The GPU shortage is over, and gamers around the world can breathe a sigh of relief. For those in the market for one of the best graphics cards, we closely looked at graphics card prices and availability to see where the GPU market is headed and to figure out the best time to buy.
If you’re looking for a cheap GPU deal, now is the time to buy. After a nasty slip in gaming revenue from Nvidia, prices from both AMD and Nvidia are starting to tumble even below list price. Recent reports suggest GPU prices may crash even lower in the coming weeks, too.
Here’s the state of affairs for GPU pricing in September 2022.
When will graphics card prices drop?
GPU prices have largely returned to normal, despite a few key graphics cards selling for above list price. Graphics cards are in stock at retailers, which has cut off scalpers at the knees with inflated prices. Prices have returned to normal at retailers, following a couple of months of steep drops in prices on the secondhand market.
The GPU market is in good shape now, with cards on the secondhand market selling for below list price, as they should. We’re not completely out of the woods yet, though. It’s possible upcoming releases, like the Nvidia RTX 4080, could inflate prices at the end of the year.
That may be the case, as Nvidia recently boasted to investors about inflated GPU prices. It’s not clear if those higher prices are a result of the GPU shortage or simply because graphics cards are getting more expensive. The 12GB RTX 3080, for example, is about $400 more expensive than its 10GB counterpart.
For now, though, GPU prices continue to drop. Going into September, we’ve seen steep price drops on low-end Nvidia graphics cards, as well as an overall trend downward as AMD and Nvidia prepare for the next generation.
Nvidia GPU pricing trend 2021 to 2022
Nvidia graphics cards are still a bit more expensive than AMD ones, selling for around 20% above the list price on average. The good news is that retailers have Nvidia graphics cards in stock now, which has significantly lowered prices on the secondhand market. You can see how prices steadily dropped for these cards in the first few months of 2022 on eBay in the chart below.
The RTX 3080 was nearly 149% above the list price in January 2022 but dropped to only 105% above the list price by March. Now that we’re later in the year, some RTX 3080 cards are actually selling below the list price on eBay. Prices remain a bit higher at retailers, however, as we’ll dig into in the upcoming sections.
AMD’s graphics cards aren’t as inflated as Nvidia’s at the moment, and some RX 6000 graphics cards are selling below list price at retailers. The secondhand market has largely recovered, too, though you won’t score a deal on an AMD graphics card like you will on an Nvidia if you shop used.
You can see the steep decline in the price of RX 6000 GPUs in the first few months of the year in the chart above. GPU prices have stabilized now, with a few notable exceptions. Popular cards like RX 6800 XT still sell for above list price, but you can find a few if you shop for a used card.
Nvidia GeForce Ampere RTX 30-series
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends.
GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
The RTX 3090 Ti is the latest addition to Nvidia’s Ampere lineup, and it never experienced the inflated prices as the rest of the range. In fact, Nvidia is selling them for cheap. Following price cuts for the whole GPU market, some RTX 3090 Ti models were discounted by as much as $1,000. Read our RTX 3090 Ti review to see how the card performs.
- $1,274 MSI RTX 3090 Ti Gaming X Trio at Newegg
- $1,334 MSI RTX 3090 Ti Suprim X at Amazon
GeForce RTX 3090
Although the RTX 3090 is much older than the RTX 3090 Ti, it’s much more expensive than its list price. The card launched at $1,500, and recent price cuts have brought it down to around $1,100. It’s not a great value, but the RTX 3090 is much cheaper than it once was.
- $1,100 Asus Tuf RTX 3090 OC Edition at Amazon
- $1,015 EVGA RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra at Newegg
- $1,600 Asus RTX 3090 ROG Strix at Amazon
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
The RTX 3080 Ti is one of the few graphics cards that’s selling for below list price now, which makes sense considering it was massively overpriced in the first place. It launched for $1,200, but you can find it now for around $1,000. There’s quite a bit of variation, however, with some overclocked models selling for closer to $1,500. Read our RTX 3080 Ti review for benchmarks.
- $1,030 Asus RTX 3080 Ti Tuf Gaming OC at Newegg
- $894 Zotac RTX 3080 Ti Trinity OC at Amazon
GeForce RTX 3080
The RTX 3080 was a sweet-spot graphics card for high-end gamers when it launched. With a list price of $700 and uncharted performance — read our RTX 3080 review for more on that — it was the graphics card to buy. Some models are close to list price now, though they still typically sell for around $800.
- $760 MSI RTX 3080 Ventus 3X Plus at Amazon
- $780 EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra at Amazon
- $835 Zotac RTX 3080 Trinity OC at Amazon
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
The RTX 3070 Ti is an updated version of the RTX 3070, packing in more cores, a faster clock speed, and higher memory bandwidth. It launched for only $600, but you’ll spend closer to $700 now. Overclocked models aren’t much more expensive, reaching up to around $750 at most. Read our RTX 3070 Ti review to see it in action.
