GPU Availability and Pricing Update: February 2022

[Scorpus]

After many months we finally have good news to share about graphics card pricing and availability. Things are starting to head in the right direction and although inflated pricing isn't far from over yet, we're seeing the lowest GPU prices in over a year.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/article/2418-gpu-pricing-2022-update/

 

[gigantor21]

My local Microcenter has a wide range of RTX cards in stock for more than 5 seconds a day--for the first time since launch. You actually see multiple cards between the 3060 and 3080Ti for sale.

They also let you reserve AMD cards online again, and even started discounting some of them. That's another pandemic-era first here.

Things are finally settling. Still a ways to go, though...

 

[Irata]

While it‘s welcome to see graphics cards prices come down, it‘s also sad to see that we‘ve become so conditioned by last year‘s extreme prices and lacking availability that we consider some of the still far above msrp cards like the 3050 or 6600 a decent deal.

While compared to what the situation was like not too long ago it‘s better, they are still bad deals and this does not bode well for the next gen‘s prices.

 

[bviktor]

Oh boy, the 3080's MSRP here is $889, but in retal the cheapest still is $1589...

 

[Dimitriid]

Why you guys keep recommending the 6600 plain instead of the 6600xt? It is a tad cheaper sure, but both are priced up almost the same: 62% markup vs 64%

Sure you can save *some* money with the 6600 but I don't feel like it's worth it given how you're pretty much preparing to pay scalping prices anyway and the performance increase is significant enough

 

[Nobina]

I don't know anything I just hope the trend continues.

 

[Achaios]

Wow, ppl finally admit that cryptomining and cryptominers are for the most part responsible for the GPU shortage.

Reminder that the big brains over at r/nvidia told us that those responsible for the gpu shortage are, quote

console gamers who go PC for the 1st time

unquote.

IQ over 9000.

 

[NicktheWVAHick]

I remember the days when your pricing charts included names such as “Newegg”, “Amazon”, “CompUSA”. Never thought I’d live to see the day when that list exclusively included scalpers on “EBay”. My, how we’ve fallen from grace.

 

[Sausagemeat]

Mining is massively on the decline but PC gaming has exploded since the pandemic and a lot of people need to remember that a large part of this extra demand is from new PC gamers. There are dozens of forums on Facebook with tens of thousands of members all showing off their newly bought or built PCs. I’ve never seen these forums so busy before and these guys are all happy paying $2000-$3000 for a new 3080 or whatever rig.

I don’t think pricing is going to get much better, Nvidia will release a 40 series and the top part will be $1500+ still easily I reckon.

Personally I may just swallow it, if I can get a potential 4080 pre built for £2000! I might just do it, being a budget PC gamer just isn’t worth it anymore as budget is still hundreds of dollars. A budget prebuilt today is $999 for a machine with a 3060 in it.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

First, as Techspot points out, let us applaud the COLLAPSE of the cryptoscam markets for the increased availability in the GPU market.

Secondly, Even tho availability is higher, inflation is as well.

During Black Friday, My microcenter was full of 3080Ti, 3070Ti, 3060Ti, 3070 and 3060 as well as 3050 - and a bunch of overpriced AMD Red Devil cards nobody wanted - even as far back as last summer.

Even now, they have them available on store shelves.

But the problem is: everyone knows that the 3090 should cost $1500 and every single dime they spend over that for anything less than a 3090 is a ripoff.

Today: you'll spend more for a 3080Ti than I spent for my 3090FTW3.

That's sad.

 

[bluetooth fairy]

Some easy thoughts from sofa.

1) Pandemic is an interesting factor. People [in mass] were shut down in their homes for two years, and it still remains to be seen, whether they'll spend their money on vacations (finally) or find another niche to escape from such a reality.

2) 6500xt and rtx3050 are the only mass market products with acceptable price right now. If 6600/3060 prices will go down to current levels of 3050, the focus may shift to middle-tier more, and the decline in price may come to the end.

3) Another factor which is hard to weigh right now, is upcoming Intel desktop videocards price/performance ratio. Will they compete against 3060/3070 actually or not? We should get the answer before this summer.

