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

The anticipation for the Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 is palpable as their launch date of January 30 approaches. These high-end GPUs, priced at $1,999 and $999 respectively, are expected to be among the most sought-after graphics cards ever released. However, concerns about potential shortages are growing, fueled by reports from both retailers and manufacturers.

Eager buyers have already started camping outside stores in hopes of securing one of these coveted GPUs. MSI, a prominent manufacturer, has indicated through WCCFTech that the initial supply of the new GPUs will be limited due to the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year. This holiday is expected to impact the first wave of shipments, although stock is anticipated to stabilize throughout February and beyond.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

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Retailers have echoed these concerns, particularly regarding the RTX 5090. Overclockers UK reported receiving only “single digits at present,” while last week it had just a “few hundred” RTX 5080 GPUs for the launch. U.S. retailer PowerGPU further emphasized the issue by tweeting: “The launch of the RTX 5090 will be the worst when it comes to availability.”

In response to the growing concerns, Nvidia representative Tim@Nvidia issued a statement on the company’s official forum titled “GeForce RTX 50 Series Availability.” The statement acknowledges the high demand and potential stock-outs but reassures customers that Nvidia and its partners are continuously shipping more stock to retail to meet the demand.

The fear of limited stock has already attracted scalpers, with listings for RTX 5090 GPUs appearing on eBay as “pre-sale.” One notable listing features an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 offered by a collectibles reseller for $5,750—a staggering 187% markup over the card's $1,999 MSRP.

Amidst the GPU launch, Nvidia faces additional pressure as its share price dropped by 16.86% on Monday. This decline followed the emergence of the Chinese AI model DeepSeek, which was reportedly trained for just $6 million, potentially threatening Nvidia’s datacenter GPU sales.