If you were hoping to get your hands on Nvidia’s new RTX 50-series GPUs in Australia, brace yourself for disappointment.

Not only are these cards nearly impossible to find, but their prices are so absurd that even the most dedicated gamers are questioning if Nvidia even cares about them anymore.

Out of Stock Before They Were Even In Stock

Nvidia has finally admitted on its official forums (via VideoCardz) that gamers will struggle to find stock for the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080. Tim@Nvidia posted:

“We expect significant demand for the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 and believe stock-outs may happen. Nvidia & our partners are shipping more stock to retail every day to help get GPUs into the hands of gamers.”

Translation? Good luck getting one. The RTX 5090 is out of stock because it was barely in stock to begin with. And if you’re thinking of waiting for a restock, don’t hold your breath—supply isn’t expected to stabilise until April or May.

Is This Scarcity Marketing at Play?

Let’s be real: Nvidia knows exactly what they’re doing. They’ve been playing the artificial scarcity game for years, and this launch is no different. By keeping supply low, could the result be possibly driving up demand. Who knows?

Prices Are Absurd – Australian Retail Averages

Let’s take a moment to appreciate how Nvidia has turned gaming GPUs into luxury items:

• RTX 5090 – $4,039 AUD
• RTX 5080 – $2,019 AUD
• RTX 5070 Ti – $1,509 AUD
• RTX 5070 – $1,109 AUD

FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS for a GPU? That’s not a gaming card—it’s an AI workstation pretending to be one. Even the so-called “mid-range” options, which used to be reasonably priced, are now as expensive as an entire high-end gaming PC from a few years ago.

Nvidia isn’t even pretending to cater to gamers anymore; they’re fully focused on the AI and enterprise market, leaving the rest of us to deal with the price gouging.

Nvidia’s Shady Manufacturing Issue

If the stock shortages and pricing insanity weren’t enough, here’s another slap in the face—some RTX 5090, 5090D, and 5070 Ti GPUs shipped with missing render units.

As TechPowerUp first reported, Nvidia confirmed that some units were affected, and Nvidia GeForce global PR director Ben Berraondo told The Verge:

“We have identified a rare issue affecting less than 0.5% (half a percent) of GeForce RTX 5090 / 5090D and 5070 Ti GPUs which have one fewer ROP than specified.

“The average graphical performance impact is 4%, with no impact on AI and Compute workloads. Affected consumers can contact the board manufacturer for a replacement. The production anomaly has been corrected.”

Translation? If you’re unlucky enough to have gotten one of these defective cards, you’ll need to jump through hoops to get a replacement.

Nvidia Has Moved On: Gamers Left Behind as Blackwell Chips Focus on AI

If it wasn’t obvious before, it certainly is now—Nvidia doesn’t care about gamers anymore. With its latest Blackwell architecture, the company has made it clear that AI and enterprise applications are the priority, while gaming takes a backseat.

Blackwell Chips: Designed for AI, Not Gamers

Nvidia’s new Blackwell-based GPUs are packed with features optimized for AI workloads, machine learning, and data centers.

While there are gaming-focused RTX 50-series GPUs using Blackwell, the primary innovations in this architecture cater to AI advancements rather than improving gaming performance.

Take a look at how Nvidia is positioning its new chips:

• Massive AI Performance Gains: Nvidia is touting major leaps in AI computing power, making Blackwell the go-to choice for data centers and deep learning applications.
  
  
• Enterprise First: The bulk of Nvidia’s promotional material and keynotes have focused on AI, leaving gaming almost as an afterthought.
  
  
• Gaming Features? Meh. While gamers expected groundbreaking performance improvements, the enhancements in ray tracing and rasterization seem secondary compared to AI acceleration.
  

Nvidia’s Priorities Are Crystal Clear

It’s no secret that Nvidia’s revenue is increasingly dominated by AI and cloud computing sales. The gaming division, once the company’s crown jewel, is now just another side project in its massive AI empire. The RTX 50-series launch made that painfully clear, with:

• Ridiculous Prices: The RTX 5090 is priced at over $4,000 AUD, making it more of a workstation GPU than a gaming card.
  
  
• Stock Issues: Gamers can’t even get their hands on the GPUs because Nvidia is focusing on selling chips to AI companies instead.
  
  
• Artificial Scarcity: The limited availability of high-end GPUs only fuels the frustration that Nvidia sees gaming as an afterthought.
  

Could Gamers Start Looking Elsewhere?

With Nvidia turning its back on gaming, more gamers are considering alternatives. AMD and Intel are stepping up their game, offering competitive GPUs at more reasonable prices. Meanwhile, some are questioning whether upgrading to Nvidia’s latest GPUs is even worth it.

The Bottom Line

Between the insane pricing, lack of stock, artificial scarcity tactics, and now defective GPUs, Nvidia’s RTX 50-series launch has left Australian gamers furious.

Nvidia may claim they’re “working to get GPUs into the hands of gamers,” but the reality in my own opinion is clear—they don’t care. The company is prioritising AI and enterprise customers while milking the gaming market for every last dollar.

For many Australian gamers, this launch is a breaking point. And unless Nvidia changes its approach, more people might start looking elsewhere for their next GPU upgrade.