Graphics card prices have been insane for the entirety of 2021, compounding the problems of low availability experienced throughout most of last year. However, there is some suggestion that things are starting to improve. According to a report by 3DCenter, the prices of both AMD RDNA2 and Nvidia RTX 3000 graphics cards have come down dramatically in recent weeks, with the most popular, top-tier GPUs now priced at around 150% their MSRP. While that's still a steep price, it's way, way below the peak, which saw some RTX 3000 cards cost as much as 300% their original asking price in May.
The RTX 3080 launched last year with a price tag of $700, but in May this year, it could be found for as much as $2,500 and even more so if you tried buying from auction site sellers. The AMD RX 6800 XT debuted at $650, but in May would have set you back closer to $1,800. Similar pricing problems were faced by those looking to buy higher end 6900 XT and 3090 cards, but the problem was just as pronounced at the lower end too. The 3060 was supposed to be a $330, but it cost almost $1,500 at one point. The $480 6700 XT had a maximum price of almost $1,600.
But all of this is now starting to calm. You'll still need to get lucky to get a great price, and you won't find anything at MSRP just yet, but there are some instances where you can buy a 6700 XT for under $700. The 3060 can be found for around $580 in some cases, and those looking to buy a 3080 may be able to get one for around $1400.
It's still not good, and if you can wait, it's a good idea, as prices will hopefully come down further over the next year, and you have FSR and DLSS to tide you over in the meantime. But this is a good sign and shows that we will hopefully get back to a state of affordable GPUs in the not-too-distant future.
Image source: 3DCenter