Indian Retailer Holds Baffling Competition - Lucky Winners Will Buy COLORFUL GeForce RTX 5080 Cards at "MSRP"

[T0@st]

A farcical "GIGABYTE RTX 5090 Super Bundle" was highlighted by PC hardware media outlets last week—the steep demand for flagship and high-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" graphics cards has prompted the creation of many "innovative" anti-scalper selling strategies. Another ludicrous example has emerged courtesy of fresh news coverage focusing on an "EliteHubs x COLORFUL RTX 5080 Campaign." This competition is open to residents of India—EliteHubs advertises itself as a popular regional "computer accessories store and Esports tournament organizer." Unfortunately, current global market conditions have inflated prices of recently launched new generation graphics card models—the "EliteHubs x COLORFUL RTX 5080 Campaign" apparently rallies against such practices, albeit in an extremely limited fashion. The competition's author delivered crucial details: "we're thrilled to announce an exclusive opportunity where three lucky winners will each receive a brand-new COLORFUL RTX 5080 Ultra White OC graphics card—one unit per person! This powerhouse graphics card is available at the official NVIDIA MSRP of Rs. 1,10,000 (~$1265 USD)."

According to TechSpot, a quick investigation revealed that the advertised cost of ownership was accurate—they noted: "checking other online stores in India shows all the COLORFUL RTX 5080 Ultra W OC models are priced above that MSRP. This is a higher-end third-party card, admittedly, so it appears participants are getting the chance to buy it at a slightly cheaper price than usual. Still, most people expect competitions to have actual prizes, and the fact there will be only three winners is a bit comical." Prior to official launch—in late January—a Vietnamese customer managed to bag themselves the same model for a princely sum of $1400. VideoCardz did not receive a response from COLORFUL, prior to the publication of their news coverage. The Chinese AIB did not provide comment when asked about said promotional campaign.



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[Denver]

The situation is growing increasingly and tragically comical. I'd like to personally thank everyone involved in this circus.

 

[Daven]

This is a totally disgusting situation. That combined with Nvidia inflating sales numbers invalidly makes the whole situation worse.

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NVIDIA proudly claims to have shipped twice as many RTX 50 cards in five weeks than RTX 40 series, but it is misleading NVIDIA released a new slide for the GDC 2025 conference. They discuss some RTX technologies and focus on the RTX 50 series as a whole. NVIDIA claims to have shipped twice as […]

videocardz.com

The only way things will change is for all of us to stop buying Nvidia as well as telling everyone who will listen to do the same.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I don't care what anyone says, this is comedy gold.

You can laugh or you can cry folks, that choice is always yours.

 

[DudeBeFishing]

Are people really this desperate to play video games with random black screens?

 

[andrehide]

At least it's better than having to buy 40 very old motherboards.

 

[Hereticbar]

How is it "Colorful"? All I see is pink and white on the card, maybe a little bit of greenish blues, I expect a lot more colors!

 

[Wirko]

How is it "Colorful"? All I see is pink and white on the card, maybe a little bit of greenish blues, I expect a lot more colors!

Cost cutting.

 

[_roman_]

I envy the ASIAN market. They get those fancy graphic cards. Here in europe we get only the ugly graphic cards which look like from 1980.

Is it too much asked to sell cat themed mainbards, graphic cards, keyboards, mouse? Or anime girls. Or for others cars / plants / whatever. Or implement more "fake wood" on mainboards and graphic cards. There are many options.

Just think about all those fancy phone or tablet cases someone can buy.

 

[tpa-pr]

Well this is certainly an...idea. It seems the best strategy for buying GPUs at the moment is "wait 6 months for supply to be decent". Because playing these sorts of "fun" games with retailers just seems utterly aggravating.

 

[Hereticbar]

I envy the ASIAN market. They get those fancy graphic cards. Here in europe we get only the ugly graphic cards which look like from 1980.

Is it too much asked to sell cat themed mainbards, graphic cards, keyboards, mouse? Or anime girls. Or for others cars / plants / whatever. Or implement more "fake wood" on mainboards and graphic cards. There are many options.

Just think about all those fancy phone or tablet cases someone can buy.

I am actively trying to avoid the Yeston RX 9000 series cards even though they are always in stock every time I check, actually the one that smells like the ocean was out of stock for a couple of days. Have to remind myself that even though I really want to get a RX 9070 XT and might be desperate, but I am not that desperate.

Yeston really should export their products to more countries, like I mentioned it seems that they are always in stock apparently they have ample supply or no one is buying them! Their prices are also very competitive compared to Sapphire, XFX and Powercolor.

 

[TheToi]

But in what world do we live where having the right to buy a graphics card at the normal price is the reward for winning a competition?

 

[tpa-pr]

But in what world do we live where having the right to buy a graphics card at the normal price is the reward for winning a competition?

A crazy, post-COVID world where big corporations realized that the average consumer would put up with a LOT for a new product

 

[Bwaze]

A crazy, post-COVID world where big corporations realized that the average consumer would put up with a LOT for a new product

The crazy thing is, Nvidia doesn't even need to sell gaming GPUs now - "Gaming and AI PC" is only a 6% of the revenue and falling, how much of that is pure gaming?

