Reddit user Glittering-System-83 reports a bizarre twist in what should’ve been a standard hardware return. After sending a faulty 5070 Ti back to Micro Center for repair or replacement, they received their item back—but it included something they definitely weren’t expecting.
Upon opening the box, they found what appeared to be their GPU, but it was packaged alongside an anime “waifu” mouse pad, complete with exaggerated “physical features.” While this may offer much-needed wrist support, it certainly wasn’t what Glittering-System-83 had anticipated when dealing with a GPU RMA.
The reason for the mouse pad’s inclusion remains unclear. Some users speculated, half-jokingly, that it may have been used as unconventional “padding” for the shipment.
This isn’t the first odd report related to graphics cards from Micro Center. Other customers have reported receiving completely unrelated items instead of their GPUs—including, GlamAholic crossbody backpacks and in some instances Rice and pasta.
According to PC Gamer, nearly $90,000 USD worth of RTX 5090s may have been affected by these substitutions at just one Silicon Valley Micro Center location. While the exact number is unconfirmed, Micro Center has acknowledged several of these reports and traced the issue back to a specific third-party factory.
At this point, it’s unclear whether this is an isolated issue affecting only Micro Center or if it indicates a broader supply chain security problem.
Thankfully, in the case of Glittering-System-83, they did confirm that their 5070 Ti was indeed returned. Still, the mysterious appearance of the anime mouse pad raises questions about quality control—and maybe even employee antics.
Sources:
- Reddit: Why Did Gigabyte Send Me This?
- Tom’s Hardware: Dude, Where’s My GPU?
- PC Gamer: Over $90,000 Worth of RTX 5090s Replaced With Backpacks
- WCCFTech: Dropping $3,000 for Carbs