If you’re into the gaming world, you know how dramatically GPU prices have been touching the skies since 2020. But thankfully, we’ve noticed a slight decrease in the GPU prices lately.
So, can we say that the GPU nightmare is going to be over? Are the prices going to come back down? If so, when do GPU prices drop? That we’ll find out today.
Feeling excited? Let’s roll in.
Reasons For The GPU Prices To Go Up
With the enormous demand for GPUs in the previous years with the pandemic combined, GPU prices have been dramatically increasing lately.
Not just that, another major reason for the price jump is also the shortage of silicon which is used in the manufacture of GPU chips. And oh, how could we forget the blast in the crypto mining trend?
All these reasons combined, have been making the GPU prices get worse. No doubt, with double to triple of the original prices, GPUs are getting out of reach of many.
To further make it all worse, we have the Ethereum prices going high which is also bringing an increase in the GPU prices.
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So, what does all that conclude? Aren’t the GPU prices going further high? Let’s find out.
Are GPU Prices Going Down? Or Coming Up?
According to Business Insider, GPU prices are expected to increase due to the boost in Ethereum prices which is an essential component of Nvidia GPUs.
In fact, in the last few weeks, Ethereum prices have jumped by over 23%.
However, at the same time, we’ve experienced the prices of some GPUs coming down as well. For instance, Nvidia’s RTX 3080Ti and RTX 3090 have come down to 20-25% over MSRP.
But considering the Ethereum pricing going up, we’re not really sure whether the GPU prices will keep coming down or go up.
Also, the demand for GPU for crypto mining is also increasing over time and it becomes hard to decide whether the manufacturers will be able to develop enough GPU units or not.
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That said, here’s a supportive table showing the increasing prices of GPUs.
Nvidia And AMD GPU Prices (March 2021):
Below is the price table of various Nvidia and AMD GPUs. It shows you clearly how much GPU prices have increased.
| Item | Retail price | Street price (Dec 2020) | Street price (Mar 2021) | Current value |
| Nvidia RTX 3090 | $1,499 | $2,076 | $2,985 | 1.99x |
| Nvidia RTX 3080 | $699 | $1,227 | $2,160 | 3.09x |
| Nvidia RTX 3070 | $499 | $819 | $1,239 | 2.48x |
| Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti | $399 | $675 | $1,226 | 3.07x |
| Nvidia RTX 3060 | $329 | N/A | $828 | 2.5x |
| AMD RX 6900 XT | $999 | N/A | $1,841 | 1.84x |
| AMD RX 6800 XT | $649 | $1,232 | $1,555 | 2.4x |
| AMD RX 6800 | $579 | $841 | $1,331 | 2.3x |
| AMD RX 6700 XT | $479 | N/A | $1,169 | 2.4x |
Note: The prices may vary depending upon the release date, demand, and component shortages of the time.
Is GPU Shortage Over?
Although you might have to pay double the original price or even triple, the GPU shortage is nearly over. Finally, there is enough variety of GPUs on the market to purchase.
However, it could be hard to avail various units of the same model.
To eliminate the GPU shortage completely, all the major manufacturers are busy designing the next-generation GPUs, particularly including Nvidia, AMD, and Intel. While Intel is expected to launch its Arc Alchemist GPUs in early 2022, yet we don’t know when Nvidia and AMD will be launching their next GPUs.
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What Are the Best Graphics Card To Buy Right Now?
After detailed research and analyzing the market, we’ve come to state that below are the best graphics cards you can purchase at the moment:
For Mining
Below are the best graphics cards you can purchase for mining:
| GPU | Avg. eBay Price (Sept 2021) | Mining Performance | Mining Power | Daily Profit | Days to Break Even |
| GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | $293 | 25 | 90 | $1.77 | 166 |
| Radeon RX 570 8GB | $353 | 29.8 | 130 | $2.05 | 172 |
| GeForce GTX 1080 | $450 | 36.1 | 138 | $2.54 | 177 |
| GeForce GTX 1070 | $369 | 29.2 | 114 | $2.05 | 180 |
| Radeon RX 590 | $394 | 30.8 | 138 | $2.11 | 186 |
| Radeon RX 580 8GB | $400 | 30.3 | 135 | $2.08 | 192 |
| GeForce GTX 1070 Ti | $420 | 31.2 | 124 | $2.18 | 193 |
| Radeon RX 5600 XT | $555 | 39.6 | 115 | $2.87 | 193 |
| Radeon RX 5700 | $744 | 52.3 | 133 | $3.83 | 194 |
| GeForce RTX 3060 | $707 | 48.6 | 118 | $3.58 | 198 |
| GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | $620 | 44.7 | 187 | $3.10 | 200 |
| GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | $916 | 60.6 | 116 | $4.53 | 202 |
| GeForce RTX 2060 Super | $642 | 43.7 | 129 | $3.16 | 203 |
| GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | $459 | 29.7 | 73 | $2.18 | 210 |
| GeForce GTX 1660 | $386 | 25.3 | 70 | $1.84 | 210 |
| GeForce GTX 1660 Super | $472 | 30.2 | 75 | $2.22 | 213 |
| Radeon RX 5700 XT | $847 | 53.8 | 125 | $3.97 | 213 |
| Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB | $407 | 26.3 | 81 | $1.89 | 215 |
| GeForce RTX 2060 | $513 | 33 | 105 | $2.37 | 217 |
| GeForce RTX 2070 Super | $709 | 43.9 | 128 | $3.18 | 223 |
