NVIDIA's RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 "Blackwell" GPUs are set to launch on January 30. The next-gen hardware is anything but affordable, and rumors of stock shortages don't give me much hope for those attempting to land a new GPU at launch (or in the following weeks).
With the new RTX 5000 cards coming to laptops as well, the older stock is now not looking quite as fresh. So much so that some retailers are offering massive discounts on gaming laptops featuring NVIDIA's RTX 40-series GPUs.
Considering the RTX 5090 Founders Edition has a $1,999 price tag — with its RTX 5080 sibling costing half as much — you should be able to find a great gaming laptop for as much or less than a standalone GPU.
I've handpicked 5 gaming laptops that are currently enjoying a deep sale, including the Alienware m16 R2 (our favorite gaming laptop on the market), ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 16.
Huge savings on NVIDIA RTX 40-series gaming laptops
When do NVIDIA's RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 GPUs launch?
NVIDIA has staggered its RTX 5000 launch; the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 are set to release on January 30, 2025, at 9 AM EST in the US and 3 PM CET in the UK.
Plenty of retailers in the US and the UK have listings for the new RTX 5000 GPUs. I've put together an extensive guide on where to buy an RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 on launch day, including the best retailers for custom and reference cards, to help you succeed.
Will it be easy to buy an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 on launch day?
Rumors and leaks regarding RTX 5000 stock do not suggest that there will be a lot of GPUs to go around. In fact, the RTX 5090 launch could be one of the worst in history in terms of availability.
If you don't manage to land a new NVIDIA GPU on launch day, expect long wait times for restocks and the usual scalping practices with astronomical prices. Realistically, you might not be able to buy a new RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 for months. That's a long time to wait, which is exactly why I put together this list of discounted RTX 40-series laptops.
Why are RTX 40-series laptops seeing such big discounts?
NVIDIA didn't just announce desktop GPUs at its CES 2025 presentation. Along with the standalone hardware, it also revealed laptop equivalents made to fit inside the tight constraints.
Gaming laptops with the next-gen "Blackwell" laptop GPUs will start appearing soon, and retailers are concerned with getting rid of (now) last-gen RTX 40-series stock. There's nothing wrong with these laptops, except that they won't have the new DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation feature. NVIDIA hasn't ruled out the possibility of this feature coming to older hardware, so you might even get lucky with a huge performance boost at no extra cost sometime in the future.
Is the RTX 5090 a good GPU?
Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson reviewed the NVIDIA RTX 5090 Founders Edition favorably, giving it four stars and a Best Award. Wilson ultimately concludes that the $1,999 price tag (which will undoubtedly skyrocket as stock clears out) is too high for a vast majority of gamers, putting the RTX 5080 — and the upcoming RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 — in a more comfortable position.
Here's what Wilson had to say:
"While NVIDIA's admirable efforts to redesign and slim down its flagship GeForce RTX graphics card have paid off with a performance bump comparable to its MSRP, it's still practically impossible to recommend the RTX 5090 FE to any levelheaded PC gamer. Sure, it's technically the best in its category; this stands as the world's best consumer GPU, but the RTX 5080 remains a more sensible high-end pick for anyone who isn't in a professional field working with AI. Even if you found it at MSRP, I'd still recommend a third-party RTX 5090 with a more robust triple-fan setup to avoid the Founders Edition's increased temperatures."
Having trouble justifying the purchase anyway? Need some reason to NOT buy the RTX 5090? My guide to whether or not you should buy the RTX 5090 can help.
