Nvidia's recent launch of its RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards has sparked outrage and disappointment among eager consumers worldwide, as both models sold out almost immediately upon release.
At precisely 6 AM PST on January 30, 2025, online sales for the highly anticipated RTX Blackwell series began, but it quickly became apparent to many hopeful buyers like those connected on Discord and various social media platforms, they were not going to be successful. “Never went intostock,” remarked disgruntled users on Discord chat rooms dedicated to securing GPUs.
Reports indicate consumers had their computers and smartphones at the ready, clicking rapidly as the clock struck six. Best Buy launched both the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 Founders Edition models just as scheduled, allowing customers to add items to their carts. But soon, chaos turned to confusion. Those trying to score one of the coveted cards found themselves caught in digital queues. When attempting to finalize the checkout process, many were greeted with the unwelcome message, “Something went wrong,” followed by unexpected logouts when trying to re-enter the queue.
By 6:06 AM, hope turned to disappointment as Best Buy flashed the grim news: “Sorry, this item has sold out. Please check back later, we'll hopefully have more soon!” Disappointment echoed as attempts to grab strains of the RTX 5090 from Newegg met similar fates—just moments after adding the cards to their carts, reports indicated they could no longer complete their purchases due to instant sellouts.
One frustrated Reddit user shared, “Had 2 phones refreshing Best Buy and Nvidia to get a 5090, once 6 am hit, it took a few seconds to load and Nvidia said ‘no results found.’” Another added, “I have 10+ years of experience trying to purchase a GPU at launch, and this was by far the worst one yet.” Clearly, many are feeling the burden of familiar frustrations reminiscent of the RTX 3000 launch, which also faced rampant supply issues.
Over at Walmart, reports noted only one RTX 5080 card was available, encompassing the stark reality of dwindling stock across various retailers. The situation didn't starkly improve across the Atlantic either. Websites seemed to crash or display stock availability only to reveal empty promises once consumers attempted to check out.
Despite the overwhelming scarcity, there were isolated victories among the buyers. Screenshots emerged on social media of consumers who successfully commandeered their own RTX cards from both Best Buy and Newegg. Yet, even these victorious tales underscored the imbalance between supply and demand. Prices for cards, often touted at exorbitant rates like $2,000, only added fuel to the fire, with some fearing they had unintentionally paid more for performance marginally above previous generations.
While many retailers such as Best Buy opted for online-only sales, physical establishments like Micro Center attracted flocks of consumers hoping to score limited-on-the-ground GPUs. Unfortunately, foot traffic at Micro Center yielded disappointing results, with many stores reportedly possessing only 10 to 14 units of the RTX 5090.
Nvidia attempted to quell consumer woes by stating, “We’re working to ship new units every day to retailers,” but as many consumers eagerly await restocks, hope ebbs with each passed minute. The dilemma hinges on whether Nvidia may have prioritized fulfilling the needs of their datacenter clients over consumer demand, as both RTX series utilize the same TSMC 4N node. This leaves many feeling overlooked.
Nvidia had the liberty to choose any moment for their launch but facing overwhelming demand, some might argue they missed the mark on timing and inventory management. True enthusiasts are left wondering if it might have been more prudent to choose a period where retailers could restock adequately, allowing for fairer access for everyone, instead of the swift sellout situation.
With RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti cards poised for launch next month, anticipation remains high. Trusted resources recommend consumers to keep tabs on where to buy new graphics cards, with caution against drawing habits from auction sites like eBay.
The race continues for consumers yearning for Nvidia’s latest innovations, clinging to the hope of new stock rolling out soon, and hoping the logistics catch up with the blistering demand for next-generation graphics technology.