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Tom’s Hardware
Tom’s Hardware
Technology
Hassam Nasir

RTX 5090 supplies to be 'stupidly high' next month as GB200 wafers get repurposed, asserts leaker

Nvidia RTX Blackwell for Creators.

Nvidia's GeForce RTX 50 reveal and launch weren't perfect; they were riddled with obfuscating charts, the non-existent supply at launch followed by disappointing performance, and unresolved connector concerns. However, it seems that at least the supply aspect of these issues is expected to improve. Renowned leaker MEGAsizeGPU reports "stupidly high" RTX 5090 supply arriving in just one month. Apparently, demand for data center GB200 chips fell short of Nvidia's projections. Subsequently, excess yields from TSMC are allegedly being repurposed for consumer-grade GB202 chips that fit in Nvidia's RTX 5090.

Instantly after the embargo lifted, almost every RTX 50 GPU vanished except for a few non-MSRP models that also flew off shelves shortly afterward. Given the limited supply, retailers didn't expect RTX 50 inventory for months. However, it seems that Nvidia is finally ramping up RTX 50 production, especially seeing how AMD is gearing up for its RDNA 4 reveal later this month.

The source claims that Nvidia's partners, which includes the likes of MSI, Zotac, Gigabyte, etc., will get "tons of GB202" chips. It's reported that the new supply stream should improve on-shelf inventory within around one month, accounting for shipping and manufacturing.

If this leak is true, increased RTX 50 production is more of a necessity than a choice for Nvidia. It's said, allegedly, that data-center Blackwell, especially the B200 isn't selling as well as Nvidia expected. Leftover or excess TSMC 4nm wafers are now being repurposed for the consumer-facing RTX 50 family. The catch is that in the current era, almost 90% of Nvidia's revenue is driven by its data center offerings. Demand must've fallen drastically to justify such a change since consumer-grade GPUs aren't as profitable as AI accelerators. Still, the supply was bound to catch up eventually plus it'd reflect poorly on Nvidia to launch a new product with zero availability.

Another aspect is AMD's inbound RX 9070 family, but that's mostly targeted at the RTX 5070 Ti which uses a cut-down GB203 die. AMD could've capitalized on Nvidia's shortages had RDNA 4 launched in January. However, with these rumors in mind, AMD has likely lost that opportunity and needs to be aggressive with pricing, though early price rumors aren't painting a pretty picture. If you're looking to upgrade this generation, you should probably hold off until independent reviews go live before pulling the trigger.

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