NVIDIA’s latest news regarding their RTX 50 series GPUs presents a rocky road for the tech giant. As they grapple with a significant chip shortage, the much-anticipated mid-range models are stuck in a holding pattern.
The launch saga of NVIDIA’s RTX 50 series has been tumultuous from the start, primarily due to inventory issues. Initial reports indicated alarmingly low supply counts for top-tier models like the GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080. This predicament stems from an overwhelming demand for semiconductors globally, which shows no signs of abating any time soon.
Insider whispers from trusted leaker @mingchikuo suggest NVIDIA is now considering a shift in its release schedule. Originally planned for early in the year, the mid-range RTX 50 GPUs may be pushed to a month later to alleviate some stress on the supply chain.
In a recent update, shared insights revealed that the RTX 5070’s release is now pegged for an early March debut. This delay boils down to simple math: the demand for the existing NVIDIA GPUs far exceeds their availability. Launching new products under these conditions would likely lead to swift sellouts, leaving consumers frustrated once more.
To bring the scale of the challenge into perspective, an analysis by @kakashiii111 highlights that Taiwan—a critical market for NVIDIA—received fewer than 100 RTX 5090 units. Multiple regions echoed this scarcity narrative, with retailers vocalizing their struggle with “single-digit” inventory numbers for NVIDIA’s premier RTX Blackwell line. Without a doubt, NVIDIA’s supply-and-demand balancing act is far from resolved, and our projections suggest it might take several months for the dust to settle.
From a strategic viewpoint, holding back the release of mid-range GPUs could grant NVIDIA an opportunity to steal some thunder from AMD’s upcoming RX 9070 series. However, this gamble only pays off if they execute the launch flawlessly. Meanwhile, AMD appears poised to seize a larger share of the mainstream GPU market, especially as public sentiment towards NVIDIA falters amidst these supply woes.
