Nvidia’s upcoming GeForce RTX 5090 is expected to face limited availability from board partners, potentially leading to frustration for gamers eager to secure the flagship GPU. As per reports, the scarcity stems from Nvidia’s tight pricing margins on the RTX 50-series, which have reportedly made it increasingly difficult for board partners to profit from custom GPU designs.
According to VideoCardz, Nvidia’s approach to maintaining aggressive profit margins is placing significant financial strain on its manufacturing partners. One anonymous board partner even described the MSRP pricing structure as feeling “like charity,” highlighting how little room there is for profitability despite the premium retail cost of Nvidia’s flagship GPUs. This strategy, while beneficial for Nvidia’s bottom line, is creating a challenging environment for partners producing custom RTX 50-series cards.
The situation was further clarified by MSI China, which recently confirmed that the RTX 50-series, including the RTX 5090, will see limited supply. While Nvidia’s Founders Edition cards are expected to remain widely available, custom models featuring enhanced cooling solutions, factory overclocking, or unique designs could become increasingly hard to find. This limited availability might lead to higher demand and potential price hikes on the aftermarket.
One possible explanation has been cited to the increased cost of GDDR7 memory which is being moved onto the board partners by Nvidia. While board partners do have the option of buying the GDDR7 memory independently, the pricing is not as attractive as what Nvidia sells in bundles. As Nvidia continues to dominate the GPU market, it seems intent on retaining a larger share of the profits, leaving its partners struggling to make ends meet while still delivering high-quality, innovative designs.
For gamers and enthusiasts, the limited supply of custom RTX 5090 cards could evoke memories of previous GPU shortages, where high demand and low availability created chaos. Scalping and inflated secondary market prices may once again become an issue if Nvidia and its partners cannot strike a balance.
With the RTX 5090 set to launch soon, the high-performance GPU is expected to push boundaries in gaming and AI workloads. However, the availability of custom variants—often the most sought-after options—may be far from ideal. Gamers may want to stay vigilant and act quickly when pre-orders open, as securing an RTX 5090 could turn into a race against time.
