The launch of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 has not been smooth. Between inventory selling out in mere seconds and a duff market where the price of the already expensive card has jumped to twice the normal price, it has been a disaster.

If you were hoping that the inventory situation would ease in 2021, European tech retailer Alternate has rather unwelcome news. It won't for at least a few weeks.

This stockist has received confirmation from Nvidia that the availability of its latest GPU sets, specifically the RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, will indeed deteriorate through the first quarter of this year.

The news comes via a statement on the retailer's website (translated via Reddit): "We have been informed by both the manufacturer and Nvidia that availability of the RTX 3000 series graphics cards will continue to deteriorate through the first quarter of 2021.

"This is due to shortages of certain raw materials and Nvidia chips, as well as the Chinese New Year when factories will be temporarily closed.

Inventory of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 and RTX 3060 Ti are the most affected, with "very few deliveries" and "many unorders expected." Therefore, even those who manage to find pre-orders are not guaranteed to get their graphics cards right away.

The less popular GeForce RTX 3070 and GeForce RTX 3090 will be easier to find. However, retailers are expecting only "small quantities" of these cards throughout the first few months of the year, so it is unlikely that these cards will hit the market just yet.

Don't expect to get them at bargain prices. Alternate warns that "market forces" will drive prices up in the near future, but at least confirms that prices will remain the same for those who have already secured pre-orders.

On the other hand, while receiving such a candid statement from a retailer is a refreshing alternative to the usual vague "we hope to increase our inventory soon" postings, it makes for somewhat dismal reading for those hoping to get their hands on these coveted cards any time soon

The "I'd like to increase inventory in the near future.

If you've been patiently waiting to upgrade your gaming rig after missing out on your initial order last year, this might be a good time to consider an alternative like the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT.

But if you have your heart set on a new GeForce card, there is a handy Where to Buy guide for the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080.