MSI and ASUS have now jacked up prices of the GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs in their US stores. Scalpers may be the scum of the earth due to their intentional price gouging habits, but companies like MSI and ASUS aren’t doing anything to help the situation with regard to the already impossible-to-obtain graphics card. MSI’s cheapest RTX 5090 GPU now sits at $2,379.99. ASUS, meanwhile, is charging $3,409.99 for its most expensive model. MSI’s is $2,789.99.
While both companies were probably expected to release the new 50-series GPUs at a premium over NVIDIA’s Founders Edition, we’re not quite sure if anyone expected prices to be this high. To make matters worse, these price increases are happening a mere week after the GPUs were launched. In fact, it hasn’t even been a full week, since the 50-series GPUs were released on the morning of January 30.
The new prices were spotted by Video Cardz, which makes a very good point. The outlet states that raising prices like this a week after launch reviews is “misleading, to say the least.” And that statement is absolutely right. Last week, prices from manufacturers were lower. Today, they’re as much as 70% higher than they were.
MSI and ASUS RTX 5090 prices being increased will only embolden scalpers
The big problem we see with this is not just that the prices are absolutely ludicrous. Coming from legitimate manufacturers no less. These price increases will likely embolden scalpers to push their prices even higher. It’s already hard enough to get one of these new graphics cards without having to pay those exorbitant premiums. With these manufacturer price increases though, scalpers will have a valid reason to jack up prices as well.
And there’s not a thing anyone can really do about it. Other than avoiding buying from scalpers in the first place. There will always be people with enough expendable income to pay scalper prices, however, and be willing to do so. So the cycle will continue. What’s a consumer to do? Well, as long as other manufacturers don’t follow the same path, it might be best to look at brands like Zotac, PNY, and others. As an example, PNY’s triple RTX 5090 with 32GB of RAM is priced at $2,199.99.
That’s still $200 more than NVIDIA’s Founders Edition model. It’s also $180 less than what MSI is charging for its cheapest RTX 5090. Zotac’s cheapest model is listed at $1,999.99. So it’s right at MSRP. That being said, none of these cards are in stock anywhere. So maybe it doesn’t really matter.
RTX 5080 prices have gone up as well
Unfortunately, it’s not just the RTX 5090 GPUs that MSI and ASUS have raised prices on. The RTX 5080 models have also gone up. According to Video Cardz, MSI’s prices are now $140 to $500 higher than they were last week. Thought you’d be able to score an MSI RTX 5080 for $999? Think again.
All of this paints a very grim picture that is likely to show prices of the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti go up as well. Which would be a shame, since MSRP on those starts at $549.99. NVIDIA is expected to release Founders Editions models of both GPUs later this month.
