January 2025 was like PC nerd Christmas. Or it was supposed to be. But then NVIDIA launched the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, and it all went horribly wrong. It won't be getting better anytime soon, either, at least not if the words of one of the UK's top retailers for this type of product are anything to go by.
Online stock for the two graphics cards went almost instantly. There were tragically hilarious reports from folks lining up at physical stores to be met with signs saying there were only FOUR RTX 5090s in stock.
Now, Overclockers UK (via Tom's Hardware) has delivered the bleak news.
RTX 50 Series Stock Update 31/01/2025Stock UpdateRTX 5090 sold out and pre-orders ceasedRTX 5080 sold out and pre-orders ceasedDue to incredibly high demand and limited stock, all 50 Series cards sold shortly after launch with some pre-orders taken in restricted quantities.…January 31, 2025
The short version is that it could be as long as 16 weeks before RTX 5090 stock is replenished, and up to 6 weeks for the RTX 5080. Pre-orders already placed but not fulfilled are now in a queue, and no further pre-orders will be taken until existing ones have been fulfilled and there is better clarity on availability of these things.
Granted, 3–16 weeks is a big window, but besides the potential bleakness, it also shows how incredibly uncertain the whole situation is. This launch has been nothing but a disaster, and I have to question why NVIDIA went through with it at all?
Who benefits? NVIDIA hasn't made many of these GPUs so it's not like Jensen Huang will be doing his best Scrooge McDuck impersonation. Is it that old friend "being first" or just plain arrogance and disregard for the consumers?
It's disgraceful, really, that crypto mining scalpers are no longer our enemy, and still it's so atrocious. Competitor, AMD, has a golden opportunity to capitalize, but, alas, the latest Radeons are nowhere to be seen, either.
My advice? Give up. At least for the immediate future. We'll be doing our best to inform on where and when you can buy, but until the stock issues are properly sorted, is it really worth the effort and the frustration?
