The dream of affordable high-end graphics cards remains elusive. Zotac, a manufacturer previously known for budget-friendly options, has significantly increased the prices of its RTX 5090 GPUs in its online store, even removing the card previously sold at MSRP.
This price hike was first noticed by a Reddit user in the r/Nvidia community. The flagship Zotac RTX 5090 Amp Extreme Infinity now commands a staggering $3,000 price tag (and is unsurprisingly sold out). Even the more “affordable” RTX 5090 Solid OC sits at $2,700, a hefty $700 premium over Nvidia’s MSRP. Most concerning is the disappearance of the standard non-OC model, which was previously offered at MSRP, leaving budget-conscious consumers with no affordable options.
The RTX 5090 sitting on top of the RTX 4080.
Availability has been a persistent issue for the RTX 50-series since launch. Zotac’s entire RTX 5090 stock is depleted, and the RTX 5080 remains equally scarce. According to VideoCardz, Zotac is running giveaways on its Discord server, not to win a free GPU, but simply for the opportunity to purchase one.
An image representing RTX 5090.
Zotac was often considered a more affordable alternative to larger brands like Gigabyte and Asus. This new pricing strategy blurs that distinction, making the RTX 5090 a luxury item for most consumers.
This price increase reinforces the ongoing struggle for consumers seeking top-tier graphics cards at reasonable prices. With Zotac joining the trend of inflated pricing, the hope for an affordable RTX 5090 continues to diminish.
