A scorching potato: Bear in mind through the chip disaster when individuals have been so determined for graphics playing cards that they have been shopping for prebuilds only for the GPUs? The whole lack of RTX 5000 inventory has led some players to as soon as once more take into account this excessive measure, however one desktop vendor has warned, “we’re getting scalped,” which means customized RTX 5090 builds are priced at $5,000 or extra.
Jese Martinez, CEO of customized PC builder PowerGPU, posted a video on X explaining that the corporate is going through the identical issues with securing RTX 5090 playing cards as everybody else.
The RTX 5090 has an MSRP of $1,999, however discovering one at that value (or in inventory at retailers) proper now could be an impossibility. Martinez says system integrators like PowerGPU are going through the identical points.
The CEO says it took two to 3 weeks after launch for PowerGPU to obtain the primary batch of RTX 5090 playing cards. Now, he says the corporate is “getting scalped, actually.”
Martinez says PowerGPU is being provided RTX 5090s wherever from $3,050 to $3,100, which is not removed from what you’d pay for one on eBay. And that is not even for the high-end fashions just like the Asus ROG Astral; it is the value for low- to mid-range fashions.
A big video from our founder/CEO on the RTX 5090 pricing. pic.twitter.com/6GEvYFkD9K
– PowerGPU (@PowerGPU) March 13, 2025
It is as a consequence of these huge costs that customized builds with RTX 5090 playing cards on PowerGPU’s web site value round $5,000. Proper now, including an RTX 5090 to one of many firm’s customized builds provides $3,450 to the full value. There’s additionally a warning that the present ETA for these playing cards is three to 4 months.
Martinez says these costs have led to some purchasers accusing PowerGPU of scalping. “We clarify it to them. That is actually what’s occurring proper now with this market. It’s insane,” he mentioned.
“Individuals are prepared to pay for it, however I really feel horrible,” Martinez provides. “I simply really feel gross. Like, actually my complete crew, all of us really feel simply disgusted after we see these costs.”
It is not simply PowerGPU; different system builders are being compelled so as to add astronomical costs to PCs with RTX 5090s.
A message within the video additionally mentions the 20% tariff that the Trump administration carried out on items from China enjoying an element within the costs. However PowerGPU says that firms are profiting from the tariffs by charging greater than 20% for this stuff.
Additional illustrating the RTX 5000 pricing drawback, producer Colourful has partnered with an Indian retailer for a contest through which three “winners” get to purchase an RTX 5080 at its MSRP.