The highly anticipated Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is facing potential availability issues, raising concerns among gamers eager to acquire the flagship GPU. Reports suggest that Nvidia’s tight pricing margins on the RTX 50-series are squeezing board partners, making it challenging for them to profit from custom GPU designs. This could lead to limited availability of these sought-after models.
According to VideoCardz, Nvidia’s aggressive profit margin strategy is placing a significant financial burden on its manufacturing partners. One anonymous board partner described the MSRP pricing as feeling “like charity,” indicating the limited profitability despite the premium retail cost of Nvidia’s top-tier GPUs. While this benefits Nvidia’s bottom line, it creates a difficult situation for partners producing custom RTX 50-series cards.
MSI China confirmed the limited supply of the RTX 50-series, including the RTX 5090. While Nvidia’s Founders Edition cards are expected to be readily available, custom models with enhanced cooling, factory overclocking, or unique designs may be scarce. This limited availability could drive up demand and potentially inflate aftermarket prices.
One contributing factor is the increased cost of GDDR7 memory, which Nvidia is reportedly passing on to its board partners. While partners can purchase GDDR7 independently, the pricing is less favorable than Nvidia’s bundled offering. As Nvidia continues its market dominance, it appears to be prioritizing a larger share of the profits, leaving partners struggling to maintain profitability while delivering high-quality, innovative designs.
A forum thread from Chiphell discussing increased margins for the RTX 5090
The potential scarcity of custom RTX 5090 cards evokes memories of past GPU shortages, where high demand and limited supply caused market instability. Scalping and inflated secondary market prices could re-emerge if Nvidia and its partners fail to find a suitable balance.
The RTX 5090’s impending launch promises groundbreaking performance in gaming and AI workloads. However, the availability of custom variants, often the preferred choice for enthusiasts, remains uncertain. Gamers should be prepared to act quickly when pre-orders begin, as securing an RTX 5090 might become a challenging endeavor.
