Nvidia RTX 5090 Campers Defy January Cold Warnings

The excitement surrounding the launch of Nvidia's new GPU generation is palpable as the release of the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 on January 30 approaches. In our RTX 5090 review, we hailed it as "the fastest graphics card on the consumer market," fueling the intense anticipation for these high-end graphics cards. Priced at $2,000 for the RTX 5090 and $1,000 for the RTX 5080, these GPUs come with a premium price tag that hasn't dampened consumer interest. However, reports suggest that stock will be extremely limited, with one UK retailer claiming they have only "single digit" stock for the RTX 5090.

The fervor has led to eager buyers camping outside Micro Center’s Tustin location in California, days before the launch. Photos shared on Reddit and the Unofficial Micro Center Discord channel showcase a growing community of tents, sparking concerns that some may be scalpers looking to profit from the limited supply. A post on Reddit by user Temporary-Director46, titled "Campers already appeared," captures the scene vividly.

Campers already appeared
byu/Temporary-Director46 inMicrocenter

The images reveal several tents, with one large grey tent housing four individuals. One camper took to the comments to clarify their intentions: “Hello everyone, I’m the guy that you guys are talking about in the second tent. And yes, we are buying it for our own use, no trades and no sells. We just don’t want to pay for that extra $ for a gaming card and yes we do have some times on our hands because we run a business. Good luck to everyone who are trying to get one.” They further noted that the atmosphere among those waiting was "very nice and respectful." According to the Micro Center Unofficial Discord channel, the number of tents has grown to 10, with approximately 24 people eagerly awaiting the launch.

In anticipation of the event, Micro Center released a YouTube video outlining their strategy for the RTX 5090 and 5080 launch, explicitly discouraging camping: “We do discourage camping at our locations for the 5090 and 5080," the company stated. Yet, the tradition of camping for new graphics cards at Micro Center is not new, as evidenced by YouTuber Austin Evans's documentation during the RTX 3070 launch at the same Tustin location in 2020.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

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Micro Center plans to use a voucher system to manage purchases on a first-come-first-serve basis, with no choice in specific GPU models for those in line. Customers are limited to one card each, and despite discouraging camping, Micro Center advises arriving early to secure a chance at purchasing these highly sought-after GPUs.