Nvidia Warns Gamers of RTX 5090/5080 Shortage

The highly anticipated Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards are set to launch on January 30th. However, concerns regarding potential shortages are mounting, fueled by reports from retailers and manufacturers.

With eager buyers already lining up outside stores, the RTX 5090 ($1,999) and RTX 5080 ($999) are expected to be incredibly popular, despite their premium prices. Manufacturer MSI, citing the Lunar New Year, has indicated initial supply will be limited, with stock expected to improve in February.

Several retailers have echoed these concerns, with Overclockers UK reporting extremely low initial stock levels for the RTX 5090. PowerGPU in the US similarly predicted extremely limited availability for the RTX 5090 at launch.

In response to the growing anxiety, Nvidia representative Tim@Nvidia issued a statement acknowledging the high demand and anticipating potential stockouts. The company assures consumers that they and their partners are actively working to increase retail stock levels.

Despite Nvidia's statement, the scarcity is already attracting scalpers. Pre-sale listings on eBay are already showing inflated prices, with one Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 listed for a staggering $5,750 – a significant markup of 187% over the MSRP.

Adding to Nvidia's challenges, the company's share price experienced a significant drop on Monday following the announcement of the Chinese AI model DeepSeek, raising concerns about the future of Nvidia's datacenter GPU sales.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Images