The best way to purchase a NVIDIA RTX 50 sequence GPU

Following a two-year wait, NVIDIA’s highly-anticipated GeForce 50 series of GPUs arrived firstly of 2025. Engadget revealed its review of the $2,000 RTX 5090 in January, adopted by critiques of the RTX 5070 in March and, most just lately, the RTX 5060 Ti. However if you happen to’re studying this text, chances are high you already know if you wish to splurge on a 50 sequence card. The query then is learn how to purchase one. For those who’re studying this story on or after April 21, the excellent news is that main retailers, together with Finest Purchase and Newegg, have formally begun promoting the primary wave of NVIDIA’s new GPUs.

As for the dangerous information? Like with the 40 sequence earlier than it, early demand for NVIDIA’s new GPUs has been excessive, resulting in restricted availability and rampant scalping. What’s extra, pricing from NVIDIA’s board companions has been far and wide, with most non-Founders Editions fashions costing excess of their MSRP. For example, scanning Newegg you will not discover a single RTX 5070 listed for its $549 instructed worth. Proper now, the most cost effective mannequin prices $670.

GeForce RTX 5090 for $2,000: The RTX 5090 is the most costly client GPU NVIDIA has ever launched. It’s additionally some of the highly effective and power-hungry, with the 5090 that includes 21,760 CUDA cores, 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM and a possible complete energy draw of 575W.

In fact, as with all of NVIDIA’s new GPUs, uncooked specs are solely half the story. At the side of DLSS 4, the whole 50 sequence is able to multi-frame era. With the tech, RTX 50 GPUs can generate as much as three extra frames for each body they render utilizing conventional strategies. DLSS 4 is the explanation the 5090 can produce a median of 246 frames per second with full ray tracing in video games like Cyberpunk 2077.

For those who choose to purchase from Newegg or Best Buy, each retailers will inventory fashions from third-party OEMs, together with ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI and Zotac.

GeForce RTX 5080 for $999: The RTX 5080 options 10,752 CUDA cores and 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM, with a reminiscence bandwidth of 960GB/sec. Just like the 5090, you get the advantage of DLSS 4 multi-frame era. Furthermore, complete energy draw is extra modest at 360W, which means you in all probability received’t want a 1,000W PSU to energy the 5080. Early critiques of the 5080 have been combined, however that hasn’t stopped individuals from shopping for the brand new high-end card.

Once more, each Newegg and Best Buy will inventory third-party choices. For a Founders Version mannequin, your finest bets are NVIDIA and Finest Purchase.

GeForce RTX 5070 Ti for $749. Between the 2 5070 variants, the Ti model might be the safer buy. That’s as a result of it options 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM in comparison with the 5070’s 12GB. An additional 4GB of VRAM may not appear to be a lot, however it would probably translate to the 5070 Ti providing higher efficiency over its lifespan. Fashionable AAA video games use quite a lot of VRAM, a lot in order that 8GB GPUs just like the RTX 3070 are beginning to present their age.

Sadly, the 5070 Ti is the one mannequin NVIDIA will not provide a Founders Version model of, so discovering one to purchase at MSRP could also be difficult. Your finest guess right here is B&H.

GeForce RTX 5070 for $549: The RTX 5070 was NVIDIA’s most inexpensive 50 sequence GPU. That title is presently held by the RTX 5060 Ti. The 5070 presents strong efficiency at 1440p and is respectable sufficient for some occasional 4K gaming. That mentioned, it isn’t a lot quicker than the 4070 it changed, and, as talked about, with solely 12GB of VRAM, you’ll in all probability change it earlier than lengthy.

GeForce RTX 5060 Ti for $299 : Till the RTX 5060 arrives someday in Could, the 5060 Ti stands as NVIDIA’s most inexpensive 50 sequence card proper now. Between the 5070 and 5060 Ti, the latter is the higher deal, with it that includes 16GB of VRAM. It presents wonderful efficiency at each 1080p and 1440p, and offered yow will discover it for NVIDIA’s instructed retail worth of $299, it will not break the financial institution both.

Replace 1/29/25 1:50pm ET: As one might have predicted, it looks like it will likely be troublesome to get your fingers on one in every of NVIDIA’s new graphics playing cards. The corporate itself stated publicly that it “anticipate important demand for the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 and believes stock-outs might occur.” It’s doable that restricted availability, or widespread stock-outs, may have an effect on clients worldwide. It is reported that some international locations, like Korea, will not see shipments till mid-February.

Replace 1/30/25 10:10am ET: We up to date this piece with extra details about availability now that among the playing cards are formally up on the market.

Replace 4/21/25 12pm ET: We up to date this piece to extra details about RTX 5060 Ti availability.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/how-to-buy-a-nvidia-rtx-50-series-gpu-160902797.html?src=rss

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