The highly anticipated Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 are set to launch on January 30th, but concerns about immediate shortages are growing. Reports from retailers and manufacturers suggest limited initial stock, fueled by the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Early indications show extremely high demand, with prospective buyers already lining up outside stores. The cards' hefty price tags – $1,999 for the RTX 5090 and $999 for the RTX 5080 – haven't deterred this enthusiasm, making them potentially the most sought-after GPUs ever.
MSI, a major manufacturer, attributes the initial scarcity to the Lunar New Year holiday, predicting stock levels will improve in February. Retailers echo this sentiment, with some reporting receiving only a handful of RTX 5090 units. One U.S. retailer even predicted the RTX 5090 launch will be the "worst when it comes to availability."
In response to the growing concerns, Nvidia issued a statement acknowledging the anticipated high demand and the possibility of stock-outs. They assured consumers that they and their partners are actively working to increase retail stock.
Despite Nvidia's statement, the limited supply has already attracted scalpers. Pre-sale listings on eBay are showing inflated prices, with one Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 listed for a staggering $5,750 – a 187% markup.
Adding to Nvidia's challenges, their share price experienced a significant drop (16.86%) following the announcement of the DeepSeek AI model, raising concerns about the future of their data center GPU sales.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Images
