The GeForce RTX 5090 has become the most coveted and, at the same time, most inaccessible product on the tech market in 2026. In Spain, its price already exceeds €5.000 , a figure that seems insane, but reflects a reality marked by scarcity and speculation. This isn't simply a price increase, but a phenomenon reminiscent of the cryptocurrency crisis, albeit with a different origin: artificial intelligence.
The combination of overwhelming demand from data centers and the DRAM shortage has driven up the cost of the fastest graphics cards on the market. Gamers with high budgets face a dilemma: pay exorbitant markups or risk it all in a secondhand market rife with scams. And meanwhile, NVIDIA shows no signs that the situation will improve anytime soon.
Exorbitant prices in Europe and the United States
Data from DropReference, a price comparison website , indicates that the RTX 5090 is selling for 119,2% above its official retail price in Europe, with an upward trend of 35% in just 30 days. In Spain, it's difficult to find one for less than €5.000, and on online marketplaces like Amazon and Newegg, third-party sellers are offering prices as high as $9.500 in the United States, more than double the launch price.
This price increase isn't limited to the high-end market. Models like the RTX 5060 Ti 16G have also risen by almost 30% above their MSRP, while AMD cards remain closer to their official price. The RTX 5090 has become a bad deal for the average buyer, who can get similar performance with alternatives like the RX 9070 XT for significantly less money.
The causes: memory crisis and demand for AI
The root of the problem lies in the DRAM memory crisis , which has driven up the price of the GDDR7 chips needed to manufacture the card. According to TrendForce, memory prices have skyrocketed in Europe by between 50% and 55% since the beginning of the year, and memory manufacturers are prioritizing sales to data centers over gamers, because AI demands higher prices.
But it's not just about memory. The RTX 5090 itself has become an attractive product for AI companies due to its 32GB of VRAM and computing power. In China, videos have surfaced of companies moving pallets of RTX 5090s to install in servers, something that previously only happened with professional GPUs. This industrial demand has drastically reduced the stock available for gamers.
NVIDIA has tried to mitigate the situation with the RTX Pro 5500 , a variant with 84 GB of VRAM, but its price exceeds €8.000, making it not a viable alternative for gaming . The company has shown no signs of increasing production for consumer use.
Scams and the second-hand market
With the shortage, scams have emerged on platforms like Amazon . Cases have been documented of buyers receiving boxes containing water bottles, detergent, or rocks instead of the card. There are also more sophisticated frauds, such as cards with the PCB empty and the GPU removed, being sold at the official price on the secondhand market.
In the United States, the RTX 5090 has disappeared from online stores and is only available through third-party sellers with questionable reputations. Even in physical stores like Micro Center, the price remains close to $4.300, but availability is limited to one unit per person.
What should you do?
If you're thinking of buying an RTX 5090 right now, the wisest advice is to wait. Analysts suggest that the price peak could arrive around mid-2027, when new memory manufacturers are expected to increase supply. It's worth considering alternatives like the RX 9070 XT , which performs nearly as well in games and costs a fraction of the price.
And if you can't wait, avoid third-party sellers and ads that seem too good to be true at all costs. The warranty won't cover fraud , and the financial loss could be total.
The GeForce RTX 5090 has become an extreme example of how speculation and external demand can distort a consumer product. Until the memory shortage is resolved and the demand for AI graphics cards moderates, gamers will continue to pay absurd prices for a card that, while powerful, doesn't justify such an expense. The best course of action is to be patient and look for more reasonable alternatives.