Missed the RTX 4090? Nvidia invites users to buy it directly

Tired of the hassle of buying a new graphics card on launch day? Nvidia is piloting a new program to sell its GPUs directly to consumers via email invitations.

Nvidia kicked off the program on Thursday morning by sending out an invitation to some lucky users to purchase the newly launched RTX 4090 graphics card from Best Buy.

U forum post(Opens in a new window), Nvidia explained: “We know that it’s often a challenge to buy a new product close to the launch date for a variety of reasons. Today, we’re testing a program we call Verified Priority Access — which will give a limited number of GeForce gamers and creators the opportunity to purchase the GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics card.”

The company is testing the program in the US and several European markets, including the UK, Germany and France. One GPU and console restocking expert on Twitter, @CameronRitz(Opens in a new window)he was among those who received an invitation on Thursday.

Tweet(Opens in a new window)

The email invitation(Opens in a new window), which was posted at 9:08 a.m. ET, says Nvidia is offering the chance to purchase the Founders Edition RTX 4090 through its GeForce Experience app, which is used to download the latest drivers for its graphics cards. All the user needs to do is log into the app and check the link to buy the RTX 4090 from Best Buy in the special “Redeem” section. The invitation also states that it expires in four days, on October 17.

It’s unclear how Nvidia chooses which customers will receive an invite. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Nvidia is likely using its GeForce Experience app — which can also tell which GPU is installed on a PC — to help it find customers willing to pay $1,599 for the RTX 4090.

“I’m guessing they know you’re an existing owner through GeForce Experience and use an algorithm from there to determine if you’re an enthusiast,” @CameronRitz added. Thanks to the call, he decided to buy an RTX 4090, even though he hadn’t planned to.

For others, the call system could help consumers still struggling to find the RTX 4090. The product launched yesterday morning, but sold out in minutes. The Founders Edition model was particularly difficult to purchase from Best Buy and sold out immediately for some customers. On top of all this, scalpers have cashed in on the demand and are already successful oversold some RTX 4090 units on eBay for $2,500 or more.

Next month, Nvidia is also planning RTX 4080 for sale. Therefore, it is possible that the program could be extended to more product models in the future.