Nvidia Stops Direct Sales Of The RTX 3080 And 3090 Founders Edition

Gamers and PC enthusiasts looking to purchase a high-end video card for their rigs can no longer buy the RTX 3080 or RTX 3090 Founders Edition cards directly from Nvidia. Both of those graphics cards are now sold directly by Best Buy in the US. Europeans have no retailer for the video cards at this time.

It has been very difficult for enthusiasts to get their hands on the RTX 3080 and 3090 Founders Edition video cards due to supply issues, problems with online retailers, and scalpers using bots to gobble up all the available stock. Those facts meant that many interested in the video cards were unable to get their hands on one. For many, the only option was to head to eBay and pay scalpers massive markups to purchase the card.

The problems with availability are believed to be why Nvidia has made the change to selling the cards only via Best Buy. Nvidia has announced that it has heard the feedback about its online store's issues and is working to improve the experience. It noted in that official statement that it would be selling the video cards through its partners and then specifically calls out Best Buy.

There are no retailers in Europe, but Nvidia says it continues to review fulfillment options for Europeans. It's also worth noting that there are no in-stock RTX 3080 or 3090 Founders Edition cards at Best Buy as of writing.

Nvidia has said that supply issues with both of the cards will continue until at least 2021. While the current stock is limited, there will be more available in the coming weeks. However, Nvidia has given no expected release date for additional products.