New images have surfaced today showing tech enthusiasts camping outside a local Micro Center – presumably trying to snag one of the upcoming RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs.

Nvidia is on the verge of launching its latest Blackwell GPU lineup. The two big hitters in the range (RTX 5090 and RTX 5080) are both set to hit shelves on January 30th, with new images suggesting demand could be at an all-time high.

New images from Micro Center’s Tustin, CA branch capture a number of tents posted outside of the retailer. While it’s still unclear why campers have set up outside Micro Center, we can only assume it’s to try and secure one of the upcoming GPUs.

As we’re still 4 days away from the official RTX 5090 and 5080 release date, the latest pictures only strengthen the claims that the new GPUs will sell out within minutes of going live.

Nvidia RTX 5090 received well by reviewers

Nvidia has recently lifted the review embargo for its upcoming RTX 5090, with most of the industry agreeing that the latest lineup of GPUs will be a smash hit amongst DIY PC Builders and gamers. Huge performance benchmarks were highlighted during the card’s unveiling at this year’s CES Tradeshow, with DLSS 4 arguably the star of the show.

DLSS 4, for anyone unaware, is the brand’s latest neural rendering technology that helps boost in-game FPS through AI-generated frames. The latest variant offers a Multi Frame Generation mode, which allows you to choose between 2, 3, and 4 AI-generated frames – delivering four times the performance of native.

Overall, the generational uplift on offer between the new Blackwell lineup and the previous Ada Lovelace looks pretty eye-catching, to say the least. With retailers expecting shortages across the board, it’s really no surprise that people are already queuing outside retailers. It’s surely only a matter of time before units go live on eBay for ridiculous amounts.

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Charlie Noon

Charlie is the Affiliate manager for PC Guide. He has a vast understanding of most PC hardware and consumer essentials, using his knowledge to provide the best products and the biggest deals.