But it's different for all other partners. AIBs and stores made a killing during cryptomadnesses and COVID related shopping sprees. Now all the action (server AI business) is happening without them, and they get cards by the handful - they might as well scalp them, they won't make more revenue by increasing sales volume, because they have been told how much they will get.

Sales actions like these, where people get the chance of "winning" a GPU at the price Nvidia was advertising at launch is just a stark reminder of how silly the situation is. Other reminders will follow - shop closures, AIB partners giving up.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Are people really this desperate to play video games with random black screens?

Just throwing it out here, the "black screens", to those who were affected, have been fixed.

I don't care what anyone says, this is comedy gold.

You can laugh or you can cry folks, that choice is always yours.

I agree, it'd be funny if it wasn't so tragic. Unfortunately, it's not just an Nvidia problem, or we could very much live with it. 9070/XT's at MSRP and even at the MSRP+100 band are also unicorns, I'm beginning to think that an investigation into the supply chains by antitrust authorities is going to be necessary (although unlikely to be fruitful).

 

[WatchThe80s]

5080 at the cheapest is 1600USD.(it's nice to see there is a chance to buy one with better price)
5090 with around the same price as it's name(5400USD or 4300USD)

 

[EsaT]

I'm beginning to think that an investigation into the supply chains by antitrust authorities is going to be necessary (although unlikely to be fruitful).

Competition authorities should have started looking into graphics cards many years ago.
Though if it gets to end after delay of way too many years eventual punitives are rarely severe enough to be any deterrent and not enforced.
And CEO and buddies not feeling the consequencies in their back skin further degrades deterrent value.

 

[JaymondoGB]

Another good reason to totally skip this generation. (Along with missing ROPS and dodgy power connectors)

 

[R0H1T]

A crazy, post-COVID world where big corporations realized that the average consumer would put up with a LOT for a new product

Post Covid? You probably missed the last 4-5 crypto boom/bust cycles

 

[Prima.Vera]

Here is Japan the prices for the 5080 are ludicrous, starting from 3000$. Really, there is no antitrust and anti-consumer control here, is like wild wild west price wise.
I remember and miss the times when I could buy a custom GTX 780 Ti on the local electric store straight next day after it was released, exactly for MSRP.

 

[tpa-pr]

Post Covid? You probably missed the last 4-5 crypto boom/bust cycles

I would argue that COVID had the largest impact on all of technology, not just hardware like the crypto cycles.

For example: during COVID you had situations like Microsoft changing their business license structure to:
1) 12 month lock-in contract per license.
2) Month-to-month license with 30% markup over the lock-in price.

And of course companies paid for the locked in contract. Because what else could they do? Uproot their entire infrastructure and move it elsewhere?

A lot of vendors became like Microsoft in that they realised that consumers will pay almost anything they charge, that strategy has persisted to this day. Because why would they stop if it keeps working?

That's why I referenced COVID specifically. Crypto was isolated to mostly the hardware space, COVID pushed this "wring the customer for all they're worth" thinking to everything.

 

[Caring1]

But in what world do we live where having the right to buy a graphics card at the normal price is the reward for winning a competition?

You mean discounted price, "normal" price is the current price people are willing to pay.
A recommended price is just that, it is not a mandated price cap.

 

[R0H1T]

Don't necessarily disagree with that but Covid or not this was always happening, I've seen 5 stock market crashes (here) & almost each recent one seems worse than the one before it ~ yet the markets rebound quicker than ever! Gee I wonder why

I would argue that COVID had the largest impact on all of technology, not just hardware like the crypto cycles.

For example: during COVID you had situations like Microsoft changing their business license structure to:
1) 12 month lock-in contract per license.
2) Month-to-month license with 30% markup over the lock-in price.

And of course companies paid for the locked in contract. Because what else could they do? Uproot their entire infrastructure and move it elsewhere?

A lot of vendors became like Microsoft in that they realised that consumers will pay almost anything they charge, that strategy has persisted to this day. Because why would they stop if it keeps working?

That's why I referenced COVID specifically. Crypto was isolated to mostly the hardware space, COVID pushed this "wring the customer for all they're worth" thinking to everything.

Basically businesses have figured out as long as they don't totally rip off buyers/users ala Bernie Madoff they can keep sucking them dry till their last breath. No one cares enough to reverse that trend ~ not the EU, China, US & definitely no "third world" country

 

[Bwaze]

You mean discounted price, "normal" price is the current price people are willing to pay.
A recommended price is just that, it is not a mandated price cap.

But at least In Europe, cards are widely available now - they are just trickling, but the shops are adding them up in their stock at "normal" prices, and it seems nobody's buying.

RTX 5080 are in stock at as low as 1450 EUR (technically just about 250 EUR more than MSRP), but aren't flying off the shelves - and why should they, they are basically the same card as RTX 4080 Super that could be had for 1000 EUR before this Blackwell fiasco.