Oh no. We reported back in January that the MSRP of graphics cards could rise even further this year, and sadly, this looks like it’s ringing true. MSI says it’s raising GPU prices “to reflect tight supply”, according to a report from Digitimes. Pair that with the possibility of GPU stock struggling until 2022, and GPU hunting is looking even less pretty.
While it’s only MSI so far admitting GPU prices will rise, other AIB partners are bound to follow. We’ve already seen Palit re-release the four-year-old GTX 1050 Ti at double its original MSRP, proving that price hikes aren’t just limited to the newest and best graphics card.
It’s unlikely that the price increase on MSI’s graphics cards, however much it may be, will be enough to deter crypto miners and soften the blow of current stock issues – especially when cards like the RTX 3080 are capable of generating around $10 per day from Ether mining. Still, even with these possible price inflations, we’re sure they’ll be a whole lot cheaper than scalpers’ over-inflated GPU prices.
If you want to try and grab a new GPU at MSRP, we’d recommend having your refresh key ready for the possible launch of the RTX 3070 Ti and 3080 Ti in the coming months.
If other AIB suppliers trail in the steps of MSI, we’ll no doubt see the cost of used GPUs rise further too. Add all of this together, and it looks like building the best gaming PC is about to get even more pricey.