The markup on Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090, priced at $2,000, and the RTX 5080, priced at $1,000, has reached unprecedented heights. These graphics cards are quickly sold out once available online and subsequently appear on eBay and other resale platforms with markups ranging from 50% to 150%. Nvidia has introduced a new strategy to help customers purchase a Founders Edition (FE) card at the base price by entering their name in a raffle for a chance to be selected.
Nvidia’s process is straightforward. As outlined on the company’s official forums, individuals with a Nvidia account prior to January 30 can complete a form to participate. Participants can select either or both the GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 and submit their enrollment. Although Nvidia has not disclosed the number of available Founders Edition GPUs, those chosen in the raffle will be notified via email the following week. Winners will still need to pay the $1,000 or $2,000 to acquire Nvidia’s high-end Blackwell cards, but this may be the only opportunity for some PC gamers to purchase one at the base price.
Nvidia’s raffle approach mirrors strategies adopted by other manufacturers like Zotac, which hosts a Discord-based raffle to allow customers to buy a card at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) instead of facing markups. Prices for other models, such as those from Asus and MSI, have risen by approximately 18% since the RTX 5090’s launch in January. Reports from the r/nvidia subreddit indicate that 5090 prices have increased by $300 to $400. The MSRP for the RTX 5080 16G Ventus 3X from MSI increased from $1,000 to $1,139, while MSI’s RTX 5090 32G Vanguard SOC Launch Edition rose by $310 to $2,689. Meanwhile, the resale market sees these GPUs priced over $4,000, with some OC models exceeding $6,000.
The direct-to-consumer model is not necessarily the best initial approach for companies to combat scalpers. Because manufacturers have little control over the extensive network of online retailers, maintaining sufficient stock levels to deter scalpers is crucial. Nvidia had warned about low stock levels before the launch, resulting in limited availability when the RTX 5090 launched on January 30, with online stock depleted in under 30 minutes.
February 20 marks the launch of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, initially thought to be a solid option for 4K gaming at $750. However, expected prices exceed $900 for non-OC models and over $1,000 for OC variants in certain markets. At those prices, potential buyers might consider waiting for the RTX 5080, although acquiring that card at MSRP is challenging. Nvidia already postponed the launch of the RTX 5070 to March 5.
Nvidia, for its part, shared several links with Gizmodo for stock-clocked 5070 Ti cards at MSRP ahead of the launch date. Nonetheless, checking these links now reveals that the cards are out of stock at the time of publication. This situation is deemed unsustainable, and even if Nvidia implements another priority access strategy for the 5070 family, it is unlikely to satisfy the high demand. It is advised against purchasing a card marked up by $600 to $3,000 above MSRP, irrespective of the performance expectations in games like Cyberpunk 2077.
