Nvidia RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 prices soaring to double or triple MSRP amidst shortages

Many gamers had already prepared themselves for disappointment on this RTX 50 series launch day. Only a few days ago, Nvidia lowered expectations, warning buyers about likely GPU shortages. Those fears have been realized, with stock at retailers either quickly depleted or non-existent. Not surprisingly, scalpers are taking full advantage, selling the rare RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 GPUs for many hundreds or thousands of dollars above MSRP.

Stores like Best Buy and Newegg made Nvidia's latest GPUs available this morning at around 9 AM EST. Only a small percentage of buyers following popular stock trackers reported success on Reddit and Discord. Finding a product page with a card in stock wasn't especially difficult, but hopes quickly evaporated during the checkout process. Other gamers focused their frustration on Nvidia's own store, which had yet to list the RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 Founders Edition for sale.

Initially, without the market established, scalpers took a risk investing in the RTX 50 series. However, eBay closing prices soon made it clear that profits would be considerable even after high selling fees. Many of the sketchiest listings are deemed to violate eBay policy and are quickly removed. Other sellers showing photos with an RTX 5090 in hand are benefiting from the highest sale prices. One individual with an established eBay track record proudly displayed a Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 Solid outside a Micro Center. The listing's closing price of just over $6000 is typical for this model, which is supposed to sell for $1999.

The Nvidia RTX 5080 isn't selling for as much above retail as the RTX 5090. Most sales top out at $2000-2200, with several Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 GPUs sold for around $1800. While grossly inflated, it's not the triple MSRP of many RTX 5090 GPUs.

Prospects look grim for any significant RTX 50 series restocks in the near future. Many analysts blame a design flaw in the Blackwell GPU chips, which led to production delays. Third-party manufacturers like MSI only received a fraction of the units expected, dramatically reducing the number of custom cards in stock.

If past generations are any indication, the supply of some graphics cards will never quite meet demand. Even so, after another depressing launch, buyers are relying on Nvidia to speed up the production process somehow.