When Nvidia introduced the RTX 4090 at a price point of $1,600, many felt it was exorbitantly priced; the RTX 4080, which debuted at $1,200, was even more contentious. Now, brace yourself, as new leaks suggest Nvidia may be increasing its prices significantly. The upcoming RTX 5090 is rumored to retail for as much as an astonishing $2,500.
This information comes from Moore’s Law Is Dead. According to their sources, Nvidia is planning to hike the prices of its top-tier graphics cards. At the forefront is the RTX 5090, which is expected to feature 32GB of VRAM. Following it is the RTX 5080, equipped with 16GB VRAM, matching the RTX 4080 but possibly utilizing faster 32Gbps memory modules. Lastly, there’s the RTX 5070, likely to stick with a 12GB memory configuration.
The performance expectations for the RTX 5090 are sky-high, but so is its projected price. Reports suggest a price range between $2,000 and $2,500. Even the lower end of this spectrum represents a significant jump in cost, while $2,500 would equate to Nvidia’s priciest consumer GPU, the Titan RTX, which was also introduced at that price and faced considerable backlash.
The anticipated pricing for the RTX 5080 is equally astonishing—if not more so. Many had hoped Nvidia learned from their experiences with the RTX 4080, especially after launching the RTX 4080 Super at $200 less. Yet, the RTX 5080 is now rumored to be priced between $1,200 and $1,500, suggesting a return to previous pricing strategies.
As for the RTX 5070, which Moore’s Law Is Dead claims will be comparable to the RTX 4070 Ti in terms of rasterization, it’s expected to cost between $600 and $700. While it’s a step down from the sky-high prices of the higher-tier cards, considering the potential minimal performance improvement, it too may seem overpriced.
If these rumors hold true, the RTX 50-series could become Nvidia’s most costly generation to date.
On another note, user harukaze5719 on X predicts that the RTX 5080 won’t stack up against the RTX 4090, and early specifications appear to validate this claim. The generational improvement seems underwhelming, and given the considerable gap between the 4090 and 4080, the 5080 might not possess the power to close that divide.
However, there’s still some hope that these reports are not set in stone. Price speculations about new GPUs are common before each release cycle, and it’s possible that the final pricing may differ. Even Moore’s Law Is Dead mentions that this could be Nvidia’s way of testing the waters, so it’s wise to approach these claims with caution.
Nvidia is expected to disclose details about the RTX 50-series at CES 2025 in January, with both the RTX 5090 and the RTX 5080 slated for launch that same month.
