RTX 5090 Scalping Crisis: UK Buyer Could Fly to PAX West Cheaper Than Retail
An Nvidia GeForce Evangelist distributed RTX 5090, 5080, and 5070 cards at PAX West via verified priority access codes, but severe pricing inflation means international travel to the event was financially competitive with domestic retail.
Nvidia's GeForce Evangelist Jacob Freeman distributed RTX 5090, 5080, and 5070 graphics cards at PAX West (September 4–7, 2026) using a verified priority access code system rather than direct sales at a booth. Purchasers received codes to buy cards from Nvidia's web store at manufacturer's suggested retail price.
The pricing disparity has reached absurd levels. A UK-based buyer calculated that flying to Seattle, attending PAX West, and purchasing an RTX 5090 at $1,999 MSRP would cost approximately $3,440 total—substantially cheaper than the $5,500 price observed at Best Buy during the same period. Freeman reported running out of RTX 5090 and 5080 inventory by day three of the event.
This represents Nvidia's second in-person GPU distribution event this year, following a similar effort at QuakeCon. The company's willingness to pursue unconventional sales methods reflects its reduced dependence on gaming revenue. Nvidia's AI business now substantially outweighs gaming profits, with the company recently announcing a $13 billion acquisition of Hugging Face to strengthen its AI infrastructure position. As such, Nvidia maintains flexibility in managing gaming hardware supply and pricing.
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- PC GamerEstablished publication · recorded Sep 8, 2026Once again, it is genuinely cheaper for me to fly to PAX West and track down Nvidia's 'GeForce Evangelist' rather than buy the RTX 5090 anywhere else