Buy Now: Nvidia RTX 4090 Facing Discontinuation and Shortages

Nvidia is reportedly preparing to discontinue the production of its flagship GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, signaling the beginning of a transition to its next-generation RTX 5000 series. The current GeForce RTX 4090, which has been a top performer in the gaming and high-end computing markets since its launch in 2022, could soon become a rare find. Industry experts suggest that Nvidia’s decision to cease production is likely to make way for its upcoming lineup, which is expected to include the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 models, tentatively slated for release in late 2024 or early 2025.

This potential discontinuation has sparked concerns about the availability of the RTX 4090, especially as we approach the holiday season. Nvidia’s partners, often referred to as Add-In Board (AIB) partners—such as Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and Palit—will need to clear out existing inventory of the two-year-old RTX 4090 before the RTX 5000 series hits the shelves. The result could be a significant shortage of the highly sought-after graphics card, which is currently in high demand despite its premium price tag.

The RTX 4090, which retails for around $2,000, has proven to be a popular choice among gamers and high-performance computing enthusiasts. It is currently one of the few high-end GPUs that have remained widely available, even as supply chain disruptions and increased demand have led to shortages in the broader GPU market over the past few years. Despite its steep price, the RTX 4090 has maintained a strong sales presence, making up about one percent of the GPUs counted in the Steam Hardware Survey. In fact, the RTX 4090’s presence in the survey has increased over the last three months, surpassing the count of its sibling, the RTX 4080, which was recently discontinued after the launch of the RTX 4080 Super earlier this year.

For those eyeing the RTX 4090, now might be the time to act before it becomes increasingly difficult to find. Nvidia has a history of timing its GPU launches between summer and Christmas, which suggests that the company could be gearing up for a holiday release of the RTX 5000 series, assuming no unforeseen delays. However, if Nvidia opts for an early 2025 launch instead, it could be an indication that other factors are influencing the timeline.

A pre-Christmas release would align with Nvidia’s past launch windows, providing PC hardware enthusiasts with something exciting to look forward to as the year draws to a close. The holiday season is always a crucial period for the tech industry, and Nvidia’s new GPUs would likely generate significant buzz, especially with competitors like Intel and AMD also planning major releases around the same time.

Intel, for example, is set to launch its highly anticipated Lunar Lake mobile CPUs, which were recently showcased at an event in Germany to positive reviews. These processors will be joined by Intel’s Arrow Lake-S desktop processors, which will require new motherboards and DDR5 memory, offering users an opportunity to upgrade their entire system. AMD, on the other hand, is preparing to release its X870 chipset motherboards in October, followed by the launch of its Ryzen 9000X3D processors in early 2025. With all three companies releasing new hardware in close succession, the PC building and upgrading community is in for an exciting few months.

However, while Nvidia and Intel are focusing on high-end gaming and computing hardware, AMD appears to be taking a different approach. The company is rumored to be focusing on the mid-range graphics card market, much like it did with the RX 5700 XT in the past. By targeting the mid-range segment, AMD can offer more affordable options for consumers, especially as the cost of high-end GPUs continues to climb. This strategy could be a smart move for AMD, as the RTX 4090, despite its popularity, only accounts for a small fraction of the overall GPU market, according to the Steam Hardware Survey.

The upcoming RTX 5000 series is expected to be based on Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture, which promises significant performance improvements over the current generation. While the architecture is rumored to use a refined version of the existing manufacturing process known as N4P, rather than an entirely new one, it could still deliver notable gains in performance and efficiency. One of the most anticipated features of the new Blackwell GPUs is an increase in transistor count, which could lead to a significant boost in computational power.

In addition to these performance enhancements, the RTX 5000 series is also expected to support PCIe 5, although the practical benefits of this upgrade may be limited for most users. While PCIe 5 offers increased bandwidth compared to the previous generation, current GPUs rarely utilize the full capacity of PCIe 4, meaning that the real-world impact of PCIe 5 may be minimal for most gaming and computing tasks. Nevertheless, for those with motherboards that support PCIe 5, the upgrade could offer some future-proofing, especially as other components like storage devices and network cards begin to take advantage of the increased bandwidth.

As the release of the RTX 5000 series approaches, the PC hardware market is set to undergo another wave of innovation, with Nvidia, Intel, and AMD all vying for the attention of consumers. While Nvidia’s RTX 4090 has been a standout performer, its days may be numbered, and those looking to get their hands on one before production ends should act quickly. With shortages predicted, the holiday season could see a scramble for the remaining stock, especially as PC builders prepare for the next generation of hardware to arrive in 2024.