Gamers may be in for a tough time concerning GPU upgrades with the next generation, with NVIDIA stating that there could be a shortage of its RTX 50-series GPUs coming down the pipe. If you don't remember the GPU shortage from just a few years ago, it was a time of high prices and high stress. Finding a GPU at its MSRP was nigh impossible, scalpers ran rampant with large stockpiles of graphics cards and were charging two or three times the price.
Which meant you either had to pay those exorbitant and downright offensive asking prices, or you had to wait for more stock. I was put on a waiting list for 10 months before I was able to secure an RTX 3060 (this was the current GPU series at the time and the card was only a few months old). Even if you did wait, there was no guarantee you would get a card. I got lucky with how EVGA was running its restocking process. It was the Wild West and if you wanted to upgrade your PC with a new GPU, getting one was basically left up to fate.
It's not clear if things will get that bad again with regard to NVIDIA GPUs. However, it does seem like there may be less to go around with the company's next-gen cards, slated for release in 2025. And it might be down to NVIDIA designating a large amount of the Blackwell GPUs to companies who want GPUs capable of powring high-performance AI applications.
Although NVIDIA has warned gamers of potential GPU shortages, it's important to remember that it might not be that bad. Nevertheless, it's going to be prudent to prepare for the possibility. As Digital Trends points out, NVIDIA has said in its recent earnings call that fourth-quarter revenue may decline due to supply constraints. This is after a relatively positive growth in revenue for the third quarter.
The important detail here is the supply constraints. NVIDIA is expecting the supply of its 50-series GPUs to be lower than the 40-series GPUs that are available right now. And with both gamers and Enterprise looking to upgrade to NVIDIA's new powerful option, it might impact the prices of current generation stock. Especially with the holidays coming up and the holiday shopping season in full swing.
In short, prepare for potential price increases. Some cards are available at reasonable prices for the moment, but that could change. And there's no guarantee that if prices do go up, they will be limited to NVIDIA's Founders Edition models. However, you can certainly expect those to be impacted heavily. As they have been since the 30-series.
Here's the kicker with any shortage. It's only really a bad thing if you have no patience. If you can weather the drought, then you can come out on top with a brand-new GPU that you didn't overpay for. The good news is that NVIDIA has alluded to the fact that a shortage may not last long. The company says that it expects production to ramp up in early 2025. This should help costs on GPUs come back down if they increase significantly in the first place.
Another thing to consider is how this will impact the cost of older GPUs. An increase in 50-series GPU production early next year should cause decreased prices of 40-series GPUs. Again, that's assuming they see a significant price increase. Either way, the point is, to make plans to secure a GPU now if you're ready to upgrade now. Even if you aren't, it might be wise to buy while prices are reasonable. It's either that or risk paying more in a couple of months.
Then again, those with 30-series GPUs are still fine. Especially those who own the Ti version of the RTX 3080 and 3090 (games still run pretty well on those).