The New Graphics Card Market
Torquinox
Posts: 3,589
This is my ground-level view of the GC market as an ordinary consumer with no special access to anything. I've been observing the US GC market for a while, and I see a new order emerging. Right now, one can buy the following GCs at a large online retailer:
3060 for $500 - $600 MSRP: $330. People here seem to like them for the extra VRAM and $500 is still affordable for mere mortals.
3070 ti for $830 - $1100 MSRP: $600. This is the 3070 you can actually get.
3080 12GB for ~$1250-$1350 MSRP: ?? Usually available, but priced such that 3080 ti wins.
3080 ti for $1430-$1800(!) MSRP: ?? Launch day price ~$1100, usually available for $1450-$1500. Blender thinks it's about the same as a 3090. Doubles the cost of a decent build.
3090 for $2020-$2130 MSRP: $1500. May double the cost of a higher-end build.
One apparently cannot buy a 3070 or a 3080 10GB (except for a $1400 version in external housing)
I did not consider the 3060 ti as desirable for what we do here, and I haven't been following its prices or availability. The only sample in stock right now is a $700 Zotac 2-fan model. I wouldn't buy that.
I think prices are coming down a little, and that's welcome. Cards are more-or-less available for purchase. That's good news, too. I don't think we're going to get back to MSRP any time soon, and I don't think the missing models are coming back.
I mention this because I've watched a lot of YT videos and the talking heads all seem to think one can simply buy the missing card types. Obviously, we can't do that when those cards are never in stock. Anybody have a different view? I'd love to hear about it.
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Comments
I was highly skeptical looking at what you posted because I have been seeing the high prices and the unavailable stock for quite a while now. So I went and had a look today and saw quite a few cards in stock, low stock, but they were there in many places I looked and some were even on sale. Hopefully this treand continues and stock builds up and prices drop so more users can have access to quality hardware.
Skepticism is good! I've been watching pretty closely, though.
I'm feeling pretty froggy, too. As I've probably mentioned, my system is old and doesn't run some of my software in a satisfactory way. But like many, I have a budget. A 34" 1440p monitor and an xp-pen monitor are eating a chunk of that. My whole system will be solid, but it will also be one for mere mortals. The trouble is, the world is especially uncertain now. It's hard to say what hardware prices will do through the rest of the year. I'm thinking, it may be better to stop hand-wringing and get on with things. At the very least, I'm pretty sure my productivity will improve.
My hubby just got a 3060 for just over 600 bucks. I was against it since he doesn't render OR play games, but....whatever he wants and the tax return was there. LOL For him, it's overkill. For me, it wouldn't be optimal, but I could live with it. Thank goodness my existing card is a good one ;).
GC - I thought the title was refering to Daz Gift Cards.
Fixed that for you
Cards like the RTX 3070ti have firmware that slows everything down when a crypto-mining algorithm is being run. Hopefully, this will reduce or eliminate using it for crypto-mining and bring prices down.
I looked into upgrading my system around X-Mas time, because my old system was having problems. I ended up buying an iBuypower pre-built system with RTX 3070ti, Ryzen 5800x, and liquid cooling. The price of an entire system looked pretty reasonable, especially with a 3-year warranty and quality (ASUS and Gigabyte) components. In short - It looked like something I would build.
I think it also depends on what brand/models you're looking for. I still can't find my EVGA 3090 FTW3 Ultra anywhere for less than what I paid (from trustworthy sources).
I haven't seen many EVGA cards sitting there ready-to-buy, and I would expect your card to price in over $2k right now. I usually see various Gigabyte models and some MSIs. You're probably an excellent candidate for EVGA's Elite program and you might be able to get an msrp card that way.
I wouldn't look a Gift graphics Card in the mouth
but being the choosing beggar I am it cannot be a 3### series as it wouldn't fit any of my motherboards, that's the other problem and why I am unlikely to join the Nvidia RTX users any time in the next decade
We all hope prices will continue to fall!
I'm curious about your buying experience. If I may ask, did it arrive properly configured, properly assembled? Does it run cool under load? I ask because the Gamer Nexus guy has a lot of bad to say about many of the prebuilds. He backs it up, but I still wonder if he's right about all of it. If all the pre-built computers sold are more-or-less bad, how do those companies stay in business?
That's pretty funny. Maybe he'll try some 3D? People buy things for their own reasons.
Stay away from Used or open boxes unless you by direct from Evga. Remember Evga had a truckload of their graphics 30 series of cards high jacked in Californian. November of 21
I wonder if demand, and therefore the price, is softening in anticipation of Nvidia's 4000 series expected to be released around the end of September?
I ordered a RTX 3060 12gh VRam for my new system. Hope this wasn't a mistake. I'm not a gamer. I use mostley DS and hope to branch out to Blender some day.
I think you will find the extra VRAM very useful in DS and it should also at least bring you to the dance for snappy screen interaction and cycles rendering in Blender.
