MSI briefly stopped pretending to sell RTX 50 GPUs at MSRP before backtracking

[Daniel Sims]

Facepalm: Nvidia's list prices for the recently launched RTX 50 series graphics cards have become almost imaginary, with board partners charging hundreds more for some models. While a few listings still maintain the pretense of MSRP, MSI had none over the weekend, sparking concerns of a repeat of 2021's crypto-driven price inflation.

Hardware & Co recently caught MSI raising the prices of its Nvidia RTX 50 series graphics cards, effectively eliminating the last remaining MSRP listings. Although the prices have since reverted, only two RTX 5070 Ti models currently adhere to Nvidia's suggested pricing.

A screenshot from VideoCardz shows that MSI briefly hiked the prices of its cheapest RTX 5070 Ti variants, listing the Shadow 3X at $819 and the Shadow 3X OC at $839 – both of which have since returned to the GPU's $749 MSRP. The Ventus 3X OC and Inspire 3X OC also saw temporary price increases of $70 and $80, respectively.

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Unfortunately, MSI continues to apply premiums to all available RTX 5080 and 5090 models. Despite the RTX 5080's official $999 MSRP, MSI's cheapest option is the Ventus 3X at $1,139. Meanwhile, the RTX 5090, theoretically priced at $1,999, actually starts at $2,399.

While other board partners have also raised prices for most RTX 50 models, some MSRP listings remain, suggesting that not all manufacturers have followed MSI's lead – at least not yet. The standard RTX 5070, launching on March 5, has so far maintained its $549 list price.

Inflated prices have only worsened what was already a lukewarm cost-per-frame improvement with the RTX 50 series. Our RTX 5070 Ti review concluded that the GPU is only worthwhile at MSRP. At $900, customers might as well have bought an RTX 4070 Ti two years ago. Interested customers forced to pay $900 instead may as well have purchased an RTX 4070 Ti two years ago.

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Still, even these overpriced models tend to sell out instantly. When Nvidia's latest lineup launched in January, some retailers received only double- or even single-digit quantities of high-end cards, and it remains unclear when stock levels will improve.

One theory behind the lack of MSRP models from board partners points to their razor-thin profit margins, worsened by Nvidia's decision to use more expensive GDDR7 VRAM for every RTX 50 GPU. Additionally, a recent earthquake in Taiwan likely impacted supply chains.

Whether AMD can capitalize on what some have called a paper launch from Nvidia remains uncertain. Team Red's Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT are set to launch imminently at $549 and $599, with rasterized performance expected to closely match the RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti. However, board partner listings for AMD's new GPUs have yet to surface.

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MSI briefly stopped pretending to sell RTX 50 GPUs at MSRP before backtracking

 

[BogdanR]

Anyone extolling the virtues of Free Market Capitalism providing what is best for customers for a fair price, should have a look at the situation in the GPU market for the past few years.

 

[Eldrach]

I imagine pricing in the US will be quite insane after the 20% tariff comes into place tomorrow. The next months will be painful as a consumer in the US overall - all prices will see a massive price hike.
I feel for you - hope this madness ends

 

[daffy duck]

I imagine pricing in the US will be quite insane after the 20% tariff comes into place tomorrow. The next months will be painful as a consumer in the US overall - all prices will see a massive price hike.
I feel for you - hope this madness ends

I don't feel for them at all. Welcome to how the rest of the world has had it for donkey's years, often subsidising lower prices in the US.

 

[toooooot]

The shifts in the gaming industry do not happen over night. But once the path is set, it could the main factor what people game on. If enough people are done with this sh*t, even if PC games are so much cheaper, they might never come back to PC.
PC industry might lose people that will never come back to buy gaming GPUs.
As for remaining ones, they could be switching to on CPU GPUs that are only getting better.
As many others said, this is the right time for AMD to make a lot of mid-tier cards.

 

[NumberNine]

Anyone extolling the virtues of Free Market Capitalism providing what is best for customers for a fair price, should have a look at the situation in the GPU market for the past few years.

Agreed. Free market capitalism could be done better, but people decided not to. It could be reformed, but a culture based on the worship of greed is difficult to correct - especially with citizens united and the lobbying mechanisms that have been established to chip away at consumer protections for the sake of cold profit.

