NVIDIA is facing some bumps in the road with their mid-range RTX 50 GPUs due to a chip shortage amidst soaring demand, causing delays in production.
The supply chain for NVIDIA’s RTX 50 series isn’t quite holding up well, which might compel Team Green to postpone the launch of their mid-range GPUs. When NVIDIA released the RTX 5090 and 5080, they were entering the market with an exceptionally low number of units. This issue seems to stem from an ongoing global crisis in semiconductor supply, and unfortunately, there’s no quick fix in sight.
A well-known leaker, @mingchikuo, has claimed that NVIDIA is likely to delay the release of their mid-range RTX 50 GPUs by about a month. This delay is intended to give the supply chain some much-needed breathing room.
Fans and enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating the RTX 5090 and 5080, but they’re being met with disappointment due to these supply constraints. It’s quite probable that the mass production of the RTX 5070 and 5060 will be pushed back from February or March to March or April. With limited supplies, these cards are expected to sell out quickly.
We previously covered this in an update earlier today, and Ming-Chi Kuo’s comments appear to confirm the news. The cause of the delay is straightforward: NVIDIA can’t keep up with the current demand for their GPUs. If they proceed to launch new models, they’ll likely sell out rapidly, leaving many gamers frustrated.
For a glimpse into the supply chain situation, user @kakashiii111 shared some insights. According to them, Taiwan—a significant market for NVIDIA—only received fewer than 100 units of the RTX 5090. This scarcity is consistent across various regions, with single-digit figures being reported for RTX Blackwell GPUs. Given the current circumstances, NVIDIA seems unable to balance supply and demand efficiently, and it’s likely to take several months before things stabilize.
Kakashiii111 mentioned that one of the largest stores in Taiwan received only 20 units of the 5090 and 300 of the 5080 in an initial batch. Smaller sellers in Taiwan were even luckier if they managed to get just 1 or 2 units.
Delaying the mid-range GPU release might actually work in NVIDIA’s favor. It could allow them to draw attention away from AMD’s RX 9070 series GPUs if they manage a successful release, which is what everyone is hoping for. Currently, AMD is well-positioned to lead the mainstream GPU market with their RX 9070 series, as NVIDIA is not winning any popularity contests right now.
