GPU Availability and Pricing Update: July 2022

This month’s replace is especially fascinating not solely as a result of we proceed to see a slide in GPU pricing, however it’s additionally the primary time this technology that an official worth adjustment has been made by one of many two massive GPU makers. Just a few days in the past, Nvidia quietly pushed out a brief worth discount for a few of their excessive finish fashions.

Nvidia is working “promotional pricing” for the RTX 3080 12GB and above, of their phrases: “After an extended interval of provide shortages we’re taking motion with our companions to ship a restricted time promotion for fanatic players and critical creators.” In fact, there’s extra to the story than simply that.

The explanation Nvidia has dropped costs is not a lot that they need to do everybody a favor, however slightly that buyers aren’t shopping for GPUs at present costs. The following technology of graphics playing cards is extensively anticipated and anticipated earlier than the tip of the yr, present GPUs are nearing on two years previous, and loads of customers are making a fairly strong judgement name that the worth proposition for prime finish fashions is not nice.

That is leaving 1000’s upon 1000’s of graphics playing cards sitting round going unsold, placing stress on everybody within the provide chain to eliminate these items earlier than next-gen arrives and so they turn into even tougher to promote. We have heard that there is a massive backlog of GPUs to promote and playing cards aren’t flying off the cabinets regardless of a number of the lowest costs in two years.

Nonetheless, it is arduous for retailers and AIBs to only decrease costs by themselves to get volumes flowing. Reducing costs too low, particularly beneath MSRP, might see them make a loss on every mannequin. Normally AIBs need to obtain some type of rebate or compensation from the GPU producer earlier than reducing costs, and that seems to be what Nvidia are enacting now with their promotional pricing replace.

The up to date pricing sees the RTX 3090 Ti drop from $2,000 to $1,500, the RTX 3090 goes from $1,500 to $1,300, the RTX 3080 Ti from $1,200 to $1,100, and the RTX 3080 12GB lastly will get some type of official worth, now set at $800. Different fashions stay unchanged which is not too shocking because the demand for decrease priced GPUs continues to be cheap.

However there are just a few factors to make about these adjusted costs…

Nvidia GPU Pricing Developments

Common Sale Worth of eBay Accomplished Listings, New Merchandise, third Week of Month

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First, some AIBs have been already promoting GPUs at these costs earlier than the announcement. Checking in on Newegg pricing for the final three months, the RTX 3080 Ti, for instance, has already been promoting for as little as $1,000 within the final month, and at the moment will be discovered for $930 — an MSI Gaming X Trio mannequin — which is nicely beneath Nvidia’s supposed promotional pricing of $1,100.

The RTX 3090 Ti was additionally nearing $1,500, although the worth adjustment has seen costs drop 11% this month. The RTX 3090 has seen an excellent bigger drop, a 21% worth correction.

One other fascinating phenomenon is the present pricing for the RTX 3080 12GB in comparison with the unique 10GB mannequin. The 12GB mannequin is definitely now cheaper than the 10GB mannequin on Newegg — evaluating least expensive mannequin vs least expensive mannequin. The 10GB card is dearer this month, rising simply above $800, whereas the 12GB mannequin has dropped 15% to $740 at its lowest. That is seemingly as a consequence of AIBs receiving some help from Nvidia to promote the 12GB mannequin, whereas no such help is at the moment being supplied for the 10GB card. This clearly makes the 12GB card the higher purchase, because it not solely has extra VRAM, it is also barely quicker.

Throughout the remainder of Nvidia’s lineup, the information are much less optimistic. With no promotional pricing for the RTX 3080 10GB and beneath, most of those are nonetheless being offered above the MSRP. The RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 Ti have come down in worth, however the RTX 3060 really went up, whereas the RTX 3050 appears to have bottomed out at $330 — regardless of a $250 MSRP. The typical month on month worth drop throughout the lineup is lower than what we noticed in June.

AMD GPU Pricing Developments

Common Sale Worth of eBay Accomplished Listings, New Merchandise, third Week of Month

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For AMD Radeon GPUs, there’s been no official phrase on worth cuts, however pricing normally continues to fall throughout their lineup. On common, playing cards from the RX 6000 sequence are sitting 10 p.c beneath their launch MSRPs, with all fashions besides the 6800 sequence obtainable beneath their official worth — and the 6800 sequence may be very near MSRP now. These worth cuts embody freshly launched fashions from the 50 XT vary, such because the RX 6650 XT which is already 13 p.c beneath MSRP for the most affordable fashions proper now.

