As the GPU shortage continues, people are exploring any possible means of acquiring a GPU at a reasonable price. We have already discussed a few ways of getting by during the shortage, and thanks to Massdrop, there is a new source of GPU deals for you to consider.
More Graphics Card Deals
For the next few days, Massdrop will be selling select Gigabyte GPUs (you may need to register or log in to follow that link). The Gigabyte Aorus GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is listed for $950, or you can get the Xtreme edition of that card for $1,000. You also have the option to downgrade to a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming, which knocks the price down to $650. These are excellent prices, considering most GTX 1080s currently sell for around $900, and most GTX 1080 Ti cards sell for around $1,100.
You also have the option of getting the GPUs bundled with select Gigabyte motherboards, but just one of these is worth considering at this time. If you plan to buy the GTX 1080 mentioned above and a Z370 motherboard, then this bundle priced at $800 is your best option. It includes a motherboard that sells for $250 from other retailers, which effectively puts the GPU at $550. You still pay an extra $150 over what the GTX 1080 would cost you by itself from Massdrop, though, so it's not a great value if you want to go with a lower-end motherboard or with an AMD build.
The other bundles currently available do not bring any additional savings. Two of the bundles that consist of an X299 motherboard are actually more expensive than buying the GPU from Massdrop and the exact same motherboard from any other retailer.
Massdrop will continue to offer these GPUs for another three days, but it has a limited supply of them available, so if you need a new GPU it's best to buy as soon as possible.
The Bigger Story
That's what’s cooking on Massdrop at the moment, but the bigger story here is that the site is officially in the mix as a distributor of enthusiast PC components. It’s now working directly with Asus, EVGA, Gigabyte, and MSI; we’ve spotted only Gigabyte products so far, but a Massdrop representative told us to expect more drops from all four companies.
If the forthcoming deals are similar in value to the Gigabyte drops Massdrop currently has running, that means we now have another avenue for (slightly) more reasonably priced graphics cards.
It’s also important to note that these are full retail products backed by full warranties, so it’s not as if you have to roll the dice on whether or not some ne’er-do-well is trying to scam you.
A final bit of subtext here is that the companies mentioned above are keeping some inventory “locked up” for Massdrop, according to a company representative. The availability problems the component market was experiencing seem to be abating, and that should help tug down prices a bit.
