According to the latest 3D Center survey of PC graphics cards pricing from mainland Europe, prices are on average very close to MSRPs. This is great news, on the surface, but digging a bit deeper into the statistics and you can see some significant distortions away from MSRPs. On the AMD side, cards like the Radeon RX 6800 and 6800 XT are still significantly overpriced on the continent. If you are more interested in Nvidia's offerings, the biggest sales price margins above MSRPs (in percent terms) are seen between the GeForce RTX 3080 and 3060.
(Image credit: 3D Center)
3DCenter's graph shows the pricing curves for the AMD Radeon RX 6000 and Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 graphics cards families since the beginning of 2021. It also maps availability and Ethereum mining profitability. A quick look at the chart shows that the rate of decline of graphics card pricing has slowed over the last few months, but it is still very much in a downtrend – it doesn't seem to be levelling out just yet.
AMD Prices and Trends
AMD graphics card prices are on average just 3% higher than MSRPs according to 3DCenter's data. The worst choices from the RDNA2 stables, if you are looking for fair price vs MSRPs are the Radeon RX 6800 XT at +22% and the 6800 XT at +35%. AMD's average is helped by many GPUs being more or less MSRP equal to retail pricing, and the RX 6500 XT which is selling for -19% vs MSRP.
AMD's best 'bargains' are at the very top end, and bottom end.
Nvidia Prices and Trends
Nvidia's Ampere GPU prices aren't as distorted. However, they are on average 6% higher than MSRPs. A significant outlier in the GeForce RTX 30 range is the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which is selling for 21% over MSRP at best. All the other models are single figure percentages above MSRP, or at worst 10 to 12% above MSRP.
Looking at the Nvidia models prices in Europe it seems like the best 'bargains' are the high to mid-range RTX 30 cards. That is if we are solely considering deviation from MSRP as a measure of a bargain.
3DCenter compiles its graphics card pricing surveys every three weeks using pricing / availability from about 20 popular retailers across Germany and Austria. You can hit up the source if you are interested in Euro pricing for current gen RDNA2 and Ampere GPUs – if you are a Eurozone resident, perhaps. If you live elsewhere this is a good indicator of trends in a major competitive market and if similar trends aren't a feature in your locality it should just be a matter of time until they are.
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GPU Prices in the US
Tom's Hardware will always keep a close eye on the US GPU market separately. Yesterday we reported on the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB Gaming GPU dropping to $884 at Amazon. At the end of last week we spotted the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT for just $699 at B&H. Our graphics card editor, Jarred Walton compiled a list of the best GPU deals less than a fortnight ago. In the current market climate we have been updating GPU pricing features more frequently to keep you updated with the best price drops and offers.
Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
