Summary
We’re all used to seeing graphics card prices soar at launch. With sky-high demand, scalpers, and people camping outside storefronts ahead of the RTX 50 Series launch, it’s hardly surprising. Whatissurprising are the high prices set by board partners for their custom cards.
Custom RTX 50 Series Prices Are Through the Roof
I’m writing this on the day theNVIDIA RTX 5080 and 5090 launched, and they’re already sold out at most online retailers despite the steep MSRP price tags.
The in-house Founders Edition cards NVIDIA designs are sold at eye-watering prices, but the custom cards built by other manufacturers are even worse. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, NVIDIA sells theirGPUsto variousadd-in board partners(AIBs), such as GIGABYTE, MSI, and ASUS, who then create custom cards based on NVIDIA’s specifications but with custom coolers and oftenhigher clock speeds.
RTX 5090 GPU
The issue here is that some board manufacturers have priced their custom RTX 50 Series cards well above MSRP. For instance, the RTX 5080 has an MSRP of$999.99, but custom RTX 5080 prices are reaching prices as high as $1,499.99 for theASUS ROG Astral NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080and $1,399.99 for theGIGABYTE NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 XTREME WATERFORCE, which is an AIO water-cooled card with a 360mm radiator.
A similarvariant without a radiatoris $1,349.99, making the more expensive option ironically seem like a better deal.
Some other custom cards with a high price tag include theASUS TUF RTX 5080($1,349.99),GIGABYTE RTX 5080 AORUS MASTER ICE($1,349.99), and theASUS PRIME RTX 5080($1,199.99). It’s worth noting that not all custom cards are above MSRP; for instance, theGIGABYTE RTX 5080 WINDFORCEis $999.99.
Despite these extreme prices, the cards are flying off the shelves, andscalpers are reselling the RTX 5090s for north of $7,000—a price no GPU should ever reach.
Custom GPU Designs Rarely Matter
After seeing these high prices, you’re probably wondering what these custom GPU designs actually offer. I’m probably going to upset a lot of people, but the simple truth is—not much, at least from a performance perspective. This isn’t just true for the RTX 50 Series cards; it applies to all GPUs.
Some models have overclocked GPUs and VRAM from the factory, but it’s not like you may’tdo that yourself on any GPU. A BIOS switch is a nice feature to have, but I bet most people won’t ever use it or know what it does. Some cards also use higher-quality parts, like better MOSFETs (metal oxide silicon field effect transistors), but NVIDIA knows how to design its own cards just fine.
The custom cooler designs can make a small difference, as some overbuilt cards can lower noise and temperatures by a few degrees. However, this isn’t significant for performance and shouldn’t matter to most end consumers. The only exception is if a particular model is known to have temperature issues, but that’s rare.Adjusting the GPU fan curveis a free way to improve cooling on any design, and for older cards, replacing thethermal padsandpasteis also a good idea.
That said, if you still want to splurge on a fancy custom model with an alien-looking cooler and enough RGB to light up the entire room, no judgment here. Aesthetics matter, and these cards tend to hold their resale price. Those slightly faster clock speeds and cooler temps are also a nice bonus.
The Prices Might Be NVIDIA’s Fault
When you think about it, the high GPU prices aren’t entirely the board partners' fault. These companies have to buy lots of expensive components, like the GPUs themselves from NVIDIA; GDDR7 VRAM comes from Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron; while other high-quality capacitors and the other parts aren’t cheap.
On top of all those costs, the board partners also have to pay for marketing, shipping, and customer support while still managing to turn a profit. It’s easy to see why board partners struggle to sell RTX 50 Series cards even close to MSRP. At the same time,NVIDIA is competing against themwith its low-priced Founders Edition cards.
I don’t want to point fingers, but it’s worth taking a closer look at how NVIDIA treated one of its former board partners, EVGA. EVGA was one of the top NVIDIA graphics card manufacturers, beloved by enthusiasts for its excellent customer support and quality cards. A few years ago, EVGA decided to exit the GPU market and stopped manufacturing cards altogether. While the company never officially explained the details, it cited NVIDIA as abad partner and claimed “disrespectful treatment.”
What Does This Mean for Consumers?
The high prices of the RTX 50 Series cards are disappointing. Unless the cards miraculously come back into stock and drop close to MSRP within the next few months, I don’t recommend buying them. These new cards are expensive at MSRP, let alone custom models that can cost up to 40% more. Unfortunately, those who are adamant about getting the RTX 50 Series will be forced to wait until the hype dies down orpay an inflated price.
Given these extreme prices, consumers should probably start looking for more reasonable alternatives. The good news is thatAMD RX 9000 (RDNA 4) GPUsare just around the corner, so wait a bit to see if AMD can fill the gap in the mid- and high-end PC gaming segments while keeping prices fair.
You should also considerbuying a previous-gen GPUthat fits your budget and performance needs. The RTX 40 Series or AMD RX 7000 Series GPUs are still relevant, provided you can find them at a reasonable price.
If you’re open to taking a bit of risk,buying a used GPUcan be a great way to snag a good deal. I recently bought a used RX 6800 XT for $340, and it’s been a solid upgrade over my old RX 6600 XT at a very reasonable price.
Custom graphics cards have always been slightly overpriced compared to reference designs, it’s true for both NVIDIA and AMD. It’s just that the RTX 50 Series and its high pricing have made this more apparent. Once the RTX 50 Series is back in stock, consider opting for the cheaper models.
Fortunately, if you’re willing to buy a slightly older or used card, there are still great deals to be found even today.
