Nvidia sells RTX 50-series Founder's Edition GPUs at MSRP at PAX West
Nvidia is selling Founder's Edition RTX 50-series graphics cards at Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) in person at PAX West in Seattle. The company is offering RTX 5070, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090 models while supplies last, a move that stands out against the current retail market where the RTX 5090 frequently lists for over $5,000.
The event is taking place at the Seattle Convention Center, and Nvidia is distributing a selection of its Founder's Edition GPUs alongside packs of GeForce Trading Cards Series 1. Jacob Freeman, a GeForce Evangelist at Nvidia, announced the availability on X, inviting interested gamers to find him at the venue. Although Nvidia does not have a dedicated booth at PAX West 2026, several of its partners, including Starforge Systems, Razer, and Lenovo, are present. Freeman stated that he will post updates on X regarding his specific location and schedule for attendees.
This in-person sales initiative is part of Nvidia's Verified Priority Access (VPA) program, a lottery system for Founder's Edition cards that the company originally launched in 2022 for RTX 40-series GPUs. The program returned in 2025 for the RTX 50-series. While users can still sign up for the VPA lottery online, Nvidia has recently shifted toward offering MSRP GPUs during live events. The company executed a similar strategy last month at QuakeCon in Austin, Texas, where attendees could purchase Founder's Edition cards at list price.
The timing of these in-person sales is significant given the current state of the GPU market. Over the past month, there has been a sharp rise in the price of Nvidia's highest-end graphics cards. The RTX 5090, which has an MSRP of $1,999, is now regularly listed for above $5,000 in retail channels. The card has become a particular flashpoint in the market due to its 32GB of GDDR7 memory. This configuration makes the RTX 5090 suitable not only for high-end gaming performance but also for relatively low-cost local AI inference, driving up demand and secondary market prices.
Nvidia's decision to sell at MSRP in person contrasts with the broader retail environment where prices for RTX 50-series cards have fluctuated significantly. The company's direct engagement with consumers at events like PAX West and QuakeCon provides a limited opportunity to acquire Founder's Edition hardware at the intended list price, bypassing the premium currently charged by third-party retailers.
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