GPU prices are continuing to fall, and it’s partly thanks to a cryptocurrency crash. It’s now possible to pick up one of the best graphics cards on the secondary market for significantly below MSRP, and excess board partner stock could help keep availability high.
According to Tom’s Hardware, GPU prices have dropped significantly within the last 15 days, something it attributes to an ongoing Bitcoin and Ethereum crash. At the moment, you can grab a brand new Nvidia RTX 3090 Ti for $1,800 USD, and people are selling the RTX 3080 second-hand for less than $650 USD on the likes of eBay.
The Bitcoin crash is a bad omen for Blockchain enthusiasts, but it’s great news for anyone wanting to upgrade their gaming PC. The crypto collapse means there’s a good chance GPU prices will continue to fall, which should increase the number of graphics cards available for less than MSRP. We’ll likely also see more cuts before the launch of Nvidia RTX 4000 and AMD RDNA 3 GPUs, as retailers will be eager to shift current-gen stock.
Of course, if Bitcoin bounces back, it might affect the availability and pricing of cards like the RTX 4090, RTX 4080, and RTX 4070 later this year. That said, Nvidia has reportedly spent $10 billion securing RTX 4000 components, so perhaps the GPU giant will be better prepared if another out-of-stock storm brews.