Nvidia Warns 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. However, the excitement is tempered by widespread concerns about potential shortages of these high-end GPUs. Reports from various retailers and brands have highlighted the looming issue of limited stock, which is likely to intensify the scramble among eager buyers, some of whom are already camping outside stores to secure one of these coveted graphics cards. Despite their hefty price tags of $1,999 for the RTX 5090 and $999 for the RTX 5080, these GPUs are poised to become some of the most sought-after in Nvidia's history.

According to manufacturer MSI, as reported by WCCFTech, the new GPUs will be in short supply due to the timing of the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year. This holiday will impact the initial wave of GPU stock, but MSI expects supply to stabilize starting in February and beyond.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

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Several retailers have voiced their concerns about the RTX 5090's availability. Overclockers UK claims to have received only a "single digits at present" of the RTX 5090, and last week it reported having just a "few hundred" RTX 5080 GPUs for the launch. Similarly, U.S. retailer PowerGPU has taken to Twitter to express that "The launch of the RTX 5090 will be the worst when it comes to availability."

In response to the growing online anxiety, Nvidia's Tim@Nvidia posted a statement on the company's official forum titled "GeForce RTX 50 Series Availability," which reads:

"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."

As fears of limited stock continue to rise, scalpers are ready to capitalize on the situation. Listings for RTX 5090 GPUs have already appeared on eBay as "pre-sale," with one such listing showcasing an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 from a collectibles reseller at an exorbitant price of $5,750, marking an 187% increase over the card's original $1,999 MSRP.

Amidst the launch of its latest consumer GPUs, Nvidia faces another challenge this week. The company's share price tumbled by 16.86% on Monday following news of the Chinese AI model DeepSeek, which claims to have been trained for just $6 million, potentially threatening Nvidia's prospects in datacenter GPU sales.