NVIDIA’s upcoming mid-range RTX 50 graphics cards are facing a delay in production due to a chip supply shortage, despite high demand from consumers.
NVIDIA’s RTX 50 Series Struggles with Supply Chain Issues, May Delay Mid-Range GPU Launch
The launch of NVIDIA’s new RTX 50 series graphics cards hasn’t gone as smoothly as planned, mainly due to supply issues. When NVIDIA introduced the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, they entered the market with unusually low inventory levels. This situation was largely caused by the high global demand for semiconductors, which doesn’t appear to be easing anytime soon.
Well-known leaker @mingchikuo has indicated that NVIDIA is planning to delay the launch of its mid-range RTX 50 GPUs by about a month. This postponement is intended to give their supply chain a chance to catch up.
According to a tweet by Ming-Chi Kuo, both gamers and power users are eagerly anticipating the RTX 5090 and 5080 cards, but supply constraints are causing problems. The mass production of the RTX 5070 and 5060 is expected to slide from its original schedule in February/March to March/April. Limited availability means these cards are likely to sell out quickly.
We’ve covered the same development earlier today, mentioning that the RTX 5070 is now slated for an early March release. Ming-Chi Kuo’s comments corroborate this, citing NVIDIA’s current challenges in meeting the demand for its current models. Introducing new models might exacerbate the situation, leading to more frustration among customers.
For a clearer picture of the supply situation, an analysis by user @kakashiii111 reveals that Taiwan received fewer than 100 RTX 5090 units, although it’s a significant market for NVIDIA. Similar issues were reported in various regions, with retailers having just "single-digit" numbers of NVIDIA’s flagship RTX Blackwell GPUs in stock. Team Green is finding it difficult to balance supply and demand, and we anticipate it might take several months to stabilize the situation.
User @kakashiii111 also shares insights from one of Taiwan’s largest retailers, which received only 20 units of the 5090 and 300 units of the 5080 in their first shipment. Many smaller sellers were fortunate to get even 1 or 2 units.
Pushing back the mid-range GPU launch might actually work in NVIDIA’s favor, allowing them to divert some attention away from AMD’s RX 9070 series GPUs, provided they execute the launch effectively. Currently, AMD is well-positioned to capture the mainstream GPU market with its RX 9070 models, especially as public opinion seems to be leaning away from NVIDIA at the moment.
