The Nvidia RTX 3050 desktop graphics card was announced at an affordable price during Nvidia's CES 2022 keynote. But presale listings for the card show that some sites have already inflated its price to more than double the MSRP.
This is despite earlier predictions that RTX 3050 stocks would be more abundant, which we hoped would dampen demand and help keep prices low. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 goes on sale on January 27, 2022, with prices starting at €249 (about $185 / AU$350), but VideoCardz reports that listings for the GPU can already be found in Peru on a website. undisclosed retailer for €453 (about €334 / AUD630).
And it's not just Peru where we're seeing prices start to skyrocket, with a now-deleted third-party listing on Newegg Marketplace already offering RTX 3050 cards for up to $699 (about $520 / AU$980). These cards, however, are not distributed directly through Newegg and are instead shipped from abroad.
This is daunting, as it gives us a good indication of what to expect when the RTX 3050 officially goes on sale. Even with the rumored plentiful stock, the entry-level graphics card's "budget" appeal is likely to be lost, at least for now.
It certainly won't be one of the best graphics cards out there, but it wasn't designed to be. Instead, it's aimed at people looking to upgrade much older hardware on a budget, or newcomers to PC gaming looking for an affordable way to enjoy the hobby. So demand was expected to be high, especially since it supports DLSS and real-time ray tracing, two things that the previous GTX series of Nvidia graphics cards can't do.
With any luck, launch day prices at third-party retailers could still stay low if it's just a hit by some resellers trying their luck, but only time will tell. . We recommend that you don't expect this GPU to sell anywhere near MSRP just in case (at least outside of Nvidia's own online store).
Analysis: Yeah, we've been in this mess for a while
As disappointing as it is to think that the RTX 3050 won't be as affordable as it should be, it's no surprise when you look at all the GPU releases from Nvidia and AMD over the past few years.
The graphics card market is a mess thanks to the ongoing chip shortage and the rise of Ethereum crypto mining, which has created the perfect environment for scalpers and opportunists to take action and massively inflate prices relative to the market. MSRP. Unfortunately, no improvements are expected until around 2023.
If you're currently running a pretty worn out graphics card in your system, especially around the GTX 1660 Ti or lower brand, the RTX 3050 would be a decent card to replace if you can buy one near its recommended official store. . the price. If costs are skyrocketing to match previously reported incidents, you might be better off looking at a used RTX 3060 or similar if you're happy to stretch your budget.
Other options for people in desperate need of a GPU replacement or upgrade would be to check out streaming services like GeForce Now until the market stabilizes. GeForce Now offers a free subscription option, as well as monthly subscription levels if you want longer gaming sessions and shorter wait times to use the service. Even better, if you manage to get a GPU for the right price, you can simply cancel your subscription, though you do need a decent internet connection for this to work.