What just happened? Getting hold of an RTX 3080 or RTX 3090 has been a nightmare, but EVGA is introducing a new, queue-based notification system that should enable the purchase of 30-series cards without relying on luck, F5, or bots.
The hype surrounding Ampere always meant that getting hold of one at launch wasn't going to be easy, but the speed at which RTX 3080 cards disappeared from online stores, mostly due to scalpers' bots, was shocking. Nvidia said it would fight back using methods such as manually reviewing orders on its own store for the RTX 3090 release, but we saw the same thing happen again elsewhere. CEO Jensen Huang recently admitted the company wasn't prepared for such incredible demand, and that shortages of all 30-series cards, including the upcoming RTX 3070, will likely last until next year.
To make the whole process a little fairer, EVGA is rolling out a new system for the 30-series that's similar to what you'd find in a physical store. All you have to do is select which Ampere card you want and hit the Auto Notify button. When the product is in stock, and you're next on the waiting list, you'll receive a secure email allowing you to buy the item. Remember: you only get eight hours to make the purchase. After the time's up, the link moves to the next person in the virtual queue, and you'll have to start again.
The big question now, of course, is when will the cards be back in stock? Hopefully, EVGA's system will let you grab one this year without spending a small fortune on eBay.