Facepalm: It has been nearly two months since Nvidia launched its RTX 50 series Blackwell GPUs, yet the company continues to struggle with significant supply chain issues. Despite rumors of improving availability, scalpers remain prevalent, frustrating not only individual customers but also system integrators.

System integrator PowerGPU has faced substantial challenges in securing RTX 5090 units, forcing it to raise prices. PowerGPU’s CEO, Jese Martinez, recently addressed allegations of price-gouging in a video on X, stating that the company itself has fallen victim to scalping by distributors.

Martinez explained that the high prices of RTX 5090 GPUs are not due to excessive profit margins but rather the result of PowerGPU having to purchase them at inflated rates. He reported that the company is being offered entry-level to mid-range RTX 5090 models at prices ranging from $3,050 to over $3,100 – significantly higher than the official MSRP of $1,999.

Other custom PC builders, such as iBuyPower and Storm, are also experiencing similar price hikes for the RTX 5090, with prices ranging from $2,900 to over $3,300.

A significant video from our founder/CEO on the RTX 5090 pricing. pic.twitter.com/6GEvYFkD9K

– PowerGPU (@PowerGPU) March 13, 2025

Nvidia claims to have shipped twice as many Blackwell GPUs as Ada Lovelace GPUs within five weeks of launch. However, this metric does little to alleviate the frustration of customers who have been unable to purchase RTX 50 GPUs at their recommended retail price since release.

By comparison, AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 series launch, while not flawless, has fared better.

AMD has maintained somewhat better availability of its Radeon RX 9070 series compared to Nvidia’s RTX 50 series, although it’s still too soon to tell if MSRPs will be real for most consumers. At launch, AMD ensured a substantial stock of Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT GPUs and partnered with multiple board manufacturers to guarantee more widespread availability.

Despite these efforts, some retailers have quietly increased Radeon RX 9070 series prices by up to $130 above MSRP, mirroring the inflation seen with Nvidia’s GPUs. Nonetheless, AMD’s strategy has generally allowed consumers to purchase the RX 9070 series with fewer delays and at more stable prices than Nvidia’s offerings.

The fact that Nvidia GPUs are also in higher demand for AI workloads and not just gaming, means there’s more people willing to overpay to gain access to the hardware.

Also see: The State of the GPU: All Fake MSRPs?

The widespread unavailability of Nvidia GPUs has tarnished the reputation of system integrators. PowerGPU, for instance, has faced a 2-3 week wait for initial shipments, with supply remaining scarce. A recent inventory update revealed a stark contrast: while approximately 70 Radeon RX 9070 series GPUs were available, only one RTX 5090 unit was in stock.

The situation is further exacerbated by the depletion of last-generation GPU stock, which began as early as October. Searching for older models like the RTX 4090 often yields no results, leading to “pandemic-level pricing” for new GPUs. As a result, many consumers have turned to the used market, where Ampere (GeForce 30) and RDNA 2/3 GPUs remain widely available.