4) Higher-end products are subject to specific demand from cryptominers. If it shrinks, we might see some substantial discounts here and there which in turn would put more pressure on middle-class product's prices.

 

[Arbie]

Great article, as usual. Up-to-date, knowledgeable, and very practical. Thanks!

 

[Lew Zealand]

Why you guys keep recommending the 6600 plain instead of the 6600xt? It is a tad cheaper sure, but both are priced up almost the same: 62% markup vs 64%

Sure you can save *some* money with the 6600 but I don't feel like it's worth it given how you're pretty much preparing to pay scalping prices anyway and the performance increase is significant enough

For someone building a new system, the 6600 is a better choice per frame as you are playing less total money over MSRP and still getting a good performing product.

However in terms of the total build cost per frame, the 6600XT becomes a better value. Depends on your perspective.

If I was building a new machine from scratch right now, I'd get the 6600 and pocket the difference for future upgrades if/when prices are saner.

For someone upgrading from a slower GPU, the 6600XT is immediately a better value because the performance increase over an older gaming GPU means a bigger FPS delta per dollar.

 

[Epiccollision]

Look, your nvida graph goes to $3k, this doesn’t alarm and shock you, are you normalizing this nonsense?

 

[ddferrari]

Might as well wait until later this year when the 4xxx series is released. That might drive down the 3xxx series prices.

I love having the latest and greatest, but I think an RTX 3080 12GB would serve me well at 3440x1440p for years to come. No plans on going 4K anytime soon.

Meanwhile, my 1080 Ti keeps trucking along...

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Might as well wait until later this year when the 4xxx series is released. That might drive down the 3xxx series prices.

I love having the latest and greatest, but I think an RTX 3080 12GB would serve me well at 3440x1440p for years to come. No plans on going 4K anytime soon.

Meanwhile, my 1080 Ti keeps trucking along...

There is no proof whatsoever the 4000 series will be released this year.

Afterall, Nvidia is doing just fine with the 3080Ti and lesser cards.

 

[ddferrari]

There is no proof whatsoever the 4000 series will be released this year.

Afterall, Nvidia is doing just fine with the 3080Ti and lesser cards.

You are correct, there is no "proof".

But multiple websites (including Techspot) are reporting that they will likely be released later this year.

Nvidia has a very reliable history of releasing a new series every two years or so. That makes later in 2022 a pretty good guess, based on multiple tech site reviews. I'm just basing my opinion on history and the current chatter.

Do you have some information to the contrary? I'd love a link...

 

[grumblguts]

And what we all suppose to just forgive and forget like nothing happened ?
They crapped in our face and now expect us to take them out on a date.

 

[ddferrari]

And what we all suppose to just forgive and forget like nothing happened ?
They crapped in our face and now expect us to take them out on a date.

I'm not commenting on that, although I feel your pain.

I'm just saying that at this point, we should wait for for the 4xxx series. It will be mind-blowing, or seriously reduce the cost of the 3xxx series.

Wishful thinking. nothing more.

 

[Ludak021]

I wonder how many cards are sitting in scalpers stock on ebay and such...
Where I live, nothing has changed. Prices are like they were last year, if not higher.

 

[Badvok]

"inflated pricing isn’t far from over" - glad to hear it, but I rather suspect that's a typo.

 

[Aceseven]

My 980ti is gonna keep going until these new cards are msrp, im not paying a cent over that.

 

[Fastturtle]

I've put several price alerts on some cards but unlike many, I'm not willing to spend more then 20-30 over MSRP so I doubt I'll see the ones I'm interested in that low. Oh well, depending on cost when I decide to actually upgrade from my 1060/5600XT cards, I'll see what I can afford.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

I'd only recommend the 6500 to people I hate. I wouldn't take it it for free. I would try and buy a 5600XT second hand or a Turing based card.

 

[BadThad]

Thanks for the article!

I think we're also seeing a lot of buyer fatigue. There are many that refuse to pay the high prices and are biding their time.