- Hardware
NVIDIA RTX GeForce 3050 predictably runs out of stock at launch
Well, that was fast.
The GeForce RTX 3050 8GB, Nvidia’s ray-tracing entry-level graphics card, launched earlier this morning but is now sold out at all retailers with listings. Inventory was spread thin across just a handful of trusted sellers.
Major retailers like Best Buy and Micro Center only had a few GeForce RTX 3050 SJCs up for grabs this morning and don’t appear to have any left in stock. Best Buy is out of stock for both the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 EAGLE OC and GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 GAMING OC. These are the only two listings on the site and both come in $100 over MSRP. Micro Center doesn’t feature any cards on its website, but if you’re a gambler, heading into a store might scrounge up some unlikely results.
NewEgg easily has the widest selection for GeForce RTX 3050 cards, but they were locked under a lottery system. If you tried searching “RTX 3050” on the regular NewEgg site, you wouldn’t have found much at all. The shuffle program is on a separate page and features 10 GeForce RTX 3050 GPUs to pick from. Once the time expired, NewEgg’s system picked winners at random.
For those who were able to get a hold of an RTX 3050 at launch, it likely wasn’t at Nvidia’s set MSRP. While Nvidia’s MSRP hit $249, there are several RTX 3050 SJCs that are listed well above that. One of the most expensive RTX 3050 offerings on NewEgg is the Asus ROG Strix RTX 3050 8GB, which runs for $489.99 when in stock.
While Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050 selling out isn’t a shocker, some PC gamers had hoped its poor mining abilities would have boosted day one inventory. This clearly wasn’t the case as supply and demand continue to be mismatched. Next stop, eBay for all of your overpriced GPU needs until restocks hit.
For those who are really feeling the pain of not being able to secure an entry-level graphics card, AMD’s RX 6500 XT 4GB is an in-stock bandaid solution that won’t last the long run but will get you in the game if you absolutely can’t wait any longer and are willing to lower your expectations to ground level. Still, you might want to hold out.
