Nvidia’s RTX 50 series has once again found itself in a difficult position, as board partners have cranked up prices for the RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs, taking advantage of the limited supply situation. This comes after ASUS recently announced that one of its RTX 5090 GPUs would cost as much as $3,099.99 USD. However, it seems that wasn’t final, as ASUS has now increased the price of the ROG Astral LC GeForce RTX 5090 32GB GDDR7 OC Edition from $3,099 to a whopping $3,409.99 – $1,409 over MSRP.

There are a few more RTX 50 series GPUs listed on the official ASUS website, but none are in stock, including the ROG Astral LC 5090. However, you can sign up for notifications on specific models in case they come back in stock. The cheapest card available is the PRIME RTX 5080, still listed at $999, the Special Launch price announced earlier.

Interestingly, the RTX 5090 model that also had a Special Launch price is not only out of stock but also no longer available for the “Notify Me” option. That said, don't expect the Special Launch pricing for the RTX 5080 to last long, as ASUS doesn't consider this an MSRP model and will soon raise the price to $1,149.99.

ASUS isn’t the only one, MSI has also increased its 50 series prices

Apart from ASUS, another major board partner, MSI is also not offering any RTX 50 series cards at MSRP. The cheapest model, the 5080 VENTUS (without OC), is available for $1,139.99, which is $140 more than the launch price. Similarly, the most affordable RTX 5090 on MSI’s store is listed at $2,379.99, which is $380 higher than its MSRP just a week ago.

And these are just the cheapest options. Some RTX 5080 SKUs are priced at $140 to $500 above MSRP, while RTX 5090 cards range from $380 to $790 over NVIDIA’s announced pricing. In fact, the most expensive model, the RTX 5090 SUPRIM LIQUID, retails for an eye-watering $2,789.99. While that's almost $600 less than the priciest ASUS card, it's still a hefty price tag.

When can we expect prices to settle down?

Days before the RTX 50 series release, leaks suggested that most GPUs in the lineup might not be priced at MSRP, with custom models reportedly being more expensive than expected. The leaker indicated that Nvidia’s official pricing has very low gross profit margins, making it difficult for custom models to match the Founders Edition price as they are more expensive to produce.

Another factor driving up prices is the low supply issue. Some retailers have suggested that gamers may have to wait up to 20 weeks to get their hands on an RTX 50 series GPU, as Nvidia’s distribution process faces challenges. With high demand and limited availability, we were bound to see such a situation.

About the Author

Hassam Nasir

Hassam boasts over seven years of professional experience as a dedicated PC hardware reviewer and writer.