The excitement surrounding the launch of Nvidia's new GPU generation is palpable as we approach the release date of January 30 for the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080. Our RTX 5090 review dubbed it "the fastest graphics card on the consumer market," fueling the already high anticipation for these high-end graphics cards. Priced at $2,000 for the RTX 5090 and $1,000 for the RTX 5080, these cards are not cheap, yet the interest remains exceptionally high. However, rumors suggest that stock will be extremely limited, with one UK retailer claiming to have only "single digit" stock for the RTX 5090.
This scarcity has led to eager fans camping outside Micro Center’s Tustin location in California, days before the launch. Photos of tents have surfaced on Reddit and the Unofficial Micro Center Discord channel, raising concerns that some might be scalpers looking to profit from the low stock situation. One camper, who has been identified on a Reddit thread, clarified their intentions: “Hello everyone, I’m the guy that you guys are talking about in the second tent. And yes, we are buying it for our own use, no trades and no sells. We just don’t want to pay for that extra $ for a gaming card and yes we do have some times on our hands because we run a business. Good luck to everyone who are trying to get one.” They also noted that the atmosphere among the campers is "very nice and respectful." Reports from the Micro Center Unofficial Discord channel indicate that there are now up to 10 tents and around 24 people waiting.
In anticipation of the launch, Micro Center released a YouTube video detailing their strategy for the RTX 5090 and 5080, explicitly discouraging camping: “We do discourage camping at our locations for the 5090 and 5080," the company stated. Despite this, the tradition of camping for new graphics cards at Micro Center, as previously documented by YouTuber Austin Evans during the RTX 3070 launch in 2020, continues.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos
5 Images
Micro Center will use a voucher system to manage purchases on a first-come-first-serve basis. Those in line won't have a choice in the specific model of GPU they receive, and each customer is limited to purchasing just one card. While the company discourages camping, they still recommend arriving early to secure a chance at these sought-after GPUs.