- $680 EVGA RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 Ultra at Amazon
- $630 Zotac RTX 3070 Ti Trinity OC at Amazon
- $640 Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC at Amazon
GeForce RTX 3070
Much like the RTX 3080 and RTX 3080 Ti, it’s much harder to find the RTX 3070 compared to its Ti sibling. And you’ll pay about the same price. The RTX 3070 launched at $500, but most models run around $700, saving you only $50 or so compared to the Ti model.
- $580 MSI RTX 3070 Ventus 2X at Amazon
- $550 Gigabyte RTX 3080 Gaming OC Windforce at Amazon
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
The RTX 3060 Ti is a popular graphics card, which makes sense. It’s the best 1080p graphics card you can buy, with enough power for 1440p in some titles. It launched for $400, but you’ll spend around $550 for a card now. Overclocked models are a bit more expensive, running toward $650 for an overclocked card tricked out with RGB.
- $470 Zotac RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge OC at Amazon
- $500 MSI RTX 3060 Ti Ventus 2X at Newegg
- $550 Gigabyte RTX 3060 Ti Gaming OC at Amazon
GeForce RTX 3060
The RTX 3060 is an oddball graphics card, launching for $330 shortly after the Ti version. It’s a little more expensive now, with most models selling for around $450 but some moving down to $400. Some overclocked models sell for over $500, but those are few and far between. For a full breakdown of performance, make sure to read our RTX 3060 review.
- $387 PNY RTX 3060 XLR8 Gaming Revel Epic-X at Amazon
- $400 Gigabyte RTX 3060 Gaming OC V2 Windforce at Amazon
- $390 Asus RTX 3060 Phoenix V2 at Amazon
GeForce RTX 3050
Nvidia’s budget-focused RTX 3050 is a solid option for gamers on a budget — read our RTX 3050 review for a full breakdown of performance — but it’s still selling for above list price. The cheapest cards run around $330, but you could spend up to $400 for an overclocked model. That’s a solid increase compared to the $250 price the card launched at.
- $345 MSI RTX 3050 Gaming X at Lenovo
- $330 EVGA RTX 3050 XC at Amazon
AMD Radeon RDNA 2 RX 6000
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Radeon RX 6950 XT
The Radeon RX 6950 XT is an updated version of the RX 6900 XT, bringing clock speed and memory bandwidth improvements (read about those in our RX 6950 XT review). It launched for $1,100, and you can still find several models available for that price. Some models push up toward $1,300, but they’re few and far between.
- $935 PowerColor RX 6950 XT Red Devil at Amazon
- $1,000 ASRock RX 6950 XT OC Formula at Newegg
Radeon RX 6900 XT
The RX 6900 XT originally launched for $1,000, and it’s one of the few cards selling for below list price now. You can find models as cheap as $950, which isn’t a deal, but it’s much better than the inflated prices of Nvidia cards. Some models scale even higher than the RX 6950 XT, oddly, nearing $1,400. Thankfully, there are plenty of options in stock at or below list price.
- $820 PowerColor RX 6900 XT Red Devil at Amazon
- $760 XFX RX 6900 XT Speedster MERC319 at Amazon
Radeon RX 6800 XT
The RX 6800 XT has suffered a similar fate as the RTX 3080 when it comes to pricing. It launched at $650, but as the sweet-spot 4K option in AMD’s lineup, prices have remained high. Now, you’ll pay at least $700 for a card, with some overclocked models going up to $1,000. The good news is that inventory looks better, and the RX 6800 XT doesn’t have quite as much variation in pricing as the RTX 3080 does.
- $600 Sonnet RX 6800 XT at Amazon
- $680 XFX RX 6800 XT Speedster MERC319 at Amazon
Radeon RX 6800
The cut-down RX 6800 hasn’t had the same attention as the XT version, but it’s still expensive compared to the list price. It launched for $580, but you’ll spend about the same price for one as the XT version. The cheapest model we found is $750, and some sell for as much as $900. There are models in stock at various retailers, but we recommend sticking with the XT model to get the best value.
- $580 PowerColor RX 6800 Red Dragon at Amazon
- $580 Sapphire RX 6800 Pulse at Newegg
Radeon RX 6750 XT
The RX 6750 XT is an updated version of the RX 6700 XT, and just like the other RX XX50-series cards, it’s in stock for list price at most retailers. In fact, it’s in stock for a bit less. The card launched at $550, and we found models knocked down to $540. Some overclocked models go up to $650, but the vast majority of RX 6750 XT models sell for under $600.
