that users themselves damaged. The first involved an RTX 5090 Founders Edition, which a customer broke while attempting to install a waterblock—voiding the warranty in the process. After NorthridgeFix highlighted that repair parts were unavailable, Nvidia still decided to provide a replacement.
Nvidia’s Unusual Leniency on OEM GPU Replacements
In the latest case involving the RTX Pro 6000, the card’s PCIe connector was split in half during transit after the owner neglected to remove the GPU from the system. NorthridgeFix determined the workstation card was unrepairable and again noted the absence of replacement components from Nvidia’s supply chain.
Despite this, Nvidia offered a new GPU and showed interest in analysing the damaged unit. This may indicate the company wants to investigate potential structural issues—or ensure unusual breakage isn’t tied to design weaknesses.
These two recent incidents suggest that Nvidia’s OEM-branded cards (those made and sold directly by Nvidia, not partner cards) are treated with uncommon flexibility when it comes to replacements. Even when customers clearly cause the damage, Nvidia appears willing to step in and help, regardless of warranty status.
A Frustrating Gap in Repairability
NorthridgeFix has repeatedly pointed out a contradiction in Nvidia’s OEM hardware strategy. While Blackwell-based dual-fan workstation models use a modular layout—where the PCIe finger and rear display outputs are mounted on independent daughterboards—Nvidia does not provide those parts to the repair community.
In theory, fixing a broken connector would be straightforward: swap the damaged board with a new one. But because Nvidia does not distribute these components, official repair is effectively impossible. Ironically, NorthridgeFix notes that the PCIe connector board for these models can be sourced from China for roughly $25, though this option won’t be practical or accessible for all buyers.
What This Means for GPU Owners
While customers shouldn’t assume Nvidia will replace every card damaged by user error, these cases highlight a surprisingly consumer-friendly trend—particularly for Nvidia’s own OEM products. The company’s willingness to issue replacements and request damaged units for inspection may signal a growing interest in understanding real-world failures and improving hardware robustness.
For now, the takeaway is clear: Nvidia’s OEM GPU support appears more generous than its policies formally suggest, even as access to repair parts remains limited.
