The new RTX 50s are eagerly awaited by everyone in the PC ecosystem. As manufacturers begin to prepare for the launch of this next generation, we can sense a certain excitement in the speeches when we talk to the brands. Are we witnessing a kind of self-persuasion effect, in an attempt to convince ourselves that the disappointing commercial year that is drawing to a close is behind us, or do these players have real hopes based on information that we do not (yet) have?
The RTX 50: real hope or a sales ploy?
If we let our friends at the brands tell us how they feel, there’s a lot to suggest that these new cards could not only bring about a renewal of the gaming market, but also become a huge commercial success. It’s impossible to know at this stage whether this feeling is simply what Nvidia is trying to put into their heads, or whether it’s objective and structured reasoning. However, after a few sessions of torture, we manage to find elements that seem to justify this enthusiasm.
- The first element put forward in the discussions was the adoption of RTX 40s. This generation was criticised for its value for money, leaving many users waiting for a more convincing product. With a sharp increase in announced performance and improved energy efficiency (yet to be seen), the RTX 50s could fill this gap and win back users who have simply decided to take a break and keep their old hardware. Finally, the contribution of AI could bring about something really different in terms of usage…
- Secondly, statements(via DigiTimes) from a Taiwanese supplier, Auras Technology, revealing that the companies have been concentrating for some weeks on the production of next-generation RTX 50 series GPUs. Auras Technology is involved in the manufacture of the next GPUs in the Blackwell series, particularly for the cooling part. Auras CEO Yu-Shen Lin says that NVIDIA’s RTX 50 series is expected to arrive with considerable interest from the market, which will have a major influence on the supply chain. All market players seem to be preparing for a rush.
- Thirdly, the strategic choices of a major market player. PC Partner is a little-known monster, yet it is the world’s second-largest graphics card manufacturer. It is the parent company of Inno3D, Manli and Zotac, among others. The company has decided to transfer its operations from Hong Kong to Singapore, with the aim of countering the influence of global sanctions in the region and preparing for the release of NVIDIA’s next-generation gaming GPUs. This information seems to reveal two things: the big RTX 50s will be hit by restrictions on exporting ‘IA’ GPUs to China, and taxes on products from China are likely to apply in 2025. So, in addition to relocating its headquarters to Singapore, PC Partner has decided that its graphics card production lines will also be moved from China to Indonesia, so that graphics card brands such as ZOTAC, INNO3D and Manli can launch GeForce RTX 5090 model graphics card products and comply with the US Department of Industry’s high-tech export controls.
So are all these factors enough to anticipate a trend? It’s hard to say. However, it’s interesting to see that most brands are hoping for the next Nvidia GPU as the messiah capable of waking up the PC market. The next RTX 50 cards could be unveiled by the boss of Nvidia himself at CES 2025 in early January.
