The excitement for Nvidia's new GPU generation is palpable as the launch date of January 30 approaches, with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 set to hit the market. Our RTX 5090 review hailed it as "the fastest graphics card on the consumer market," fueling the anticipation for these high-end graphics cards. Priced at $2,000 for the RTX 5090 and $1,000 for the RTX 5080, these GPUs come with a premium price tag that hasn't dampened consumer interest. However, rumors suggest that stock will be extremely limited, with a UK retailer claiming to have only "single digit" stock for the RTX 5090.

The fervor has led to eager fans camping outside Micro Center’s Tustin location in California, days before the launch. Images of tents have surfaced on Reddit and the Unofficial Micro Center Discord channel, raising concerns that some might be scalpers looking to profit from the anticipated low stock. A Reddit thread features a camper from the larger grey tent, who clarified, “Hello everyone, I’m the guy that you guys are talking about in the second tent. And yes, we are buying it for our own use, no trades and no sells. We just don’t want to pay for that extra $ for a gaming card and yes we do have some times on our hands because we run a business. Good luck to everyone who are trying to get one.” They further noted that the atmosphere among those waiting is "very nice and respectful." As of now, there are reportedly up to 10 tents and around 24 people waiting at the Tustin location.

In preparation for the launch, Micro Center released a YouTube video outlining their strategy for the RTX 5090 and 5080, explicitly discouraging camping due to the cold January weather. “We do discourage camping at our locations for the 5090 and 5080," the company stated.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 – Photos

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Camping for new graphics cards at Micro Center is not a new phenomenon, as documented by YouTuber Austin Evans during the RTX 3070 launch at the same Tustin location in 2020. Micro Center will use a voucher system to confirm purchases on a first-come-first-serve basis, with no choice in the specific model of GPU available to those in line. Customers are limited to purchasing one card each, and despite discouraging camping, Micro Center advises arriving early to secure a GPU and avoid disappointment.