Nvidia GPUs Delayed Due to Performance Issues and Supply Chain Disruptions

Rumors are circulating that Nvidia's upcoming RTX 5070 and 5060 graphics processing units (GPUs) have been delayed due to performance issues with the chips used in these devices. The rumors also suggest that a Taiwan earthquake has caused supply chain disruptions, further exacerbating the delays.

Background: Performance Issues and Supply Chain Disruptions

The Commercial Times, a Taiwanese news outlet, reported on February 20, 2025, that Nvidia's latest RTX50 gaming graphics card series faces delays until mid-March at the earliest due to performance issues in the chips used in the RTX 5060 and 5070. The report states that these performance issues required last-minute addressing, which has "delayed the mass production schedule." Additionally, the Taiwan earthquake disrupted TSMC's wafer production, where Nvidia's Blackwell chips are fashioned from.

The Commercial Times further points out that the need for additional honing of the Blackwell chips late in the day has compounded supply issues. As a result, the mass production of both the incoming RTX 5070 and 5060 has been delayed by around four weeks.

Analysis: A Theoretical but Depressingly Believable Scenario

The rumors about Nvidia's performance issues with the chips for its RTX 5070 and 5060 GPUs have sparked concerns among gamers. While this is just speculation, it does align with other reports suggesting that the RTX 5070 vanilla version has been pushed back to an on-sale date of March 5. Furthermore, the stock of the RTX 5070 Ti has vanished pretty much instantly since its release.

If production of the RTX 5070 is indeed running behind schedule as rumored, then we can expect a lean level of supply and the same blink-and-it's-gone stock scenario with the RTX 5070. It's all depressingly believable, too. Let me put it this way: do you think when the RTX 5070 becomes available to buy in early March, there'll be plenty of stock kicking around? No, me neither.

Implications for Gamers

The potential delay and supply chain disruptions caused by the Taiwan earthquake have significant implications for gamers. With the RTX 5070 Ti having already sold out instantly since its release, it's likely that the vanilla version will follow suit when it becomes available.

Conclusion: Optimism for Gradual Improvement in Supply Chain Disruptions

The more positive news brought forth with this report from the Commercial Times is that Nvidia is apparently 'making every effort' to speed up production for Blackwell GPUs and get everything back on track. Analysts believe that the lackluster supply will gradually improve going forward.

Nvidia GPUs Delayed Due to Performance Issues and Supply Chain Disruptions - Major Digest