GPU PRICES FALLING FASTER

We aren’t back to normal, but things are finally getting better

THE PANDEMIC made a complete mess of chip supplies and graphics card prices went through the roof, though now the end of this situation is in sight. Before we get too excited, we are still paying over the odds, but that’s improving rapidly. There are many factors at play, including the volatile cryptocurrency market, which has affected prices under restricted supplies.

February saw a decent reduction in graphics card prices, and the latest figures put March’s drop at about 12 percent. We’ve even heard of basic cards selling at near the recommended retail price, but generally, the premium ranges from 20 to 60 percent depending on the card.

A survey by online retailer Newegg put a GeForce RTX 3070 at a premium of 70 percent, while an RTX 3080 Ti was a more modest 19 percent. Cards released during the shortage often have a higher MSRP, so the premium looks less dramatic. Older cards launched with realistic and competitive MSRPs now look worse value than they are. High-end cards are still at crazy prices, just not as bad as they were.

Availability has also improved. Most cards are available, in some configuration or other, so the scalpers on eBay are finally starting to run out of willing customers. Since eBay takes a cut of the price, they can’t survive without a decent premium. Is it time to buy yet? Probably not. Next month, the card you want will inevitably be cheaper. It might be worth waiting for the next generation of GPUs coming from Nvidia and AMD due before the fall, and we will soon have Intel’s Arc Alchemy too. Looks like we are over the hump, and going downhill rapidly. Phew!

This lovely GeForce RTX 3070 still comes with a nasty 70 per cent premium though.