Remember when we thought scalpers were the problem? Turns out, the manufacturers are doing it themselves now.

Zotac just raised prices on their entire RTX 5090 lineup before launch, with increases ranging from $500 to $700. Their base 5090 went from $2,299 to $2,799. The mid-tier model jumped from $2,399 to $2,899. And the top-end card? Now $2,999, up from $2,449.

Let me translate that: Zotac looked at Nvidia's already ridiculous MSRP and said, "You know what? Not expensive enough."

This is the same playbook we saw during the GPU shortage, except now there's no shortage. No crypto boom. No pandemic supply chain crisis. Just pure, unadulterated greed.

The RTX 5090 was already going to be the most expensive consumer GPU ever made. Now Zotac's asking you to pay more than the reference price for... what, exactly? A slightly different cooler design? RGB lighting? The privilege of overpaying?

Here's what kills me: this is anti-consumer nonsense, and we all know it. But some people will still buy these cards at these prices because they want the best, and manufacturers know it. They've done the math. They know enthusiasts will pay.

And look, I get it. I've held three speedrun world records. I understand the urge to have the absolute best hardware. But there's a difference between enthusiast pricing and scalping your own customers.

The RTX 5080 is 85% of the performance for literally half the price. The 4090 is still a beast and will drop in price once the 50-series launches. Hell, the 4080 Super can handle anything you throw at it for under $1,000.

Unless you're doing professional 3D rendering or AI workloads, the 5090 at these prices is a flex, not a necessity.

My take? Don't reward this behavior. Vote with your wallet. Let Zotac sit on their overpriced inventory.

Verdict: Would I speedrun with a 5090? Sure. Would I pay $3,000 for one? Hell no.