The Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 are set to launch on January 30th, but reports from retailers and manufacturers suggest significant shortages are likely. Consumers are already lining up outside stores, highlighting the intense anticipation surrounding these high-end GPUs, despite their hefty price tags of $1,999 and $999 respectively.
Manufacturer MSI, as reported by WCCFTech, attributes the initial scarcity to the Lunar New Year, impacting the first wave of shipments. Stock levels are expected to improve throughout February and beyond.
Retailers are echoing these concerns. Overclockers UK reports receiving only a handful of RTX 5090 units, and previously stated they only had a few hundred RTX 5080 GPUs available for launch. PowerGPU in the U.S. predicts extremely limited availability for the RTX 5090.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos
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Addressing these concerns, Nvidia representative Tim@Nvidia published a statement on the company's forum acknowledging the anticipated high demand and potential for stock-outs. Nvidia assures customers that they and their partners are actively working to increase retail supply.
However, the limited supply is already fueling scalping activity. eBay listings show pre-sale offers for the RTX 5090 at exorbitant prices; one Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 is listed for $5,750—a staggering 187% markup.
Adding to Nvidia's challenges, the company's share price dropped significantly following the announcement of the Chinese AI model DeepSeek, which poses a potential threat to Nvidia's datacenter GPU sales. This adds another layer of complexity to the company's current situation.
