After two years of extreme scarcity, GPUs are finally back in stock at major retailers, and some are even selling below MSRP. GPU prices have been at record highs due to an acute shortage in supply over the past couple of years. Not only have scalping and price-gouging been rampant during this time, but things have been so bad that even scalpers were struggling to get their hands on new graphics cards at one stage.
Things, however, have been quietly changing in recent weeks, with multiple reports suggesting that buyers could once again get their hands on decent GPUs without breaking the bank. For example, AMD's entry-level Radeon RX 6500XT was already selling below its MSRP in Germany in mid-March, while Asus announced plans to reduce prices for its graphics cards a few days later. The latest report about many more cards selling at or below MSRP suggests that GPU prices are finally coming down to reasonable levels.
Research done by ExtremeTech showed that not only are many graphics cards back in stock and available for purchase at various U.S. retailers, but some of them are even being sold at MSRP. The caveat, however, is that the improvement in availability and pricing is most noticeable at the premium end of the spectrum, while more mainstream cards remain challenging to find at reasonable prices. On the positive side, both Nvidia and AMD cards are more readily available now, although the RX 6800 models remain challenging to find. The blog also spotted a Gigabyte Windforce RTX 3080 Ti in stock at its $1,199 MSRP — a substantial markdown from the $1,549.99 that it had been selling at not so long ago.
Microcenter Is Selling Some Graphics Cards At A Discount
Most interestingly, Microcenter is now offering discounts on some GPU models — a scenario unthinkable just a few weeks ago. According to the report, an RTX 3080 12GB is currently below $1,000. The same GPU with 10GB of VRAM can be bought for under $900, with an MSI RTX 3080 listed at $880 instead of the regular $930. Another triple-fan OC model from Asus was available for as low as $850. It's not immediately clear for how long the low prices will persist, but for now, it's good news for gamers and DIY enthusiasts.
Despite all the improvements in availability, some cards are still incredibly tough to find. That includes Nvidia's ever-popular Founder’s Editions cards, very few of which were reportedly available at Best Buy. In addition, a few RTX 3080 Ti and 3090 Ti were in-stock at their usual high prices, but the more affordable mainstream cards were nowhere to be found. Hopefully, the situation will change for the better in the coming weeks and more mid-range and entry-level GPUs will be available for purchase, preferably at discounted rates.
Source: ExtremeTech