Skip to main content

GPU prices are slowly dropping at long last

Just recently, we reported that graphics card prices may take a big plunge in the coming months. While that is still unconfirmed, we are definitely seeing a decline in GPU pricing.

The prices of some of the best graphics cards noted an 11% month-over-month drop from January to February, with some GPUs dropping as much as 25% compared to the previous month.

Pricing chart for the Nvidia RTX 3090.
Image source: Tom’s Hardware Image used with permission by copyright holder

The prices were taken from eBay, mostly because it offers historical pricing information, which is something that many online retailers don’t do. The past two generations of graphics cards were taken into consideration, including the best that Nvidia has to offer, such as the GeForce RTX 3090, as well as low-end offerings, such as the (still new) AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT.

With a full comparison of pricing from month to month, we can now say with certainty that, at least on eBay, the prices are slowly going down — and due to that, it’s safe to assume that this change is indicative of the market as a whole. However, this is nowhere near the drastic drop that known hardware leaker Greymon55 predicted for March. It’s more of a slow and steady decline, which we’ve already seen to an extent in the past few months.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

Fast or slow, it’s still good news. Every single graphics card from the past two generations, be it Nvidia or AMD, noted a drop in price. Out of 33 graphics cards, 20 saw a pricing drop that was in the double digits. The GPU with the biggest drop was the less-than-impressive AMD RX 6500 XT, although the 25.5% plunge it took could stem from the fact that it was released recently and the prices were initially inflated. The second biggest drop was on a recent budget graphics card: Nvidia’s RTX 3050.

The real decline can best be seen on older GPUs. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super saw the third biggest decline with a 15.2% price drop, going from $498 in January to $422 in February. Moving back to current-gen cards shows that the RTX 3070 Ti dropped from $1,179 to $1,001, for a 15.1% decline.

Chart of prices for the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT.
Image source: Tom’s Hardware Image used with permission by copyright holder

The price of Nvidia’s RTX 3090 went down by around $250, but since that GPU is expensive, this only amounts to a 10.2% decline. The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB and 8GB both noted the lowest price drops, 2.1% and 2.6% respectively, which only results in a few dollars worth of savings.

Tom’s Hardware analyzed the market and compiled the prices of GPUs, comparing January to February, and then published the findings. We’ve previously received similar market reports from Germany and Austria, courtesy of 3DCenter, which have also shown a steady decline. However, the data collected by Tom’s Hardware speaks directly about the U.S. market, clearly highlighting that the prices are going down globally.

This is certainly good news, but we’re still a long, long way from being able to score a graphics card at a reasonable price. Even if all the speculation results in nothing and we’re stuck waiting for the slow and steady decline, good times may be ahead for the GPU market. With Nvidia, AMD, and Intel all releasing new graphics cards this year, we may see an abundance of GPUs near the end of the year. The only worry is that these graphics cards may cost a pretty penny right from the get-go.

Editors' Recommendations

Monica J. White
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…
GPU prices are back on the rise again
RTX 4060 Ti sitting next to the RTX 4070.

We haven't had to worry about the prices of some of the best graphics cards for quite some time. With most GPUs sold around their recommended retail price, there are plenty of options for PC builders in need of a new graphics card. However, a new report indicates that we might see an increase in GPU prices, especially on the cards made by Nvidia's add-in board partners (AIBs). Is it time to start worrying about another GPU shortage? Not quite, but it might be better to shop now before it gets worse.

The grim news comes from IT Home, a Chinese tech publication that cites anonymous "industry sources" as it predicts that Nvidia's AIBs are about to raise their prices by up to 10% on average -- and this won't be limited to high-end GPUs along the lines of the RTX 4090. In fact, IT Home reports that the RTX 4070 Super has already received a price increase of about 100 yuan, which equals roughly $14 at the time of this writing. This is a subtle price increase given that the GPU costs $550 to $600, but according to the report, it might just be the beginning.

Read more
The sad reality of AMD’s next-gen GPUs comes into view
The AMD RX 7900 graphics card on a pink background.

For months now, various leakers agreed on one thing -- AMD is tapping out of the high-end GPU race in this generation, leaving Nvidia to focus on making the best graphics cards with no competitor. Today's new finding may confirm that theory, as the first RDNA 4 GPU to make an official appearance is one that has been speculated about for months: Navi48.

Following the typical naming convention for AMD, the flagship in the RDNA 4 generation should have been called Navi41 -- and it very well might have been, but according to various sources, that GPU will not be making an appearance in this generation. Hence, the flagship is now said to be the Navi48, and the latest finding shared by Kepler_L2 on X tells us that might indeed be the case.

Read more
Everything you need to know about buying a GPU in 2024
RTX 4090.

The graphics card, also known as the GPU, is arguably one of the most exciting components in any PC build. Alongside the processor, your graphics card often has the greatest impact on the overall performance of your PC. That makes it a pretty high-stakes purchase, especially if you consider that GPUs can get pretty expensive.

The GPU market has a lot to offer, and that's regardless of your needs and your budget. Whether you're aiming for something super cheap to support some light browsing or a behemoth to handle the most GPU-intensive games, you have lots of options. In this guide, we'll show you what to look out for so that you can pick the best GPU that fits your budget and needs.
Nvidia, AMD, or Intel?
Consumer graphics cards are generally split into two categories -- integrated and discrete graphics. Since you're here, you're most likely looking for a discrete (or dedicated) GPU, and that's what we're going to focus on in this article.

Read more