Nvidia Faces Backlash Due to Major Launch Problems with the 5090 Graphics Card

The recent unveiling of Nvidia’s flagship 50 series graphics cards has sparked intense excitement within the PC gaming community. However, the joy is overshadowed by significant supply chain issues that will keep these coveted GPUs out of reach for many consumers.

Historically, acquiring top-tier Nvidia GPUs at launch has been a challenge, but the situation has notably deteriorated with recent generations. Concerns about the availability of the new 50 series have proven to be justified as stock shortages have become increasingly apparent.

Since the mid-January release, obtaining a 5080 has proven difficult, but for the 5090, the situation is even bleaker. Consumers are finding it nearly impossible to source this high-demand card from any distributor. Major retailers in the United States, such as Newegg, saw their inventory vanish instantly, while in the UK, retailers like Overclockers anticipate a staggering 16-week wait for restocks of Nvidia’s most powerful offerings.

The severity of these availability issues has led to widespread allegations of a “paper launch, ”a term that is generating frustration among both gamers and industry professionals.

Gamers Nexus Raises Concerns Over Nvidia’s Launch Strategy

Gamers Nexus Editor-in-chief Steve Burke — YouTube: Gamers Nexus

The popular tech channel Gamers Nexus, known for its in-depth product reviews, recently shared their struggles in securing 5090 GPUs for assessment on their YouTube channel.

Editor-in-chief Steve Burke confirmed that he and his dedicated team made a concerted effort to procure the elusive GPUs but faced complete failure across numerous outlets. He noted, “This morning, three of us focused on purchasing RTX 5090 GPUs from various retailers, and it didn’t go as planned. We thought we had a good strategy, but our attempts were futile.”

Burke illustrated their experience by saying, “We employed stock trackers and manually refreshed multiple retailer pages. I optimized my setup with four monitors, yet not a single card became available. One did briefly appear but vanished almost instantly.”

He concluded, “Based on our findings, it appears this launch is more akin to a paper release at best, or vapor at worst.”

For those unfamiliar, a “paper launch”refers to a scenario where a product is announced but stock is either minimal or completely lacking. Companies may resort to this strategy for reasons such as bolstering stock prices or anticipating future production improvements.

In this instance, the sentiment behind these accusations has gained traction because the available stock is significantly lower than that of the previous 40 series, which had its own set of supply chain challenges.

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