From PC World: Trying to buy a new graphics card right now is an incredible gauntlet of high demand, poor availability, and resellers trying to become profitable middlemen. But one system integrator—someone who assembles and sells pre-built PCs out of retail or bulk-bought components—says the problem isn’t just at retail. He claims he’s getting “scalped” on the price of RTX 5090 cards directly from distributors.
PowerGPU is a fairly typical boutique PC builder, offering a selection of gaming desktop builds at different prices with a selection of parts from well-known suppliers. But six weeks after the launch of the RTX 5090, the store’s configuration tool for US buyers is showing an estimated wait for the top-of-the-line card at “3 to 4 months.” AMD’s new cards—the RX 9070 and 9070 XT—are apparently ready to go in new builds, but Nvidia’s RTX 5080 and 5070 Ti are showing wait times of 1 to 2 months.
Jese Martinez, CEO of PowerGPU, took to Twitter/X to vent his frustration and explain the situation to customers. In a four-minute video (spotted by PCMag), Martinez claims that even as a business with more direct access to the PC parts distribution network, PowerGPU is having just as much trouble getting the RTX 5090 as everyone else.
“We’re also having very much difficulty getting these GPUs. We’ve gotten a very limited quantity since launch, and it took about two or three weeks just to get our first batch. … Now we’re going into mid-March and we’re essentially, even from distribution, we’re getting scalped. Literally.”
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