I was born poor so I can easily afford morals. Amazon cannot.

 

[brucek]

Anyone extolling the virtues of Free Market Capitalism providing what is best for customers for a fair price, should have a look at the situation in the GPU market for the past few years.

Is there some other economic system that is producing better GPUs in higher quantity or better price?

As a gamer, I am not thrilled that the lion's share of wafer capacity has been bid up by companies working on AI services. But I can't really argue that's wrong. Of all the many uses AI is being put to, few are likely less important than me being able to turn my already good gaming settings up a couple more notches.

Meanwhile, the invisible hand of the market is right now compelling the creation of more capacity (I.e., fabs under construction) that will reach the market in the next few years, along with continued advances in performance, power, and software algorithms. This system has brought me all the gear I've owed so far and it will eventually bring me better deals than exist this moment. (although it may be a while if we pause progress for a trade war.)

So ultimately the bottom line of what is happening was probably the only way given the sudden massive and unforeseen spike in demand for AI horsepower. While I can't argue with the final result, I do have some blame for those who contribute to the deceptive labeling of that situation. The "list prices" referenced in this article are not "almost imaginary", they are special promotional deals available only in sweepstakes-like limited quantities, and the tech media should stop playing along in covering "launches" at "MSRP $X" that are neither. If all of us gamers hadn't been bombarded with fake launch coverage, we wouldn't be so frustrated right now.

 

[Kashim]

I imagine pricing in the US will be quite insane after the 20% tariff comes into place tomorrow. The next months will be painful as a consumer in the US overall - all prices will see a massive price hike.
I feel for you - hope this madness ends

Are you kidding? I don't feel for them at all. I couldn't be happier about it. They're getting exactly what they deserve. In fact, they deserve far worse. They voted for that orange imbecile, now they get to enjoy the results. I hope their whole economy gets tariffed back to the stone-age.

 

[Eldrach]

I don't feel for them at all. Welcome to how the rest of the world has had it for donkey's years, often subsidising lower prices in the US.

Please note that 150 million Americans didn’t vote for him - there’s stil sane people over there

 

[Dimitriid]

Please note that 150 million Americans didn’t vote for him - there’s stil sane people over there

Not even within the microscopic scope of this website comments is anybody doing moderation willing to do anything about rampant misinformation and propaganda to the point it's mostly unusable, what makes you think the entire rest of the world can rely on however many million people 'Didn't vote for him' to do anything about him?

Most of the DNC opposition is hiding and doing nothing to confront the fact that they billionaire donors now openly support the fascist regime, in fact once inevitable revolts begin happening in your country I see most DC-aligned public servants aligning with the GOP regime anyway to maintain 'law and order' instead of helping the uprising to remove Trump and all of the GOP, yes by any means necessary.

 

[kiwigraeme]

Not even within the microscopic scope of this website comments is anybody doing moderation willing to do anything about rampant misinformation and propaganda to the point it's mostly unusable, what makes you think the entire rest of the world can rely on however many million people 'Didn't vote for him' to do anything about him?

Most of the DNC opposition is hiding and doing nothing to confront the fact that they billionaire donors now openly support the fascist regime, in fact once inevitable revolts begin happening in your country I see most DC-aligned public servants aligning with the GOP regime anyway to maintain 'law and order' instead of helping the uprising to remove Trump and all of the GOP, yes by any means necessary.

Law and order?? if you wanted stability you voted democrats right or wrong

I think you under-estimate the desire or the average american to see the ruling class to have it's come uppance . Do you remember a Heath CEO getting shot or someone like that - seem to make the average american very happy
None of the ruling class are very likeable. They might want law and order, but like I said , they won't be sad in the slimey billionaires. the corrupt legals ,slimey facilitators meet misfortune

I'm not advocating violence , just saying didn't see much sympathy for that heath insurance guy - think a Harambe is a bigger loss to the USA public at large

 

[Loadedaxe]

Please note that 150 million Americans didn’t vote for him - there’s stil sane people over there

It might take time, but relying on collective effort and holding people accountable through the system we have is still a better long-term solution than assuming that more chaos is the way forward.

