(Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images)
UPDATE 1/30: As expected, online retailers sold out of RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs almost immediately. Would-be buyers are now flooding eBay with fake listings to thwart resellers looking to make a quick buck.
Original Story:
Best Buy has confirmed it won’t sell Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards in stores on launch day. Instead, the company tells PCMag it’ll only sell them online on Jan. 30.
That means interested buyers should be ready to load up BestBuy.com early Thursday morning. Retailers typically kick off new GPU sales at 6 a.m. PST/ 9 a.m. EST.
(Credit: Best Buy)Here are the current Best Buy product pages for the RTX GPUs, with more options here.
- Nvidia RTX 5090 for $1,999.99 at Best Buy
- Nvidia RTX 5080 for $999.99
- Skytech Gaming Legacy4 Gaming Desktop with RTX 5090 for $4,299.99
- CyberPower PC Gamer Supreme Gaming Desktop with RTX 5090 for $4,499.99
- Asus ROG G700 Gaming Desktop with RTX 5080 for $2,399.99
Best Buy typically distributes GPUs on a first-come, first-served basis using a digital queue. So, click on those product page links as fast as possible once stock becomes available.
Unfortunately, the RTX 5000 supplies are expected to run out fast, with Nvidia itself warning that “stock-outs may happen.” In addition, resellers are also preparing to crash the sales by buying up available stock. The operator of one bot that specializes in purchasing online inventory even tweeted on Tuesday, “THE GPU GOLD RUSH IS BACK!” in an effort to encourage more scalpers to join in on the sales.
To bypass the online rush, some consumers have already resorted to camping outside Micro Center locations, which will be carrying the RTX 5000 GPUs in store, rather than conducting the sales online. Some stores have attracted dozens of people.
"Got in line about 8 AM roughly, approximately 120 (unofficial list) people in front of me," wrote one user at the Tustin, California, Micro Center store.
In an FAQ, Micro Center says: “To ensure a smooth and fair process, Micro Center will use a voucher system on launch day. Vouchers will be distributed to customers in line on a first-come, first-served basis shortly before the store opens.”
Unfortunately, Micro Center won't have the Founders Edition models of the RTX 5090 or 5080, which appear to be exclusive to Best Buy.
It's unclear when Best Buy might have in-store sales for the RTX 5000 series, but a live support agent tells PCMag that the retailer will eventually offer in-store sales at some point.