Days before the Nvidia RTX 5090 release date, customers are camping out at Micro Center

Some customers are going to extremes, with retailers confirming major RTX 50 series shortages. A post on Micro Center's Reddit shows several tents outside its Tustin, California store. Micro Center is a popular target for PC builders in the U.S., as the retailer regularly stocks the most anticipated components. Now, it's become ground zero for desperate buyers as we approach the January 30th RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 release date.

Anticipating low stock levels, Micro Center posted a YouTube video addressing the dilemma. While the store discouraged standing outside in chilly winter conditions, that hasn't stopped hearty folks in the Tustin location. While hardly offering summer conditions, the southern California city has bearable weather compared to eastern and northern U.S. states. Whether tents are allowed on the Tustin property is debatable. Still, past customers in the area have reported similar scenes ahead of other popular product launches.

Micro Center is using a voucher system to prevent pandemonium on January 30th. On launch day, buyers can choose from RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 GPUs, but the retailer will not carry Founders Edition cards. MSI is a more likely supplier, but it has already thrown cold water on hopes for availability. The company blames Nvidia for not supplying third parties with enough chips to manufacture their custom graphics cards. As a result, scalpers are expected to try and scoop up any RTX 50 series stock again and resell it for inflated prices.

Anytime buyers turn a retail store into a campground, it draws scorn and appreciation. Under suspicion, one Tustin Micro Center camper even posted on Reddit denying any scalping motivation. Braving the elements days before the RTX 5090 release date, it's hard not to admire this level of dedication.