One of the most popular graphics cards on the market, the Nvidia RTX 3080, has seen one of its biggest official price cuts since the GPU shortage began.
Providing further proof that the video card industry is starting to normalize again in regard to costs, retailers in Australia have applied an enormous 35% price cut to Nvidia’s powerful board.
Hardware Unboxed reports that the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 TUF Gaming OC model was available for 2,299 Australian dollars ($1,696) a few days ago. However, overnight, several stores decided to collectively drop the asking price to 1,499 Australian dollars ($1,109).
Prices have been falling steadily since 2022 began, but we’ve never witnessed such an aggressive price cut from retailers until now. The RTX 3080 is aimed toward the enthusiast segment, so it’s not a question of demand — it’s been one of the most coveted products during the GPU shortage.
It’s possible that certain stores just aren’t able to sell GPUs at ridiculously inflated price points anymore. Lending credence to this theory is the fact that availability of stock has reached a level not seen since the start of 2021, ultimately providing more affordable options for consumers from other third-party marketplaces.
In any case, it’s important to take into account that the 35% price cut for the GeForce RTX 3080 has thus far only materialized in the Australian market. In America, as Tom’s Hardware notes, the average price for this specific graphics card is currently $1,323 during March, which is 8.1% cheaper than it was throughout February. Either way, it’s still a long way off from the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $699.
Prices attached to the RTX 30-series are 68% higher than the MSRP in the U.S. Within certain European regions, however, the cost for products from the aforementioned range are now 41% higher than the MSRP. Realistically, we’ll have to wait a few months before American retailers follow their Australian counterparts in applying such large price deductions for video cards.
All things considered, though, the current state of the GPU market is in a much healthier place compared to the height of the shortage in 2021, which saw anyone wanting to grab an Nvidia board having to pay over 200% of the MSRP.
It may be tempting for many to purchase a graphics card at this moment in time — especially for those who are long overdue for a system upgrade. However, we recommend you wait just a few more months for GPU costs to drop to their original retail price tags.
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