The excitement surrounding the launch of Nvidia's new RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards is reaching a fever pitch as we approach the release date on January 30. Our RTX 5090 review hailed it as "the fastest graphics card on the consumer market," which has only fueled the anticipation for these high-end GPUs. Priced at $2,000 for the RTX 5090 and $1,000 for the RTX 5080, these cards come with a hefty price tag, yet the demand remains sky-high. Reports suggest that stock will be extremely limited, with one UK retailer claiming to have only "single digit" stock for the RTX 5090.
The buzz has led to some eager enthusiasts camping outside Micro Center's Tustin location in California, days before the launch. Images of these dedicated fans, setting up tents and waiting patiently, have surfaced on Reddit and the Unofficial Micro Center Discord channel, sparking discussions about whether these campers are genuine buyers or potential scalpers looking to profit from the low stock situation.
Campers already appeared
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.reddit-embed-wrapper iframe { margin-left: 0 !important; }The images showcase several tents with people inside, ready to secure their new GPUs. According to Reddit users, the larger grey tent houses four individuals. One camper took to a Reddit thread to clarify their intentions, stating, "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 also mentioned that the atmosphere among the campers at Tustin Micro Center is "very nice and respectful." As of now, there are reportedly up to 10 tents and around 24 people waiting for the GPU launch on January 30, as per the Micro Center Unofficial Discord channel.
In anticipation of the launch, Micro Center has shared its strategy for the RTX 5090 and 5080 via a YouTube video, explicitly discouraging camping outside their stores in the chilly January weather. "We do discourage camping at our locations for the 5090 and 5080," the company stated.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos
5 Images
Camping for new GPUs at Micro Center is not a new phenomenon, as YouTuber Austin Evans documented a similar scene at the same Tustin location during the RTX 3070 launch in 2020.
Micro Center will use a voucher system to confirm purchases on a first-come-first-serve basis. Those waiting in line will not have a choice in the specific model of GPU they can purchase. Each customer is limited to buying only one card. Despite discouraging camping, Micro Center advises customers to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
