The RTX 5090 is hard to find in 2026 because fewer are being made while demand has not dropped. The few that reach stores sell in minutes, and most listings you will see are resellers charging double or more.
Less supply
In December 2025, reports said NVIDIA planned to cut GeForce RTX production by up to 40% in early 2026. The cause is a global memory shortage: AI companies have bought up years of DRAM supply for data centers, and every graphics card needs memory chips (Windows Central). Those reports also set off a rush to buy the remaining stock.
What happened at stores
- Best Buy: no RTX 5090s in stock as of January 20, 2026. By March 1, the Founders Edition ($1,999) had been removed from Best Buy's site, with NVIDIA saying it would return but giving no date (StockMaid). Partner cards there ran $2,699 to $3,509.
- Amazon and Newegg: mostly third-party sellers, at $3,800 to $4,500 on Amazon and higher on Newegg in January.
- Micro Center: the one store still selling cards nearer list price, in-store pickup only.
How fast drops sell out
When Best Buy does restock, it has historically happened on Tuesday and Friday mornings between 9 and 11 AM Eastern, and the window lasts about 3 to 5 minutes. A recent Founders Edition drop in Europe sold out in 8 minutes (StockMaid). You need an alert and a saved login to have a chance.
Where the price is today
On November 3, 2026, the cheapest RTX 5090 listing cost $6,400, against a $1,999 MSRP. See our GPU price guide for every card.
Is it worth waiting?
No one outside NVIDIA knows when supply recovers, and memory maker SK hynix has warned its manufacturing constraints will last through 2030 (Tom's Hardware). If you need a card now, a lower tier at closer to list price usually beats waiting for a 5090 restock.