Nvidia RTX 5080 stock is so barren that retailers are holding competitions where you can “win” the right to buy one for MSRP alekshamcloughlin@outlook.com (Aleksha McLoughlin) | usagoldmines.com

• An Indian tech retailer is offering three RTX 5080s at MSRP to “winners”
• The RTX 5080 model in question is above the MSRP set by Nvidia
• Worldwide availability of the entire RTX 50 series is still in a bleak place

Indian tech retailer EliteHubs is running a competition on social media where three lucky winners can… win the right to buy an RTX 5080 for MSRP. Instead of giving away a couple of high-end Blackwell cards, the promotion instead offers up a choice of three Colorful RTX 5080 Ultra OC models without the price hike.

The Instagram video outlines the three steps needed to participate in this RTX 5080 competition. You’ll need to go to the website, click the collaboration banner, and fill in the details. If selected, you’ll have the opportuntity to “win” an RTX 5080 for Rs.1,10,000 (about $1,260 / £980). Entries end on March 15, 2025, with results being posted over the weekend in a livestream on the same account.

Unlike many other countries around the world, such as the US and the UK, India doesn’t appear to be suffering from the same RTX 5080 stock woes. EliteHubs currently has just shy of 20 RTX 5080 graphics cards in stock from Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and Zotac, but you’ll be paying a lot more for the privilege than the “winning” amount of the strictly limited Colorful collaboration.

As a frame of reference, the cheapest RTX 5080 graphics card available at EliteHubs right now is the Zotac Gaming RTX 5080 Solid for Rs. 144,999 (around $1,700 / £1,300), which is itself discounted from a previous listing price of Rs. 179,450 (about $2,000 / £1,600) with two units remaining at this price. That means the three Colorful models are a full 38% cheaper when going for MSRP, which in the US is $999 and £939 in the UK.

It’s also important to note that the three Colorful RTX 5080 Ultra OC models are themselves not retailing for Nvidia’s MSRP for the high-end Blackwell GPU, but the actual retail price of the AIB. It’s common for manufacturers to have higher-end versions of top-end graphics cards, especially if they’re featuring a particular color scheme, cooler, or overclocking functionality, but to see only three available (and at a premium themselves) is far from ideal.

The other 37 out-of-stock options mirror what we’ve seen worldwide with RTX 5080 stock waning. Some cards were available with Nvidia’s sticker price that were (likely) unavailable within seconds of posting. It’s a dire state for just about everyone, and it’s no surprise that this promotional video (and promise of MSRP) has become one of the company’s most engaged-with posts in recent memory.

The RTX 50 series stock issues persist months after launch

Few were expecting a bountiful supply of RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards when they released back on January 30, 2025, but it’s safe to say that no one could have anticipated just how limited they would be. Things are comparable to when the RTX 30 series “launched” back at the end of 2020, a launch that was marred by non-existent stock owing to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact causing the semiconductor shortage, and the boom of cryptocurrency miners of the time.

The RTX 40 series was far more available, with the whole lineup being easy enough to buy and use throughout its lifespan. It’s discouraging, then, to see the RTX 50 series with its four current graphics cards so scarce for prospective buyers. It’s this absurdity which has seen some retailers making competitons just for a slim chance to buy a card for what it actually costs, instead of at a discount or given away for free.

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