The shortage of graphics cards has led to several unforeseen (and never-before-seen) circumstances. You’ve got people camping outside their local Microcenter, scalpers making more profits than retailers themselves, smuggling of hardware, and even thefts. According to Chinese media, an internet cafe-themed lounge in Hangzhou city was broken into by unidentified individuals who took off with several high-end graphics cards worth 50,000 Yuan.
The lounge is primarily aimed at eSports enthusiasts who like to spend time with their friends and rivals in the establishment for both playing as well as watching other players. Interestingly, only the graphics cards were taken while the rest of the system was left behind, indicating that the thieves knew what they were doing.
Each of the stolen graphics cards costs 7,000 Yuan (MSRP), with all six stolen SKUs resulting in a total loss of 50,000 Yuan for the owner. The thieves wore masks and used fake IDs which will make it difficult for the police and investigation authorities to track them down.
(Xanax)