Graphics card prices have dropped again, albeit by a more modest amount in the case of retail price tags, with larger drops still being seen in the second-hand market.
This is going by the latest numbers from Tom’s Hardware (opens in new tab)our sister site that reviews retail and eBay prices regularly.
Prices for current generation GPUs (Nvidia RTX 3000 and AMD RX 6000) at retailers are down 3% over the course of July, which may not sound like a lot, but it continues a well-established downward trend at this point; a slow but consistent erosion of price tags that were much higher than recommended levels (MSRP) in the past.
There are a number of graphics cards that are now below the MSRP, and while most are AMD GPUs, there are also some from Nvidia – most notably the RTX 3090 Ti, which is 17% lower than its MSRP as measured by Tom’s Hardware. The RTX 3080 Ti is also 10% smaller, and the RTX 3090 is 3% below the MSRP, so it’s the high-end models that are falling that way.
Other Nvidia GPUs still remain around 15% above the MSRP, and in the case of the RTX 3050, 31% above.
In contrast, the vast majority of current-gen AMD graphics cards are now under MSRP, and some largely, like the RX 6900 XT at 15% below, or the RX 6600 at 17% less.
Only AMD’s Radeon RX 6800 and 6800 XT remain above the MSRP, in fact, and not much at 3% and 6% above, respectively.
Much larger drops were seen for GPUs sold on eBay, which were down 14% on average from June 1. fact that.
Tom’s notes that the overall drop in GPU price since the start of 2022 is 57% on average, showing just how much prices have dropped in the first half of this year.
Analysis: Get away from the GPU minefield and play a waiting game
We must at this point repeat our warnings on the subject of these used GPUs being flogged on auction sites. While these big price drops can make second-hand graphics cards look very tempting — the high-end models in particular — keep in mind that a good chunk of those used cards now flooding companies like eBay will be ex-miners. getting rid of your hardware after the recent cryptographic crash.
The problem with these GPUs is that they are likely to run 24/7 for a substantial amount of time, and that doesn’t bode well for their prospects in terms of long-term longevity. It’s the equivalent of buying a used car with a ton of miles on the clock (which has been driven with difficulty) – the likelihood of something going wrong is uncomfortably high.
Don’t forget that miners know that their used GPUs are not an attractive proposition for these reasons, so they may claim that the graphics card sold was used in a regular PC to sway buyers (or even lie and claim that the GPU is really new, not used). Be very wary of anything that looks too good, or prices too high, to be true…
In fact, due to mining stock being released, buying a used GPU is a (literal) minefield at the moment, and we suggest you step away from the market altogether, at least for now.
The best bet for us is to wait now and watch new graphics cards retail, with the expectation that the pressures of high-end GPU launches approaching will drive prices down even further.
If the rumor is correct, we could see some big drops in retail prices from Nvidia, which, as mentioned above, has been more stubbornly resisting the downward price movement than AMD (mainly due to demand for RTX 3000 graphics cards). Word is, however, that this situation is not going to hold up, as Team Green reportedly has a ‘huge’ amount of current-gen GPUs to release ahead of the release of the RTX 4000 cards, which is arriving quickly (perhaps in just one two months).
So much so, that the theory is that Nvidia wants to cut production orders for high-end graphics cards and delay shipments a bit, and given that, we can expect some bigger price cuts to be forced into action as retailers look to clear inventory. -up of RTX 3000 models – while prospective buyers become more cautious and willing to wait for RTX 4000 GPUs, knowing they are getting closer and closer.
That’s why smart money, for us anyway, is particularly expecting Nvidia’s prices to drop further – and that’s even before we take into account the most disruptive factor for the GPU market as Intel finally launches its cards. Arc Alchemist graphics for desktop.
While the buzz around Arc GPUs has been worryingly low-key lately, with question marks around performance (and drivers in particular), Intel may decide to strike out on the pricing front – and it has the potential to offer potent competition, particularly at the lower end of the market – thus providing another source of pressure for more GPU price drops from AMD and Nvidia in response.