GeForce RTX 5090 Shortage Has Retailers Resorting To Silly Games
It's become clear that there are not enough GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards to meet demand, and while we can debate the reasons why until we're blue in the face, it won't change the fact this now ranks as one of the most difficult-to-obtain tech products in a long time. What was a borderline silly situation, however, has turned into full-blown comical as retailers find ways to ease the pain.
A product shortage is not a new phenomenon by any stretch, nor is it exclusive to PC hardware. Remember the Tickle Me Elmo craze in the mid 1990s? Before that, Cabbage Patch Kids were hot commodities. These days it's typically game consoles and other electronics that frustrate buyers, but the GeForce RTX 5090 feels a little bit unique if reports of woefully low launch-day inventory levels are accurate (more on that in a moment).
This has left retailers not only scrambling to procure more units, but also scratching their heads trying to figure out how best to handle restocks. Enter Newegg with a unique twist of its own—sign into your account and see if you're one of the lucky few chosen to have a GeForce RTX 5090 or GeForce RTX 5080 plopped into your cart!
Newegg is sending emails out to "valued Newegg customers" for a chance to buy a RTX 50 Series GPU on Jan 31, 9 AM PT.
— Wario64 (@Wario64) January 31, 2025
Email titled "Exclusive Limited-Time Opportunity for RTX 50 Series GPU"
A GPU may or may not appear in the cart at the time listed pic.twitter.com/Nc1Bhxp8rK
It's not a giveaway, mind you, but more like a sad lottery that's a microcosm of tech launches these days. Images posted to X/Twitter by Wario64 show an email that some "valued" Newegg customers are receiving, to let them know they might be given a chance to purchase these high demand products.
"Thank you for being a valued Newegg customer. We understand that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and 5090 cards have been difficult to obtain. As a part of a targeted, limited-time opportunity, you may have a chance to purchase one through the following method," the email states.
The email goes on to list three steps: Log into your account with the same email address as the one that received the notice, check or refresh your cart today at 9:00am PT (12:00pm ET), and if you've been graced with a GeForce RTX 5080 or 5090, buy it.
Some will inevitably applaud the out-of-box thinking. But it's rife with caveats. One of them is that we have no idea how Newegg is going about selecting which of its customers are valued enough to have a GPU added to their cart. Even then, Newegg gives itself multiple outs to not fulfill the order. Have a look...
The fine print goes on to reveal that pricing can change without notice, and that Newegg can "modify or cancel this offer at any time without notice," among other caveats.
Meanwhile, there's a thread on Reddit where a user has posted purported stock levels for both cards at Micro Center. For the GeForce RTX 5090, most stores allegedly received anywhere from 0 to 12 cards for launch day, with the Tustin location topping the list at 67 units. In total, Micro Center is said to have procured just 233 GeForce RTX 5090 cards for launch, and 2,393 GeForce RTX 5080 cards across its 29 US locations.
Over at Best Buy, cards remain out of stock after selling out on launch day in what felt like less than a nanosecond.
Stock will improve over time, though who knows if it will ever meet (let along outstrip) demand, especially for the GeForce RTX 5090. Until then, let the silliness continue.
