The price of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has opened a debate between the recommended cost and the reality of the market, marking wide differences depending on the manufacturer and model. Advertised as a leading product in graphics technology and aimed especially at enthusiasts and professionals, Its initial recommended price by NVIDIA itself is $1.999.However, the situation is not so simple when it comes to custom models from different assemblers.
Early reports indicate that versions of Assemblers such as MSI, ASUS or PALIT significantly raise costs. Models like the MSI SUPRIM Liquid They can cost up to $2.500, while options like the ASUS Astral reach the 2.800 dollars. This represents a an increase of between $200 and $800 over the recommended price, depending on the manufacturer and model features.
Why is the recommended price not respected?
The main reason behind these price differences has to do with profit margins. Assemblers argue that production costs and margins imposed by NVIDIA make it unsustainable to maintain the recommended price. This issue is not new and has been a point of contention since previous generations of GPUs, even leading major partners like EVGA to exit the graphics card market in 2022.
Another key factor is the cost of components such as GDDR7 memory, which, although it provides significant performance improvements, represents a high expense for assemblers. The GeForce RTX 5090 is equipped with 32GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. However, this technological advancement also significantly increases the cost of production, which ends up translating into higher prices for the consumer.
Founders Edition vs. Custom models
The only card that seems to be worth the $1.999 price tag is the Founders Edition, made directly by NVIDIA. But this option faces its own problems: extremely limited availability. The number of cards reportedly allocated for review, press and promotion further reduces the number of cards available to the general public, especially during the first few weeks of release.
In contrast, custom models add advanced cooling systems and other extras that drive up costs. For example, The MSI SUPRIM Liquid uses an integrated liquid cooling system, while ASUS includes premium design materials in its Astral line. These differences in design and performance are used by assemblers as arguments to justify prices that can be up to 40% above the recommended price.
Taxes and global availability: another price barrier
The final price also varies by region. In Europe, for example, taxes such as VAT must be added to base prices, which further increases costs. Furthermore, the limited global availability of certain custom models encourages speculation on resale platforms. In countries such as Spain, custom versions of the RTX 5090 are already selling for prices exceeding 2.400 euros, a significant increase compared to the Founders Edition, which rarely see the light of day in the local market.
Even before the official launch, platforms like eBay register Resellers offering this graphics card for prices exceeding $5.000, taking advantage of high demand and low initial supply.
The impact of GDDR7 memory and production capacity
The introduction of GDDR7 memory has been a significant change in this new generation of GPUs. This type of memory not only impacts performance, with bandwidths that almost double those of the previous generation, but also production costs. Assemblers cannot purchase components like GDDR7 memory at the same price as NVIDIA, which adds another economic barrier to maintaining recommended price.
In addition, NVIDIA has reserved the first runs of its GB202 chips for cards intended exclusively for press and review use. This reduces the number of units ready for retail sale, increasing the perception of scarcity and, with it, market prices.
The commercial health of the RTX 5080 as an alternative
In contrast, the model immediately below, the GeForce RTX 5080 (as well as the 4090), seems to be having a better reception in terms of availability and price. While it doesn't offer the extreme performance of the 5090, it is positioned as a more affordable option with wider availability in stores, which could take the pressure off enthusiasts looking for an alternative.
The pricing landscape for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 reflects the conflict between manufacturers' technological and commercial aspirations and market reality. From premium components like GDDR7 memory to custom cooling systems, everything points to this graphics card being aimed at a very specific segment.
Meanwhile Options like the Founders Edition or models like the RTX 5080 could offer more budget-friendly alternatives of consumers in general.