There's a lot going on in the world of graphics cards, currently. With Intel possibly delaying its Arc desktop hardware, and the likes of Nvidia and AMD looking to leap into the next generation in a few months, the final stages of 2022 could be an interesting one for gamers and PC enthusiasts. However, since RDNA 2 and Ampere released in 2020, it's been a difficult time, owing to the tech deficit and major increase in prices. Fortunately, costs have been coming down, and it looks as though this trend is continuing.
According to a recent analysis from the German website 3DCenter, as referenced by Tom's Hardware, prices for AMD and Nvidia products have dropped, with some now at about 10% above their MSRPs. The original report also shows just how much more expensive graphics cards were just a few months ago, with hardware from this generation, from both tech giants, being more than 80% higher than their respective retail values last December.
There is still a way to go, of course, but with Nvidia's RTX 3090 being just 6% over MSRP, the continuation of this decline is bound to be good news for those who have been waiting for prices to level out. The report goes on to say that, as attractive as this prospect is, some high-end products are still averaging around 22% higher than the recommended selling prices. Having said that, it still shows that progress is being made, and while this may refer to retailers in places like Germany, it's only natural to assume that this could be carried forward into other countries.
This also ties in with another recent analysis that says graphics cards prices will continue to plummet, and should eventually be at their MSRPs. There's no telling when this will be, though it could be within the next couple of months, so some potential buyers may be happier waiting a little longer to see just how low they will drop. There is, unfortunately, one downside to all this, and that's the continued deficit that has plagued the tech and gaming landscape.
With Intel's CEO saying that chip shortages could go on until 2024, there may still be misery ahead for anyone wanting a new Nvidia, AMD, or Intel graphics card over the next year or so. Hopefully, the outlook won't be as bleak as is to be expected, but this generation has already been a difficult one, and unless people have been prepared to pay way above the odds for hardware, many have been unable to procure much since the end of 2020.
Source: 3DCenter, Tom's Hardware