It's a good question. I have no idea. At least for now, it appears the prices are softening a bit and retailers seem to be arranging prices according to increasing card capability. One exception: HP inexplicably prices 3070 ti cards slightly higher than the roundly more capable 3080. I did a run through their configurator just to see and they told me I could expect to see my system in early June. No love there!
I am still pissed I had the money saved up, a bit over MSRP for a 3090 when it came out, I just could never find one to buy. I saved up for the 3090 MSRP and then some four times. I can afford to pay the inflated prices, I just refuse to. I paid less for a minivan to use as a temp work truck than it costs to get my hands on a 3090 for josh sake. Bought my crotchrocket for less. No way, plus I don't want to reward scalpers a dime. I saved up for a 3090 four times now, and kept getting mad and buying somethin else for my PC instead. First I got a mobo and CPU, then I got a beefy PSU and RAM, then a valve index, and grudgingly bought a 3070Ti this time. Price was still a bit high, but not nauseatingly so. My 2080super and 3070Ti combo should let me comfortabely sit out the 4x series, unless they throw a curveball and it can be bought at MSRP and it has a nice jump in VRAM. Then maybe I might sweat a bit.
Yeh, I was like you, but did find it for sale for about 1700, which was early last year I think.
I paid $2700 back in July and that's the price I was able to find them at yesterday, from a source I would be okay buying from (i.e. with Prime guarantee)...if they were in stock at all. I signed up for EVGA's notification system on that model back in September 2020...and I still haven't gotten my message. That's why I said "screw it" and bought the one I did when I built my new system in August. In the realm of things, the price wasn't that bad considering the MSRP on that card alone is $1900. The guy I had put everything together said even he couldn't get his hands on that card (at the time).
I already have mine. Bought it from a reseller through Amazon, New with Prime guarantee. It was definitely new, box unopened, and the serial is good...not one of the bad batches. Got it in July last year when I built my new system.
I almost forgot! You can use an online service for Blender rendering. There is SheepIt, which is free (donations accepted), garagefarm, and many others.
I remember you were determined - On a mission, really. With what I've been seeing now, it's possible one could come up for near msrp. Not guaranteed, of course. As I said, I don't see too many evga cards. I did see one recently - Not a 3090, and it sold out in a hurry. I personally wouldn't spend that much money on a GC unless I'd get it back in sales. But then it's a business expense not discretionary spending. And that's something else. Anyway, I'm glad you got it.
I agree about the inflated prices! Hopefully things will settle down for a bit, but that remains to be seen.
I feel ya, no way I will reward scalpers, that is just rewarding the scalping system and perpetuating that type of behavior. I also have a hard time jusifying the higher price. I can afford it, but When I think about the relationship between other high dollar things I have bought, like my car, my guns, my VR headsets, my PC, it's hard to spend over 2K on just a graphics card.
When it comes to the higher end cards, its still bad according the individual that built my system. You use to be able to find the Lenovo branded A5000/6000 cards & 3090s for sale brand new, albeit at scalper prices, but they're nowhere to be found now.
Depends where you are, maybe? I'm seeing PNY A5000 for $2660 and PNY A6000 for an eye-watering $5210 .
With respect to my initial post, the 3060s sold out last night. The more expensive cards are still available. There is still a respectable Gigabyte 3090 Gaming OC available for $2130 and a selection of 3080 TIs. If the pattern holds, they'll get restocked around midweek and be sold out by Saturday night. Hopefully, there is a reasonably-priced 10GB 3080 in the mix, but I haven't seen one yet.
...had that same issue had to deftly work it into the slot but my old X-58 MB's BIOS (and likely PCIe 2.0 slots) don't support the advanced hardware so I only was able to get a standard VGA output. So boxed it back up and am hanging onto it until I do my W 11 upgrade.
My system was properly configured and well made. I do not overclock, so I had to turn off the overclock settings and stay with in the "factory" limits. The only problem that I has was a cooling radiator fan began to make noise after two-three weeks. iBuypower sent me a replacement fan, which solved the problem. I rate their tech support as good. My system can get quite hot (141F) when playing demading games, but that is normal and to be expected. The cooling system does a good job of moving the hot air out of the case and into my room!! I take the heat, not my system components (my system resides under my desk). The places were they cut corners were in the case (non-replaceable pop-out covers for the expansion slots) and in the power supply, which is non-modular. The system comes with a 3 year warranty, so I have to wait until it runs out to replace the power supply with my Corsair modular. Other components are good quality - ASUS Prime Pro Motherboard, Gigabyte RTX 3070ti GPU, XPG memory.
Bottom line, I was so happy with my system, that I bought an RTX 3060 (12G)/Ryzen 5600x iBuyPower system for my grandson. That one is pretty good too.
I think I made a good practical cost-effective choice, even though it is not one that a performance freak would agree with.
I have one well worth the money at the time.