If you've been trying, and failing, to buy a new graphics card lately, then the good news is that the nightmare may finally be over, with GPU stocks from AMD and Nvidia seemingly much more plentiful so far in 2022, and this has helped reduce prices too
3DCenter's report (and reported by Wccftech) shows that the availability of many graphics cards is now the best since early 2021 and continues to improve. The inventory situation looks particularly good among European retailers, who are buying more units, which should hopefully make it easier to buy GPUs.
One of the worst side effects of the GPU shortage was that low inventory and incredibly high demand meant that stock GPUs were sold at grossly inflated prices relative to MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price). So if you found a standard GPU, you may not have been able to buy it yet.
The good news is that with the increase in GPU supply, it seems that prices are falling again. They're not below or near MSRP yet, but prices are coming down. As the 3DCenter report notes, AMD GPUs are now selling at an average of 45% above MSRP, a big increase from what they were expected to sell for, but still down from the 63% above MSRP they sold for. last month.
Nvidia's GPUs were even worse, selling for 77% above MSRP on average last month. Fortunately, they dropped too and are now selling for an average of 57% MSRP.
It's still a bit much, especially for high-end GPUs, but at least things are heading in the right direction.
Analysis: Do we dare to dream?
This is all very welcome news, but does that mean we'll soon be in a position where buying a GPU isn't a complete nightmare?
We suggest you don't get your hopes up just yet. GPU prices still have a way of falling to even reach MSRP, and while Nvidia and AMD continue to release new GPUs, they're still selling as fast as they appear in stores. We expect a high-profile release like the upcoming Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti to be hard to come by, as Nvidia is unlikely to produce many units (and there are even rumors that Nvidia's stock struggles are what held the GPU back). in the top place.
Many issues that led to a limited supply of GPUs remain, such as the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and chip shortages, and the current price drops could be due to a recent drop in cryptocurrencies.
Crypto miners remain a key influencer in the GPU market, and if there is another boom, we could see GPU stocks become scarce again with miners (and resellers) buying GPUs in bulk, which would also drive up GPU prices.
So while this news is positive for potential GPU buyers, it may not last.
Today's best graphics card deals
