Nvidia is reportedly sunsetting the RTX 4090

By Jacob Roach Published September 17, 2024

The RTX 4090 is undoubtedly the best graphics card you can buy right now from a performance standpoint, but Nvidia is reportedly discontinuing the flagship GPU. Reports from the Board Channel forums (shared by Wccftech) suggest Nvidia is preparing to end production of the RTX 4090 and the China-exclusive RTX 4090D starting next month in order to make way for next-gen RTX 50-series graphics cards.

It’s not surprising that Nvidia would wind down production of the RTX 4090 as the next generation of graphics cards approaches. Flagship GPUs like the RTX 4090 don’t have much of a shelf life after a new generation has released, which is something we saw in action with the RTX 3090. Although Nvidia could end production of the GPU in October (the company itself hasn’t, and likely won’t, confirm that detail publicly), the card won’t immediately disappear from store shelves.

Rather, board partners — the brands who actually make Nvidia graphics cards like MSI, Asus, and Gigabyte — have to place their final orders soon. If Nvidia is discontinuing the RTX 4090, it will take several months before the card goes out of stock at retailers, especially in the U.S. Similar reports surrounding the RTX 3060 circulated last month, and that GPU is still in stock at retailers now.

Although buyers shouldn’t have much to worry about, the Board Channels post calls out a “possible increase in market prices,” particularly in November if demand keeps up. That wouldn’t be surprising, as the RTX 4090 hasn’t sold for list price in over a year. Late last year, the RTX 4090 skyrocketed in price, with many models shooting above $2,000. This came a result of the U.S. government banning the export of the RTX 4090 to China, with prices nearly doubling in that region almost immediately.

If prices go up, the trend shouldn’t last long. Reports indicate that Nvidia will launch its next-gen RTX 50-series GPUs at the end of this year or early next year. The most recent reports claim Nvidia is finalizing the design for these GPUs now. It’s possible we will see them before the end of the year, but early 2025 seems more likely at this point. The Blackwell design was reportedly delayed in the data center, which could push back the consumer release.