The much-anticipated launch of Nvidia's RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs is scheduled for January 30, sparking excitement among tech enthusiasts. However, concerns about potential shortages are casting a shadow over the release. Reports from various retailers and manufacturers suggest that securing one of these high-end graphics cards could be challenging due to limited stock.
Eager buyers have already begun camping outside stores in hopes of snagging one of these coveted GPUs, despite their steep price points of $1,999 for the RTX 5090 and $999 for the RTX 5080. According to MSI, as reported by WCCFTech, the initial supply of these GPUs will be constrained due to the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year. This holiday is expected to impact the first wave of shipments, with stock levels projected to stabilize as we move into February and beyond.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos
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Retailers have echoed MSI's concerns about the supply situation. Overclockers UK claimed it received only "single digits at present" for the RTX 5090, and last week noted it had just a "few hundred" RTX 5080 GPUs available for the launch. U.S. retailer PowerGPU further fueled concerns by tweeting that the RTX 5090 launch could be "the worst when it comes to availability."
In response to the swirling rumors, Nvidia's representative, Tim@Nvidia, posted a statement on the company's official forum under the title "GeForce RTX 50 Series Availability." The statement aimed to address the community's concerns, saying, "We expect significant demand for the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 and believe stock-outs may happen. Nvidia and our partners are shipping more stock to retail every day to help get GPUs into the hands of gamers."
The fear of limited availability has led to scalpers attempting to capitalize on the situation, with RTX 5090 GPUs already appearing on eBay as "pre-sale" listings. A notable example is an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 listed by a collectibles reseller for a staggering $5,750, marking an 187% increase over the card's original $1,999 MSRP.
Amidst the GPU launch, Nvidia faces additional pressure as its stock price tumbled by 16.86% on Monday, following the emergence of the Chinese AI model DeepSeek. This model, reportedly trained for just $6 million, poses a potential threat to Nvidia's datacenter GPU sales, adding another layer of complexity to the company's current market situation.
