We could see some very empty wallets after the RTX 5090 release
Updated: Jan 6, 2025 3:34 pm
WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
We’re fast approaching the Nvidia CES 2025 keynote presentation led by the leather-jacked king, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia. We expect a lot from Nvidia’s keynote, but the main event must be the announcement of the RTX 50 series GPUs. We’ve heard rumblings that the RTX 5080, the ‘second best’ GPU of the lineup, will be the first out of the gate, but we expect the flagship can’t be too far behind.
As we all know, the RTX 4090 was a very powerful GPU and hugely sought after, so much so that the second-hand ‘scalper’ price skyrocketed. You certainly got lucky if you got one of these beasts at MSRP. Stock for the ’80’ and ’90’ series GPUs is always in short supply, so you must be snappy around the launch if you’re serious about owning one for the right money.
Based on the price of the RTX 4090 today, here’s how high we could see the RTX 5090 after launch.
It’s hard to predict without knowing the confirmed release price of the RTX 5090; we’re assuming that information will come during the keynote presentation, but we do have a rumour to go off. TechPowerup is usually pretty accurate regarding listing specifications of upcoming GPUs, so you can somewhat rely on what’s posted there. The page on the RTX 5090 suggests that the launch price is $2,499, which is a huge $900 more than the RTX 4090.
If we look at the remaining listing of an RTX 4090 at the time of writing, the highest price was $2,499. Which is, funnily enough, exactly how much the RTX 5090 is said to release for. This ASUS TUF RTX 4090 model is very far from the highest-end model, yet it remains $900 higher than it should be over 2 years later.
Similarly, in the UK, we find Gigabyte models nearing the £3,000 mark, which would be £1,401 over the £1,599 revised UK price. You can get cards cheaper second-hand, but for the sake of simplicity and going off availability, we’re only using brand-new GPUs.
So, how much will the 5090 be after launch?
Based on this evidence and the staggering rumoured MSRP of $2,499, we could see the RTX 5090 shoot as high as $3,199, maybe more (we’re just applying the current RTX 4090 bump on top of the rumoured MSRP of the 5090). It’s not like we can see the future or anything. The price now is more likely to be due to the lack of availability rather than anyone trying to profit off the higher prices.
We might not be able to see the future, but we can guess what’s going to happen
We can make a pretty well-educated guess based on the events of the 4090 launch despite being unable to see the future. We don’t need a crystal ball to see that the 5090 will likely be scalped immediately on launch, despite whatever anti-scalper measures retailers and Nvidia put into place.
If you want to get this thing at the right price, you need to be ready and waiting with the pre-order if they’re happening this time around. We still don’t know the exact release date for the RTX 5090, but we’ll likely find out more during Nvidia’s keynote presentation at CES 2025.
