The anticipation for Nvidia's RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 is reaching a fever pitch as their launch date of January 30 approaches. Both high-end GPUs are expected to be in hot demand, but recent reports suggest that potential buyers might face significant challenges in securing one due to looming shortages. Enthusiasts are already camping outside stores, eager to get their hands on what promises to be some of the most sought-after graphics cards ever released, despite their steep price tags of $1,999 for the RTX 5090 and $999 for the RTX 5080.
Manufacturer MSI, as reported by WCCFTech, has warned that the initial supply of these GPUs will be constrained due to the timing of the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year. This holiday is expected to disrupt the first wave of GPU shipments, though stock is anticipated to stabilize from February onwards.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos
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Retailers have echoed these concerns, particularly about the RTX 5090's availability. Overclockers UK claimed it received only a handful of units at present, and last week reported having just a few hundred RTX 5080 GPUs for the launch. Similarly, U.S. retailer PowerGPU took to Twitter to voice its concerns, stating, "The launch of the RTX 5090 will be the worst when it comes to availability."
In an effort to address the growing concerns about stock availability, Nvidia's representative, Tim@Nvidia, posted a statement on the company's official forum titled "GeForce RTX 50 Series Availability." The statement reassured customers, 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."
As fears of limited stock intensify, scalpers are already seizing the opportunity to profit. Listings for RTX 5090 GPUs have surfaced on eBay as "pre-sale" items. One notable example is an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090, listed by a collectibles reseller for a staggering $5,750—a 187% markup over its original $1,999 MSRP.
Amid the excitement of the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 launch, Nvidia faces additional pressure from the market. The company's share price tumbled by 16.86% on Monday after news broke about the Chinese AI model DeepSeek, which claims to have been trained for just $6 million. This development poses a potential threat to Nvidia's datacenter GPU sales, adding another layer of complexity to the company's current challenges.
