The prices for current graphics cards are moving back to the normal level.
The nosedive of graphics card prices continues. After graphics cards have experienced unprecedented high prices in recent years, the prices for 3D accelerators have fallen sharply in recent months. March is no exception. In addition, the hardware manufacturer Asus wants to reduce its prices for graphics cards by up to 25 percent.
The hardware experts at 3D-Center have been tracking graphics card prices for quite some time. To be more precise, they track the respective best price per card at the largest Europe dealers and calculate an average percentage for AMD and Nvidia.
The percentage value shows how far the current prices for graphics cards are above the recommended retail price. You can see the complete process in this diagram:
In this graph you can see the current development of graphics card prices. Source: 3D Center
The course of the last few months shows a clear drop. From early to late March, AMD’s RX 6000 series prices have dropped 10 percent, making them about 50 percent cheaper than they were at the start of the year. For Nvidia cards of the 3000 generation, the price fell by as much as 16 percent and 60 percent in March compared to January. This brings the average prices from both manufacturers to just 25 percent above the RRP. At this rate, we could reach the recommended price in a month or two.
Also good to see is the availability (blue dashed line). This has increased further in recent months, which probably also contributes to the price reduction. The Ethereum price, which is shown in yellow in the graphic, could cause some concern. This has been rising steadily since January.
Nvidia’s RTX 3000 series cards in particular are well suited for Ethereum mining, and with rising cryptocurrency prices, these cards could become more attractive to miners again. However, Ethereum wants to switch to proof-of-stake later this year, which would make mining obsolete.
But price alone is not everything. In this article we compare the price-performance ratio of all current models:
Which graphics card should I buy?
Price-performance ratio of all current models
Asus also wants to reduce its graphics card prices by up to 25 percent
Asus wants to undercut the prices that have already been reduced by up to 25 percent. That reports Toms Hardware. You have learned in an e-mail statement from an Asus representative that the manufacturer intends to further reduce prices from the beginning of April.
The reason for this is cuts in tariffs on US imports from China. Asus would like to pass this on to its customers. Apparently, this only affects Nvidia’s RTX 3000 series. The statement says: Gamers and PC enthusiasts will see lower prices for ASUS GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards starting April 1, 2022.
Also, don’t expect price drops of 25 percent for each card right on April 1st. It’s called up to
25 percent, which we will probably see on various models in the coming weeks.
Since the price cuts are mainly based on cuts in tariffs between the US and China, we can assume that the cuts will initially only relate to the American market. It is still unclear whether the lower prices will spill over to Europe sooner or later.
We also recently ventured a prognosis as to when we could buy graphics cards again at the RRP. How we interpret the current situation and when the prices could get there, you can read here:
Will we be able to buy graphics cards at MSRP again anytime soon?
What is your prognosis? Do you think we’ll be able to buy graphics cards at RRP again soon, or will prices go up again soon? Please let us know!
