German Retailers Face RTX 50 Series GPU Shortages Amid Market Strain | Quick Digest
German retailers are experiencing severe shortages of Nvidia RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs, forcing sales limits and cancellations. This is primarily due to global memory chip shortages exacerbated by high demand from AI data centers and reported production limits from Nvidia.
German retailers unable to secure high-end RTX 50 series GPUs.
Supply issues are causing order cancellations and sales limits.
Global memory chip shortage impacts GDDR7 VRAM availability.
Increased AI data center demand diverts VRAM from consumer GPUs.
Nvidia's reported production limits exacerbate the shortage.
Prices for available RTX 50 series GPUs are expected to rise.
Several German retailers and distributors are reportedly facing significant difficulties in selling and supplying Nvidia's high-end GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards. These GPUs, which were officially announced at CES 2025 and released in early 2025, are experiencing severe stock depletion due to prevailing market conditions.
The primary reasons cited for these shortages include a broader global memory chip crunch, particularly affecting GDDR7 VRAM used in these graphics cards. The surging demand from AI data centers is a major factor, as manufacturers like SK Hynix are reportedly prioritizing memory modules for AI solutions over consumer-grade products.
Reports indicate that some German distributors have completely stopped supplying RTX 5070 Ti, 5080, and 5090 models, leading to the cancellation of existing orders and imposition of strict limits on lower-end RTX 5070 models. This situation has prompted fears of rising GPU prices, with some rumors suggesting the RTX 5090 could reach up to $5,000 in the U.S. market.
This trend is not isolated to Germany, with similar sales restrictions and shortages observed in Japan. Furthermore, Nvidia itself has reportedly expressed intentions to limit RTX 50 series production in 2026, which would further worsen the supply situation globally. The ongoing memory shortage has also led to speculation about indefinite delays for the rumored RTX 50 Super series. The situation highlights a growing shift where AI demand significantly impacts the consumer hardware market, leading to scarcity and increased costs for gamers and creators.
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