The new RTX 50 “Blackwell” series graphics cards, the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, are scheduled to hit the market on January 30, starting at prices of $1,999 and $999, respectively. However, it seems that getting hold of these GPUs might not be easy. Rumors from the PCGH forums suggest that, at launch, availability of the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 could be limited in Germany.
Challenges in North America
The situation in North America doesn’t appear to be any better. A leak from Moore’s Law Is Dead indicates troubling news about the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 supply. But it’s vital to consider these claims as unverified information from unnamed sources. So, it’s best to approach them with a healthy dose of skepticism.
One distributor in North America mentioned to MLID that they would not receive any RTX 5090 units at launch, and only about 20 RTX 5080 GPUs. This is significantly lower than the “couple of hundred RTX 4080s” they managed to acquire back in 2022. The distributor also predicts that RTX 5090 supply might not arrive until late Q1 or Q2.
AIBs Facing Similar Issues
The outlook for AIBs (Add-In Board partners) appears grim too. An AIB source told Tom that they would receive the same quantity of RTX 5090s at launch as they did with the RTX 3090s, along with an RTX 5080 supply that’s just a “fraction” of what they got for the RTX 4080 two years ago. The RTX 3090 had a notoriously limited launch, making it difficult to purchase on release day. This doesn’t bode well if the RTX 5090 has a similar or even lower supply.
Interestingly, it seems not just gamers will face difficulty. An Nvidia source revealed that the company’s internal Employee Store will have very few RTX 5090 Founders Edition cards available. Reportedly, Nvidia employees found it much easier to purchase an RTX 4080 Founders Edition at launch from the same store.
A Glimmer of Hope for the RTX 5080
On a somewhat positive note, an AIB in the EU indicated that while the RTX 5090 may be quite scarce, the initial launch supply for the RTX 5080 should be adequate.
Overall, it appears that enthusiasts eager for the RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 might need to engage in some serious searching. Here’s hoping the launch of the RTX 50 series goes smoother than the launches of the RTX 30 and RTX 40 series, so gamers don’t end up paying inflated prices to acquire these GPUs.
Source:
Link

Leave a Reply