Is there light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to outrageous GPU prices? If the downward-trending prices during Q1 2022 are any indication, things are slowly getting back to normal regarding the best graphics cards for gaming. While we've seen board makers like EVGA sell their branded graphics cards at MSRP for a few months now, retailers have been a bit slower to retain sufficient stock at MSRP. However, that no longer appears to be the case regarding the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti over at Newegg.
Newegg is currently selling the Gigabyte RTX 3080 Ti Gaming OC at $1,199. Unlike the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition, which uses a blower-style cooling setup, Gigabyte has opted for a more traditional triple-fan arrangement. As a result, the Gigabyte RTX 3080 Ti Gaming OC boasts a slightly higher maximum GPU clock, coming in at 1,710 MHz versus 1,665 MHz.
The card is still in stock at Newegg and is offered with free shipping (which is notable because EVGA typically hits customers with around $20 in shipping charges for its in-stock RTX 30 Series graphics cards). If you want a slightly loftier maximum GPU clock, 1,725 MHz boost to be exact, the RTX 3080 Ti XC3 Ultra Gaming is $80 higher at $1,279.
If $1,199 or more is too rich for your blood, the EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra Gaming is currently on backorder at Newegg (estimated arrival shipping date of today) with a price of $869. The RTX 3080 Founders Edition costs $699, but the chances of finding one of those at MSRP is near impossible these days. The $170 premium for the EVGA is somewhat expected given its higher GPU clock, iCX3 cooling technology, metal backplate and abundance of RGB lighting.
Moving further down the performance ladder, the Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Eagle OC sells for $699. Again, this is a custom card with a higher GPU clock than its $599 Founders Edition counterpart, so the $100 premium is expected. Newegg says that the card is currently on backorder, but you can still place an order at $699 and lock in your pricing when they come back in stock.
Unfortunately, markups on RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3060 graphics cards, as a percentage of their actual MSRP, are unfavorable for Newegg customers. For example, the RTX 3060 Ti has an MSRP of $399 (Founders Edition), but the cheapest counterpart at Newegg is the MSI RTX 3060 Ti Ventus, priced at $579.
