Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 50-Series Launch Faces Supply Struggles: Is It Worth the Hype?
It’s a familiar story: despite the buzz around Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 50-series graphics cards, they’re almost impossible to find just hours after their official retail launch. Whether you’re looking for the RTX 5080 or the high-end RTX 5090, you’re likely to be met with sold-out status across online stores in the United States. With prices already higher than initially anticipated—especially for the flagship RTX 5090 models—the rush to grab these cards is unmistakably intense.
At Newegg, all 47 variations of the cards, including the base RTX 5080 at $999.99 and the Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 at $2,799.99, are sold out. Similarly, Best Buy is listing many cards as “coming soon”, even though they’ve already disappeared from the shelves.
This surge in demand for the RTX 50-series is no surprise, given that it’s been two years since the last generational leap in Nvidia’s graphics card lineup. The RTX 5090, priced at around $2,000 for Nvidia’s own Founder’s Edition, is being hailed as the most powerful GPU on the market, but early reviews of the RTX 5080 have been somewhat lukewarm. The RTX 5080 offers a modest power upgrade over its predecessor, leaning heavily on Nvidia’s proprietary DLSS and frame generation technologies to boost performance.
Despite the demand, Nvidia has been open about its limited supply of these cards, with MSI, one of Nvidia’s main partners, indicating that RTX 5090 stock won’t be available on its online store until February 6. It’s possible that the continuing boom in AI is also contributing to the stock shortage, as massive AI data centers, which rely heavily on Nvidia’s GPUs, are likely soaking up significant portions of the supply.
With scalpers already inflating the prices on platforms like eBay, it’s worth considering whether it’s worth paying over the odds for an RTX 50-series card right now. While prices may seem steep, it’s a safe bet that retail stock will stabilize in the coming months, offering a more reasonable chance to snag one at the original price.