- $530 PowerColor RX 6750 XT Red Devil at Amazon
- $530 Sapphire RX 6750 XT Nitro+ at Newegg
- $480 XFX Speedster RX 6750 XT MERC319 at Amazon
Radeon RX 6700 XT
The RX 6700 XT launched for $480, but it sells for a little more now. We found models around $480, but never any above $600, which is a decent range of prices. Although the RX 6700 XT technically lives alongside the RX 6750 XT, we imagine this model will be phased out over time in favor of the updated version. That could bring prices down in the future, but for now, stick with the RX 6750 XT.
- $440 XFX RX 6700 XT Speedster QICK319 at Amazon
- $450 PowerColor RX 6700 XT Red Devil at Amazon
Radeon RX 6650 XT
The RX 6650 XT is among the RDNA 2 refresh lineup, and it replaces the RX 6600 XT — though, keep our RX 6600 XT review handy in case you find a card in stock. The card launched for $400, and the vast majority of cards selling now go for around that price ($450 was the highest we spotted). That makes sense, as the RX 6650 XT was a rather disappointing entry in the refreshed range.
- $315 PowerColor RX 6650 XT Hellhound at Amazon
- $360 ASRock RX 6650 XT Challenger D at Newegg
Radeon RX 6600
The RX 6600 is a cut-down version of the RX 6600 XT, and it comes in at a cheaper price: $330. There are some cards in stock for that price, though many sell closer to $350. The problem is inventory, as the RX 6650 XT has pushed many of the models off digital shelves. Make sure to read our RX 6600 review to see how the card stacks up.
- $290 Gigabyte RX 6600 Eagle at Amazon
- $280 MSI RX 6600 Mech 2X at Lenovo
- $290 PowerColor RX 6600 Fighter at Amazon
Radeon RX 6500 XT
The RX 6500 XT was launched to compete with the RTX 3050 for a slightly lower price of $200. As you can read in our RX 6500 XT review, it’s one of the worst graphics cards ever released, which explains why you can pick one up for as little as $190. It’s a deal, but you’re not getting much of a graphics card for that price.
- $190 Gigabyte RX 6500 XT Eagle at Newegg
- $180 XFX RX 6500 XT Speedster QICK210 at Amazon
Radeon RX 6400
If you’re looking for a true budget graphics card, the RX 6400 is your only modern option. It launched with a recommended price of $160, and the vast majority of cards sell for around that price (give or take $10). We couldn’t find any cards above $200. Keep in mind, though, that the RX 6400 is less focused on gaming, so you’ll only find options in small-form-factor configurations.
- $150 XFX RX 6400 Speedster SWFT105 at Amazon
- $150 ASRock RX 6400 Challenger at Newegg
Should I buy a new GPU now or wait?
We recommended waiting to buy a GPU at the beginning of the year, but that’s not the case anymore. Now is the best time to buy a new GPU, as cards have mostly returned to list price and they’re in stock at retailers. Next-generation cards are on the way, however, so you may want to wait if you’re after peak performance.
Nvidia is expected to show off its RTX 40-series graphics cards in the fall, and AMD should follow up shortly after with its RX 7000 GPUs. It’s hard to say if these cards will inflate prices again or if they’ll push current prices down. If you’ve been eagerly waiting for an upgrade, now is a good time to buy a new GPU.
FAQs about GPU prices
Why are GPUs so hard to find?
In 2021, there was a GPU shortage, which is why GPUs are so hard to find. The coronavirus pandemic caused a chip shortage, making it difficult for Nvidia and AMD to produce enough cards to keep up with demand. Demand was at an all-time high in 2021, too, as cryptocurrency miners rushed to pick up graphics cards from shelves.
Throw scalpers into the mix, who capitalized on demand from gamers and cryptocurrency miners, and it’s easy to see why GPUs are so expensive. Simply put, graphics cards are hard to find because demand is much, much higher than supply.
Are GPUs still out of stock in 2022?
No, GPUs are not still out of stock in 2022. You can find Nvidia RTX 30-series and AMD RX 6000 graphics cards at most retailers, as well as on eBay. Cards are not only in stock now, but they’re also mostly selling for around list price.
When will GPU prices return to normal?
Graphics cards are cheaper now than they were in 2021, and prices have continued to drop. Although some models are still overpriced, it’s safe to say that GPU prices have returned to normal now.
It’s possible that prices will rise again near the end of the year, but it’s hard to say for sure right now.
Will old GPU prices drop?
Older graphics card prices are dropping with the rest of the market. In many cases, old GPUs still follow the price trends of the rest of the market. However, they generally don’t see as dramatic price shifts. Old GPU prices will drop along with new GPU prices.
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