Nvidia turns RTX 5000 GPUs at MSRP into one of QuakeCon's biggest attractions

[midian182]

In brief: In a perfect illustration of the current GPU marketplace, Nvidia is giving QuakeCon visitors the incredible opportunity to buy RTX 5000-series graphics cards – at MSRP! The company did the same thing at GTC last year, generously allowing its customers the chance to purcahse GPUs for the price they're supposed to pay.

QuakeCon celebrates its 20th anniversary between today (August 6) and August 9 at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas.

In addition to featuring the massive BYOC LAN party, retro-game tournaments, an id Software founders reunion panel, giveaways, contests, and swag, attendees can get hold of something nobody else can: an RTX 5000-series Founders Edition card at MSRP. Nvidia is calling this Verified Priority Access IRL.

The fact that we were complaining about the RTX 5080 costing $999 and the RTX 5090's $1,999 price a year and a half ago seems almost sad these days.

As shown in our Mid-2026 GPU Pricing Update feature, the RTX 5080 is now 18% above its true MSRP, with the average US price for July around $1,250.

The RTX 5090 situation is even worse. With its 32GB of RAM, the flagship GeForce card is now 94% above MSRP. The average US price last month was just under $4,000, making that original $2,000 MSRP seem like a bargain.

Don't miss: Absurd GPU Pricing Update: Mid-2026 Edition – What Graphics Cards Cost Around the World

Nvidia says supplies of the MSRP-priced cards at QuakeCon are limited, so arrive early if you want an RTX 5070, 5080, or 5090 at a price untouched by the memory crisis.

For those who don't have a lot of spare cash, Nvidia is also giving away RTX 5070 Founders Edition cards through gaming challenges at QuakeCon. There are also RTX 5000-series cards being given away as part of a PC modding contest.

This isn't the first time that Nvidia has sold its latest cards at a convention at MSRP. It did the same thing at GTC last year, where it handed them out from a food truck. Given their price, they weren't being handed over like hot dogs: Buyers had to pick up their purchases from the South Hall main entrance on the same day they were bought.

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Nvidia turns RTX 5000 GPUs at MSRP into one of QuakeCon's biggest attractions

 

[stewi0001]

I still find the prices ridiculous

 

[Hecate91]

How generous of the jacket man to sell these at the prices they're supposed to at one event, and absolutely gouging consumers everywhere else.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Got my 5080 for $925 last August.

What a difference a year can make, now a chromebook costs that much.

 

[wiyosaya]

Something like this is usually done by politicians. Doing things that make it look like you actually care about the people you serve but are a total BS move intended to make you look good for a Photo Op.

To you, Nvidia. IMO, this proves you, Nvidia, can clearly just sell the cards at MSRP everywhere if you really wanted to and gouge AI/Data Center customers instead of consumers.

For some, the final price would still be the equivalent of the outrageously inflated retail price adding in cost to get to Quake Con, hotel, etc.

 

[wiyosaya]

Got my 5080 for $925 last August.

What a difference a year can make, now a chromebook costs that much.

I got 32GB of DDR5 for free with a purchase of an AMD 9000 series Ryzen before all this insanity started.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I still find the prices ridiculous

Yes yes, we know you want 2009 pricing with 2026 wages.

 

[captaincranky]

Something like this is usually done by politicians. Doing things that make it look like you actually care about the people you serve but are a total BS move intended to make you look good for a Photo Op.

Try to be at least a little bit fair. Mr. Huang will more than likely, stop short of kissing babies.

On a side note, "Member's Only" jackets went out of style going on 40 years ago. So. if anyone can't afford his graphics cards, but still want to worship him, at least they can head to the local thrift store and pick up one of those jackets for about ten bucks.

 

[Jimster480]

Yes yes, we know you want 2009 pricing with 2026 wages.

2026 Wages in most industries are not much higher than 2009.... but money has devalued by 3/4th since then for most categories.

 

[captaincranky]

Yes yes, we know you want 2009 pricing with 2026 wages.

Sure, why not? If you listen to our omnipotent lying buffoon, gas is two bucks a gallon. Which is, after all, lower than 2009 pricing.

Because I'm a "nice guy", I'm going to give a quick tutorial on today's economics:

Inflation is being reported at 4% YoY.

Every item, in what (ostensibly), are still called "dollar stores", costs $1.50. That's 50% inflation YoY. This price increase is being suffered by the people who can afford it the least.

Western Digital is currently selling 8TB "Black" HDDs for.....$464.99. This is the same drive I bought 2 years ago for about $200.00. Which is 100+% inflation, give or take. If you would, take a moment to explain, why does a 256MB RAM cache, justify doubling the price? IMHO, it doesn't. You really can't justify doubling the price for that pittance of rapid storage.

I'll skip the whole VGA debate and go straight to my point. Our current president has antagonized other countries with his endless tariffs, braggadocio, bullying, and threats , to the point where they're going to charge whatever they damned well please, for whatever they sell in the US.

"Revenge is a dish best served at double MSRP." Dinner is served.

To summarize: All these mega-corporations have banded together to strip every penny they possibly can from your pockets, while in the meantime, tanking the US economy.

We're locked in a death spiral. Since, if they ultimately put us in the poorhouse, we won't be able to buy anything else from them.

Of course by that time, Elon Musk will be a trillionaire trice (or more) times over.

 

[captaincranky]

2026 Wages in most industries are not much higher than 2009.... but money has devalued by 3/4th since then for most categories.

I have a bad habit of watching the news, including contract negotiations. Corporations and municipalities are well aware that union workers don't have the backstop of cash to sustain them, should a strike be prolonged. Accordingly, they'll negotiate to the current published rate of inflation, but no further.

The only problem with that is, inflation statistics are vastly different for different income brackets. If you're poor, inflation may be 50%. If you're rich, inflation may be measured many zeros to the right of the decimal point.