Chaos is what we lived with for the previous four years, is this administration better? We will see, so far I like what I am seeing and I am not a orange man fan and I definitely do not agree with everything, however....

It pays to have an open mind instead of jumping on a hate bandwagon. He isn't going anywhere no matter how loud you yell.

 

[redgarl]

This is ridiculous that we have to be watch dogs for this to be avoided...

The AIBs are literally the worst of the worst... they literally became scalpers and they overselling with aesthetic features.

 

[slowhand]

Anyone extolling the virtues of Free Market Capitalism providing what is best for customers for a fair price, should have a look at the situation in the GPU market for the past few years.

Socialism creates monopoly, monopoly creates lack of innovation, lack of innovation creates decline in quality, decline in quality creates lack of demand and smaller prices and then you need to choose which path you will take - either you will go bankrupt and government will save you with citizens money (socialism/communism/corporatism/crony capitalism) or you will start to inovate, hire experts, change business policy and rise again (true capitalism)...either way free market capitalism will provide you with cure

 

[BogdanR]

Socialism creates monopoly, monopoly creates lack of innovation, lack of innovation creates decline in quality, decline in quality creates lack of demand and smaller prices and then you need to choose which path you will take - either you will go bankrupt and government will save you with citizens money (socialism/communism/corporatism/crony capitalism) or you will start to inovate, hire experts, change business policy and rise again (true capitalism)...either way free market capitalism will provide you with cure

Absolutely right, however, the GPU situation is what it is. Are you accusing Nvidia of socialism?

Friedman’s neoliberalism doctrine has been drilled well in everyone’s head as being the ultimate truth and Free Markets as the only way to Liberty and Happiness. Reagan and Tatcher had Friedman as advisor as they ushered the neoliberal era of laissez faire, non regulated capitalism.

Like any system that looks great on paper and sounds good when you hear about it, the actual way it is implemented and run is the ultimate test. Because running any system in the real world will reveal shortcomings, no matter how good it looked on the drawing board and how well it sounds when debated. Sure Capitalism is the best system we had so far, no question about it, but it is not by any means perfect, see the 2008 crisis if in doubt.

Tell me please: is the current situation in the GPU market bringing you Liberty and Happiness? If your answer is yes, there’s very little we can talk about here. Maybe I can interest you in a 5070 card at Nvidia’s MSRP then?

 

[slowhand]

Absolutely right, however, the GPU situation is what it is. Are you accusing Nvidia of socialism?

Friedman’s neoliberalism doctrine has been drilled well in everyone’s head as being the ultimate truth and Free Markets as the only way to Liberty and Happiness. Reagan and Tatcher had Friedman as advisor as they ushered the neoliberal era of laissez faire, non regulated capitalism.

Like any system that looks great on paper and sounds good when you hear about it, the actual way it is implemented and run is the ultimate test. Because running any system in the real world will reveal shortcomings, no matter how good it looked on the drawing board and how well it sounds when debated. Sure Capitalism is the best system we had so far, no question about it, but it is not by any means perfect, see the 2008 crisis if in doubt.

Tell me please: is the current situation in the GPU market bringing you Liberty and Happiness? If your answer is yes, there’s very little we can talk about here. Maybe I can interest you in a 5070 card at Nvidia’s MSRP then?

Socialism is everywhere around us, cure for higher prices are higher prices, we're living in the world of consumerism, our money worth less every single day and system encourages consumption, everyone wants to have every new thing that comes out, they're relentlessly buying things that they don't need, so Nvidia has the right to hike prices if there is high interest in their products, people who think that Nvidia products are expensive can buy AMD or Intel products and play games also at 60fps, demand will slow down and prices are going to come down, simple as that

 

[BogdanR]

Socialism is everywhere around us, cure for higher prices are higher prices, we're living in the world of consumerism, our money worth less every single day and system encourages consumption, everyone wants to have every new thing that comes out, they're relentlessly buying things that they don't need, so Nvidia has the right to hike prices if there is high interest in their products, people who think that Nvidia products are expensive can buy AMD or Intel products and play games also at 60fps, demand will slow down and prices are going to come down, simple as that

Thank you. You just made my point.