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GPU prices are crashing, could return to normal within weeks

Zak Islam
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With GPU prices falling across worldwide markets in recent weeks at a rate we haven’t seen during the past two years, it’s only a matter of time before consumers can finally purchase a graphics card at its manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP).

It seems the GPU market may finally normalize as soon as next month or by May, according to 3DCenter’s latest price analysis.

Graphics Card
Aleksandr Grechanyuk/Shutterstock

Between March 6 and March 27, Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 and AMD Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards were priced 25% over their MSRPs, respectively.

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GPU prices are now the lowest they’ve been in the 14 months since January 2021. Availability levels, meanwhile, have not been impacted and thus remain unchanged from last month.

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Comparatively, for the period between February 13 to March 6, prices for products from the aforementioned GPU ranges were 41% (Nvidia) and 35% (AMD) over MSRP, respectively.

Granted, these figures represent certain European regions, namely Austria and Germany. However, the cost for popular boards in America are also starting to become more affordable. That said, it may take a few more months for U.S. GPU prices to reach their MSRPs.

A chart analysing the prices for Nvidia and AMD graphics cards during March 2022.
Image source: 3DCenter Image used with permission by copyright holder

Interestingly, this is the first time since 3DCenter started tracking price changes in the GPU market where the cost for both Nvidia and AMD boards have exactly matched each other.

Due to the difference in demand for Nvidia boards, Team Green’s products have commanded higher price tags. Scalpers and third-party sellers capitalized on the popularity of cryptocurrency and its compatibility with RTX 30-series GPUs by selling them at significantly inflated prices, but that no longer appears to the case.

Taking a closer look at the specific prices, as detailed by Wccftech, gives us a better idea of how much certain GPUs cost at the moment:

  • Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti (7% over MSRP)
  • Nvidia RTX 3090 (17% over MSRP)
  • Nvidia RTX 3050 (22% over MSRP)
  • AMD 6500 XT (now priced at the MSRP)
  • AMD 6600 (11% over MSRP)
  • AMD 6600 XT (15% over MSRP)
  • AMD 6900 XT (14% over MSRP)

These prices are certainly reassuring, especially when considering how difficult it was to obtain them during the height of the GPU shortage, but Wccftech highlights how the 6700 XT is still quite pricey (32% above MSRP), while the 6800 and 6800 XT are 50% above MSRP.

A sign of things to come

In any case, with prices falling across the board, the volatility of the crypto market, and the fact that Ethereum’s proof-of-stake concept is due to materialize in the coming months (effectively disabling the ability to mine ETH on Nvidia boards), it seems that retailers will start selling GPUs at the MSRP again in the near future.

That scenario appears set to materialize as soon as next month: We’ve already seen Nvidia board partners dropping prices by as much as 35% overnight for popular graphics cards.

The head of PC components at a large U.K.-based computing retailer, Box.co.uk, told TechRadar that he expects inflated prices for GPUs will no longer be the norm by May.

“I do expect GPU pricing to realign with where the market used to be, given the boom in the market is now coming to an end. By the end of April, beginning of May, we should start to see things return to a more attractive price.”

For a comprehensive breakdown of the current state of the GPU market that documents prices for specific GPUs, be sure to check out our recent feature on GPU prices and availability.

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Zak Islam
Zak Islam
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Zak Islam was a freelance writer at Digital Trends covering the latest news in the technology world, particularly the…
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