NVIDIA is facing a setback with its mid-range RTX 50 GPUs as they’ve had to delay mass production due to a chip supply shortage amidst increasing demand.
The rollout of NVIDIA’s RTX 50 series GPUs has been less than smooth, particularly when it comes to stock levels. This has been a notable issue with their flagship models, the GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080. It appears that the current global surge in demand for semiconductors is contributing to these supply chain challenges, with no immediate relief in sight.
A well-known industry insider, Ming-Chi Kuo, has suggested that NVIDIA might delay the release of its mid-range RTX 50 GPUs by about a month to allow some breathing room for its strained supply chain.
Gamers and power users are anxious to get their hands on the RTX 5090 and 5080, but there just aren’t enough chips to meet demand. As a result, the mass production of the RTX 5070 and 5060 is expected to be pushed from February or March to March or April. As Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned in a tweet, the limited supply means these cards are likely to sell out quickly upon release.
We’ve discussed similar updates before, highlighting that the RTX 5070 is now expected to launch in early March. Ming-Chi Kuo’s comments align with this, underscoring the supply challenges NVIDIA faces with meeting existing consumer demands. Launching new models under these circumstances could lead to these products quickly going out of stock too, potentially frustrating average consumers even further.
To give you a clearer picture, tech analyst Kakashiii111 reported that Taiwan, a key market for NVIDIA, received fewer than 100 units of the RTX 5090. Similar low inventory numbers were reported in other regions, with some retailers citing “single-digit” quantities for NVIDIA’s top-tier RTX Blackwell GPU. Currently, Team Green seems unable to balance supply and demand, and it might take several months before the situation improves considerably.
By postponing the release of their mid-range GPUs, NVIDIA may strategically position themselves to overshadow AMD’s upcoming RX 9070 series GPUs, provided they execute the launch flawlessly. However, with current consumer sentiment skewing against NVIDIA, AMD has a solid opportunity to capture the mainstream GPU market with its RX 9070 lineup.
