Just asNvidia warned it would happen, theGeForce RTX 5090and5080 graphics cardshave all effectively sold out online.
Micro Centers across the U.S. gave vouchers to the first few people to get in line in person.
Online, RTX 5090 stocks are even more dire.
© Adriano Contreras
That includes everything from the $1,000 cards to the $2,500 Gigabyte Aorus RTX 5090.
Nvidia previously warned that RTX 5080 and 5090 stocks would be low.
Either way, the scarcity has caused mass confusion for prospective buyers.
The limited Jan. 30 launch created mass consternation among customers worldwide.
One RTX 5090soldfor $6,000 the same day of the cards launch, Jan. 30.
However, there is a spot of light in the void that is RTX scalping.
Gizmodo found that the front page of RTX 5090 listings isfull of fake 5090 cardsmeant to scam bots.
Some listings include the description, You will receive a photo of the RTX 5090.
You will NOT receive the product.
Another reads, Do not buy if human; this is for bots only!…
You will only receive a printed paper picture of the 5090.
Gizmodo reached out to some of these eBay accounts.
One account holder told us it was disgusting what scalpers do and their control over consumers.
Its unclear how well this works.
We strongly suggest people dont follow in these eBay sellers footsteps.
Youll likely fool a naive or desperate GPU buyer rather than any scalper bot.
If anything, anti-scalpers work indicates how terrible the bot situation has become with every new hardware release.
Companies attempts to beat scalpers have largely failed, especially if the product has limited quantities.
Unfortunately for Sony and hungry PS5 customers,scalpers sold the devicesat enormously inflated prices.
The only consistent way to beat the scalpers is to have enough supply at launch to meet demand.
Nvidia could have avoided this SNFAU by delaying the cards release to improve the stock.
However, its too late, and the genie is out of the bottle.
We suggest you not spend $6,000 or more on a graphics card.
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