On common, Radeon GPUs fell in worth greater than GeForce GPUs, and month on month July has additionally been a greater month for AMD merchandise. Some playing cards are reaching rather more acceptable costs within the present market, such because the Radeon RX 6600 which is out there for simply $260. We bear in mind again when RX 6500 XTs have been promoting at launch for round $260, and let me let you know, the RX 6600 is a miles-better buy.

Each Nvidia and AMD are additionally making an attempt to sweeten the take care of varied recreation bundles. AMD has the “Radeon Increase the Sport” program, providing as much as three video games together with your GPU buy. Within the case of finances choices just like the RX 6500 XT and beneath, these simply get Saints Row 3, whereas the RX 6650 XT and beneath get that recreation plus Forspoken. The RX 6700 and above get these two video games plus Sniper Elite 5. You may have to buy by means of a collaborating retailer to benefit from the bundle.

On the Nvidia facet they have a “4 recreation” bundle working, though it is extra like 2 video games plus 2 DLC packs: Ghostwire Tokyo, Doom Everlasting and each components of Doom Everlasting’s The Historic Gods enlargement. In contrast to with AMD’s bundle, which provides you a recreation with any of their present gen GPUs, Nvidia’s bundle solely applies to the RTX 3080 and above, desktop and laptop computer fashions.

GeForce vs Radeon Worth Factors

This is how AMD and Nvidia’s card lineups are matching up in the mean time. The worth discount for Nvidia’s high-end fashions hasn’t modified an excessive amount of how these stand as these playing cards have been already in a category of their very own when it comes to pricing.

From a worth standpoint, most of those fashions nonetheless do not make a ton of sense. We do not see why you’d trouble spending $200 extra on the 3080 Ti over the 3080 12GB — and equally, spending $150 extra on the 6900 XT as a substitute of a 6800 XT does not look like a good choice. And that is regardless of the 6900 XT sitting 15% beneath MSRP.

A chasm has opened across the $600 worth level, occupied completely by the Radeon RX 6800, whereas Nvidia isn’t providing something in that vary proper now. In the meantime, within the decrease components of the market the RX 6700 XT is trying strong with pricing sitting across the mark of the RTX 3060, although the RTX 3060 Ti is not too far behind in worth.

Then within the mainstream part, it is all AMD proper now with the RTX 3050 going face to face with the RX 6600 XT on the identical worth. We’re not even going to debate the GTX 1630, that card is whole rubbish.

To Purchase or To not Purchase?

That is the query. We have seen a variety of opinions from folks ranging wherever from “you have to purchase all of the GPUs instantly,” to “you need to undoubtedly maintain off for the next-generation.” We sit someplace within the center and our opinion hasn’t modified a lot from final month.

Despite worth changes and high-end GPUs usually getting cheaper, we nonetheless do not assume it is a good suggestion to purchase these proper now. An RTX 3090 for $1,300 stays very costly and we would not be eager shelling out $1,000 for a Radeon 6950 XT both. On the minimal, we might need tier beneath pricing, so an RTX 3090 on the MSRP of an RTX 3080, or an RTX 3080 for $500-type deal. We’re nonetheless methods from that pricing turning into a actuality.

We are saying this for a few causes. One is that these fashions will seemingly be outdated this yr with quicker playing cards, and we do not assume both GPU model will have the ability to get away with as ridiculous of a pricing mannequin as they could have been capable of a yr in the past. Purchase now on the MSRP and get burned inside six months is what we anticipate.

The opposite motive is that it appears like there is a little bit of angst brewing from the AIBs about what number of playing cards there are left to be offered earlier than the next-gen arrives. Present pricing is low in comparison with 9 months in the past — however it’s not that low. We aren’t seeing ridiculously good offers as loads of playing cards (particularly from Nvidia) are nonetheless priced above MSRP. As quickly as that dam wall breaks, which might be inside the subsequent few months occurring present developments, that’ll be the time to purchase. Preserve a watch out for deep reductions and flash sale. Do not be tempted into “offers” that are not even assembly the marketed worth from two years in the past.

