Nvidia Warns PC Gamers of RTX 5090, 5080 Stock Shortages Before Release

The much-anticipated launch of Nvidia's RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards is set for January 30, stirring excitement among gaming enthusiasts. However, concerns are mounting over potential shortages of these high-end GPUs, with reports from both retailers and manufacturers suggesting limited stock at launch. Priced at $1,999 for the RTX 5090 and $999 for the RTX 5080, these cards are already generating significant buzz, evidenced by eager buyers camping outside stores in anticipation.

MSI, a leading manufacturer, has cited the upcoming Lunar New Year as a contributing factor to the expected initial scarcity. According to WCCFTech, the holiday, also known as Chinese New Year, will impact the first wave of shipments. However, MSI anticipates that supply will stabilize as we move through February and beyond.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

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Retail insights further fuel concerns about availability, particularly for the RTX 5090. Overclockers UK claims to have received only "single digits at present" and mentioned having "a few hundred" RTX 5080 GPUs for the launch. U.S. retailer PowerGPU echoed these sentiments on Twitter, stating, "The launch of the RTX 5090 will be the worst when it comes to availability."

In response to growing concerns, Nvidia's Tim@Nvidia issued a statement on the company's official forum titled "GeForce RTX 50 Series Availability," 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."

The fear of limited stock has not gone unnoticed by scalpers, who are already capitalizing on the situation. Listings for RTX 5090 GPUs have surfaced on eBay as "pre-sale" items. One notable listing showcases an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 offered by a collectibles reseller for a staggering $5,750, marking an 187% markup over its original $1,999 MSRP.

Amidst the excitement of the new GPU launch, Nvidia faces another challenge. The company's share price tumbled by 16.86% on Monday following the emergence of the Chinese AI model DeepSeek, which was reportedly trained for just $6 million. This development casts a shadow over Nvidia's prospects in the datacenter GPU market.