| GeForce RTX 2070 | $707 | 43.8 | 130 | $3.17 | 223 |
| Radeon RX Vega 64 | $701 | 45.5 | 234 | $3.05 | 230 |
| GeForce RTX 2080 | $759 | 43.8 | 119 | $3.19 | 238 |
| GeForce RTX 2080 Ti | $1,039 | 60.1 | 180 | $4.34 | 239 |
| Radeon RX 6700 XT | $825 | 47.1 | 120 | $3.45 | 239 |
| GeForce RTX 3080 | $1,666 | 94 | 220 | $6.94 | 240 |
| Radeon RX 6600 XT | $593 | 32.3 | 75 | $2.39 | 249 |
| Radeon RX Vega 56 | $691 | 40.2 | 174 | $2.77 | 249 |
| Radeon VII | $1,585 | 85.6 | 231 | $6.24 | 254 |
| Radeon RX 6800 | $1,232 | 64.5 | 166 | $4.72 | 261 |
| GeForce RTX 3070 | $1,204 | 61.3 | 123 | $4.57 | 263 |
| GeForce RTX 2080 Super | $839 | 43.9 | 124 | $3.19 | 263 |
| Radeon RX 6800 XT | $1,280 | 64.6 | 186 | $4.68 | 273 |
| GeForce RTX 3060 LHR | $707 | 34 | 110 | $2.44 | 290 |
| GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR | $916 | 42.4 | 114 | $3.09 | 296 |
| GeForce RTX 3090 | $2,620 | 115 | 285 | $8.45 | 310 |
| GeForce RTX 3070 Ti LHR | $1,167 | 51 | 155 | $3.68 | 317 |
| GeForce RTX 3080 Ti LHR | $1,880 | 77 | 220 | $5.59 | 336 |
| Radeon RX 6900 XT | $1,620 | 64.6 | 183 | $4.69 | 345 |
| GeForce RTX 3080 LHR | $1,666 | 65.8 | 215 | $4.71 | 354 |
| GeForce RTX 3070 LHR | $1,204 | 42.9 | 120 | $3.12 | 386 |
Note: The prices may vary depending upon the release date, demand, and component shortages of the time.
For Gaming
Below are the best graphics card you can purchase for gaming:
| GPU | Performance Rank | Value Rank (fps/$) |
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 | 1 (152.7 fps) | 13 ($1,499) |
| AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT | 2 (148.1fps) | 12 ($999) |
| AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT | 3 (142.8 fps) | 10 ($649) |
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 | 4 (142.1 fps) | 11 ($699) |
| AMD Radeon RX 6800 | 5 (127.3 fps) | 9 ($579) |
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 | 6 (116.6 fps) | 7 ($499) |
| AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT | 7 (112.0 fps) | 6 ($479) |
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | 8 (106.3 fps) | 2 ($399) |
| AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT | 9 (88.2 fps) | 8 ($379) |
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 12GB | 10 (83.6 fps) | 4 ($329) |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super | 11 (57.9 fps) | 5 ($229) |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Super | 12 (43.5 fps) | 1 ($159) |
| AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB | 13 (43.3) | 3 ($169) |
Note: The prices may vary depending upon the release date, demand, and component shortages of the time.
Are you unable to find out what sets GPU memory clock and core clock apart? Read our definitive guide on the difference between GPU memory clock and core clock of a GPU
Final Verdict
The case with GPU pricing is quite exhausting and confusing. There’s a ton of issues like the increase in the prices of Ethernum, higher demand of GPUs for mining, pandemic, and of course, shortage of silicon.
With this kind of issues at hand, can we expect the GPU prices to drop? Well, maybe.
If the manufacturers manage to fulfill the demand for GPUs, the prices will likely come down a little. Otherwise, what can we say?
So, should you purchase a GPU right away or wait for the GPU prices to drop?
Well, since the GPU prices are very unstable at the moment and we cannot clearly predict what is going to happen, this seems to be a good time to purchase your GPU.
Until next time, cheers!
Frequently Asked Questions On When Do GPU Prices Drop
Here I answer the most frequent queries regarding the GPU prices: whether they’ll come down or not:
Will GPU Prices Drop In 2022?
The major reason for the increase in GPU prices is the silicon shortage. Nvidia CEO has announced that he expected that the chip shortage will remain throughout 2022 and so will the prices keep touching the sky. If you’re waiting for the prices to drop to purchase a GPU, don’t. Instead, consider purchasing as soon as you get a good price.
Do GPU Prices Go Down?
The GPU prices have been coming down lately. The Nvidia cards that were selling at over 300% above the MSRP, have now come to 150%. But since the silicon and chip shortage remains, we are not sure if the prices will keep coming down.
Why Is GPU So Expensive?
There are many reasons for the GPUs to be expensive at the moment. The silicon shortage, the increase in the pricing of Ethernium, and the increasing demand for GPUs for crypto mining are the major ones.
Is A 1080 TI Still Good?
Although GTX 1080 Ti has become outdated according to the standards, it remains to be an amazing option for gaming, live streaming, and various other GPU workloads like video rendering and 3D animations. Furthermore, people also use it for crypto mining.
Why Is GPU Stock So Low?
The reason for the GPU stock to be surprisingly low is mainly due to the increasing demand for GPUs for crypto mining. The trend has been going up and up and the demand for GPUs is skyrocketing. Furthermore, the silicon shortage is another major cause of the shortage of GPUs on the market.
