With the price of Bitcoin and Ethereum reaching record highs, it appears we're in for another round of cryptocurrency-fueled mania. It isn't surprising to hear the latest news out of China where, according to a MyDrivers report, pricing on the best graphics cards is beginning to increase yet again.
We've previously seen that graphics card prices are increasing in Germany, reversing the previous declines that came in the wake of recent cryptocurrency pullbacks.
The impact of the increasing cryptocurrency mining profitability is obviously going to spread, and the effect is also already in full swing in China. MyDrivers has tracked pricing for key Asus GPU models, logging the following monthly price increases:
| ASUS GPU Models | Sept. Increase over August |
|---|---|
| RTX 3070 Ti | $92 (600 Yuan) |
| RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 | $46-61 (300-400 Yuan) |
| RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3060, and RTX 2060 | $30-54 (200-350 Yuan) |
| GTX 1660 and GTX 1050 | $15-23 (100-150 Yuan) |
According to the MyDrivers data, the RTX 3070 Ti saw the largest price increase, amounting to up to 600 Yuan, or about $92 USD. Asus's Radeon RX 6600 XT has also risen by $61 (400 Yuan).
Another vendor, Gigabyte, is also seeing price hikes:
| Gigabyte PU Models | Sept. Increase over August |
|---|---|
| RTX 3090 and RTX 3080 | $30-61 (200-400 Yuan) |
| RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3070 | $15-46 (100-300 Yuan) |
| RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3060 | $46 (300 Yuan) |
| RTX 2060, GTX 1660, and GTX 1650 | $15 (100 Yuan) |
The pricing situation with other AIBs is unknown, but MSI is reportedly also struggling with tight supply. On a more general level, MyDrivers notes that RTX 2060, GTX 1660 Super, and RTX 3070 and above are suffering from shortages, while the RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3060, and GTX 1050 Ti have had relatively better supply.
