The much-anticipated Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is generating quite a buzz, but not necessarily for the reasons you might hope. A custom gaming PC builder recently cautioned about potential scarcity of this powerhouse GPU, raising concerns among eager gamers. This isn’t the first time Nvidia’s flagship graphics cards have faced supply issues at launch––we’ve seen similar scenarios with both the RTX 3090 and RTX 4090.
Scheduled for release on January 30 with an MSRP of $1,999, the RTX 5090 is already under scrutiny regarding its availability. PowerGPU, a prominent custom gaming PC creator, echoed these concerns, labeling this launch as potentially the “worst” in terms of procurement for the coming months. It’s worth noting that custom builders and major retailers often have different supply chains. This means that while smaller vendors might struggle, larger retailers may have a slightly better stock situation.
So what does all this mean for the gaming community? Should the RTX 5090 encounter limited stock, the models closest to the $2,000 MSRP are likely to disappear first. This is because these models are priced at the entry-level for what the RTX 5090 offers, leading AIBs to typically kit these cards with premium coolers and sell them at higher prices than Nvidia’s Founders Edition.
Moreover, a low supply of high-demand GPUs almost certainly attracts scalpers, who buy up stock to resell at inflated prices. The chaos from the RTX 3090 and RTX 4090 launches serves as a somber reminder of what could resurface. In the end, only the launch will reveal the true state of affairs, and many hope the warnings of limited availability are overblown. Gamers everywhere will be crossing their fingers for an accessible launch and ample supply.
