People Are Already Camping Out for an Nvidia RTX 5090, Despite Retailer Warning About the January Cold

The launch of Nvidia's new GPU generation is just around the corner, set for January 30, with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 poised to hit the market. In our RTX 5090 review, we hailed it as "the fastest graphics card on the consumer market," a claim that has fueled the excitement and anticipation for this new generation of graphics cards to an all-time high.

Priced at $2,000 for the RTX 5090 and $1,000 for the RTX 5080, these high-end graphics cards come with a correspondingly high-end price tag, yet the interest remains undeterred. However, rumors suggest that stock will be incredibly limited, with one UK retailer claiming they have only "single digit" stock for the RTX 5090.

The fervor for these GPUs has led to some enthusiasts camping outside Micro Center’s Tustin location in California, days ahead of the launch. Images of tents filled with hopeful buyers have surfaced on Reddit and the Unofficial Micro Center Discord channel, sparking speculation that some may be scalpers looking to capitalize on the anticipated low stock.

Campers already appeared from r/Microcenter

The images reveal several tents, with one large grey tent reportedly housing four people. A camper from the second tent took to Reddit 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 further emphasized in another comment that everyone at the Tustin Micro Center store is "very nice and respectful." According to the Micro Center Unofficial Discord channel, there are now up to 10 tents and around 24 people waiting for the GPU launch.

Ahead of the launch, Micro Center released a YouTube video detailing its strategy for the RTX 5090 and 5080 launch, advising against camping due to the cold 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 outside Micro Center for new GPUs isn't a new phenomenon, as evidenced by YouTuber Austin Evans' documentation of the RTX 3070 launch at the same Tustin location in 2020.

Purchases will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis through a voucher system. Those in line won't have the option to choose their specific GPU model. Customers are limited to one card each, and although Micro Center discourages camping, they still recommend arriving early to secure a purchase and avoid disappointment.