PC gamers eagerly awaiting the release of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 series might need to act fast, as reports suggest that the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 could be in extremely short supply at launch. Unveiled at CES 2025, NVIDIA’s next-generation GPUs are set to push gaming performance to new heights, but availability concerns may frustrate potential buyers in the coming weeks.
The RTX 5090, NVIDIA’s new flagship graphics card, is expected to deliver double the performance of the RTX 4090, offering unmatched 4K gaming at up to 240FPS with full ray tracing enabled. Meanwhile, the RTX 5080 is positioned as a high-end alternative, with significant improvements over its predecessor, the RTX 4080. Both GPUs will be powered by NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture, which introduces enhanced efficiency, faster ray tracing capabilities, and AI-driven optimizations for better gaming and creative workloads.
While these GPUs promise incredible advancements in performance, a new industry leak suggests that availability at launch will be extremely limited. A reliable source, Pockerclock, shared on the PC Games Hardware forum that NVIDIA will implement a tiered release strategy, meaning that not all retailers will receive stock on day one.
According to Pockerclock, NVIDIA will limit which stores receive the first wave of GPUs, meaning major online retailers like Amazon may not get any stock until later waves. If true, this would make it challenging for gamers to get their hands on an RTX 5090 or 5080 without resorting to third-party resellers. Unfortunately, scalpers are expected to take advantage of this situation, potentially driving up prices beyond the already high MSRP of $1,999 for the RTX 5090 and $999 for the RTX 5080.
Additionally, rumors suggest that the RTX 5090 could have a Total Graphics Power (TGP) of 575W, while the RTX 5080 might require 360W—both significantly higher than previous generations. This means that gamers planning to upgrade may also need to invest in a more powerful PSU to support these high-end GPUs.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has acknowledged that supply issues could affect initial availability, but he reassured customers that the company is ramping up production. Supply constraints are nothing new for NVIDIA, as seen in previous GPU launches where demand far outstripped supply, leading to price inflation and reseller scalping.
For those hoping to grab an RTX 5090 or 5080 at launch, the best approach will be to monitor official NVIDIA retailers closely and act quickly once sales go live. While stock might be hard to come by initially, NVIDIA expects supply to stabilize in the coming months, so patience could pay off for those looking to upgrade without overpaying.