As for mid-range and mainstream GPUs, we might make a case to both purchase or wait relying in your wants. Nvidia’s RTX 3050 and RTX 3060 have plateaued in worth in the previous few months, whereas AMD GPU pricing continues to fall on this phase. We do not anticipate these GPUs to be outdated quickly, so that you may be ready a yr or extra for next-gen replacements.

You can wait and hope that costs fall a bit additional, however we predict there’s much less stress on AIBs to promote their present stock of those fashions. We’re not suggesting everybody can buy or everybody ought to wait, however we predict there’s extra of a case on this worth vary to purchase.

Used GPU Pricing

As ordinary we take a look at the used market by utilizing eBay’s accomplished listings. There’s just a few fascinating issues this to debate this month. For the GeForce 20 sequence, costs proceed to fall and we noticed an 8 p.c discount month on month. Now you can see loads of these playing cards are actually nicely beneath MSRP as they need to be. The RTX 2070, for instance, is now promoting for below $300 used. A yr in the past you have been taking a look at paying over $600 for one among these playing cards.

For the GeForce 16 sequence, worth drops are slowing down, notably for playing cards promoting within the sub-$150 vary. The GTX 1650 and GTX 1650 Tremendous are priced about the identical on eBay proper now, so it does not make any sense to purchase the non-Tremendous mannequin, which is slower. Final month, we noticed an enormous 16% worth drop on common, this month is simply 6 p.c.

With regards to Pascal-era GPUs, costs have hit the ground in July with little or no motion. Particularly for the decrease tier playing cards, it does not look like sellers are keen to half with their previous fashions for lower than $100. This might be associated to the RTX 3050’s worth stagnation in latest months as nicely. In spite of everything, it is the used market that’s catering to Nvidia patrons after a card for lower than $300, particularly given how horrible the GTX 1630 is.

The Radeon RX 5000 sequence continues to get cheaper however like with different used fashions, the tempo at which costs are coming down has slowed. Only a 10 p.c drop month on month, in comparison with 24 p.c in June. The extent to which costs have come down for these mining-friendly playing cards is fairly loopy, a yr in the past you’ll have needed to fork out round $800 for a 5700 XT, right now they’re lower than $300 and we think about loads of the playing cards on eBay are ex-mining fashions.

Then for AMD’s older GPUs, we have seen an enormous drop in worth for the Vega sequence, however a much less important lower for Polaris-based fashions. Once more, round that $100 worth level there is a little bit of stagnation, RX 580 4GB and RX 570 4GB fashions have not modified in worth, although both possibility is kind of low-cost, particularly the RX 570.

Wrap Up

General we proceed to edge nearer to what we might describe as a standard GPU market, though we do not assume we’re fairly there but. Some GPUs nonetheless aren’t promoting at their MSRP and others needs to be cheaper than MSRP as a consequence of their age however aren’t. In fact, at this level plenty of these MSRPs are trying pretty doubtful, however on a optimistic be aware it’s nice to see costs proceed to come back down for almost all of playing cards.

Contemplating what we’re listening to about what number of GPUs are left to be offered earlier than the subsequent technology of playing cards launch, we might be not too distant from one closing push to clear present stock. We do not assume we’re at that stage simply but, however as quickly because it occurs it might be the most effective time to purchase a brand new GPU this yr.

As we stated earlier, preserve a watch out for flash gross sales and something that brings pricing nicely beneath MSRP. When you can snag a higher-end mannequin for tier-below pricing you may be doing very nicely, however we would not be tempted spending $800 or extra on current-gen fashions.

On the used market, worth reductions have slowed to some extent, notably for GPUs beneath $200 and older strains just like the GeForce 10 sequence. Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless a good bit of ex-mining inventory floating round that is but to be offered by means of. Simply be cautious when wanting to buy a used GPU as loads of listings shall be for ex-mining playing cards which were flogged during the last two years, be sure you get an excellent deal on one thing like that.

Procuring Shortcuts:

• Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 12GB on Amazon
• Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti on Amazon
• AMD Radeon RX 6800 on Amazon
• Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 on Amazon
• AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT on Amazon
• AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D on Amazon
• AMD Ryzen 9 5950X on Amazon