PC gamers have been paying exorbitant prices for GPUs since they became useful in the cryptomining trade and a recently surfaced chart reveals just how much Nvidia RTX cards have skyrocketed in Europe.
Nvidia's RTX series of graphics cards is being particularly impacted by a combination of high demand and the ongoing chip shortage impacting various industries. Europe is being particularly impacted by the low stock and rising prices as a chart compiled by German website 3DCenter contains data from Germany and Austria that shows pricing for the cards between January and May.
The Nvidia RTX 3060 is supposed to retail for €329 (around $400 USD / £280 / AU$500). Thanks to the ongoing chip shortage and high demand, when the card is available at select stores it's priced at a staggering €999 ($1,200 / £950 / AU$1,570) to start. The RTX 3060 even goes as high as €1,122 ($1,370 / £1,000 / AU$1,800) in some locations, with the price changes reflecting a 341% increase. Beyond that, PC gamers in Germany and Austria have to turn to the scalpers who continue to swiftly purchase these cards before most average gamers.
Nvidia's RTX 3070 should retail in Germany for €519 (around $630 USD / £450 / AU$800), but is going for between €1,498 ($1,800 USD / £1,300 / AU$2,350) and €1,649 ($2,000 USD / £1,400 / AU$2,600). Meanwhile, the RTX 3080 gets the worst of it because it’s supposed to sell for €719 ($880 USD / £620 / AU$1,120). Instead, it’s being sold for €2,999 ($3,600 USD / £2,600 / AU$4,700). This price change reflects a 417% increase over the RRP which shows how drastically prices for Nvidia's RTX cards are rising in Europe.
AMD's cards are also being impacted by demand and the ongoing chip shortage, though the price increases aren't as drastic as they are for Nvidia. The AMD Radeon 6800, which should cost €579 in Germany ($700 USD / £500 / AU$900), is being sold for up to €1,699 ($2,000 USD / £1,400 / AU$2,700) according to other sales charts from the region. This increase isn't nearly as bad as the Nvidia RTX cards, but it proves how expensive building a PC has become during the ongoing chip shortage. Despite the fact that Nvidia is releasing cards with cryptomining limiters and considering there's no end in sight to the chip shortage, it may be some time before the GPU market stabilizes.
Pricing isn't the only issue impacting PC gamers in Germany and Austria, as it's hard enough simply locating and securing one of the new GPUs. In some cases, there are PC gamers who are looking for an Nvidia RTX 3080 and they're even willing to pay the exorbitant prices, but they're simply struggling to find a card at a retailer.
Source: Game Debate