The GPU shortage may finally be ending, but GPU prices remain much higher than list price. 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.
Here’s the state of GPU prices and availability coming out of March 2022.
When will graphics card prices drop?
Graphics card prices are dropping now. It’s a slow process, so cards are still significantly more expensive than list price. Nvidia graphics cards are about 55% above list price on average, but that’s down from the 117% increase that was present at the beginning of 2022.
As for when graphics cards prices will return to normal, there’s no way to tell. Given the current market trends, we expect GPUs to land closer to list price near the end of summer. It’s possible upcoming releases, like the Nvidia RTX 4080, could inflate prices at the end of the year, however.
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.
Nvidia GPU pricing trend 2021-2022
After high, sustained prices through 2021, the prices of Nvidia graphics cards are dropping. They’re the cheapest they’ve been in months, though they’re still significantly higher than list price.
Above, you can see how the prices for Nvidia RTX 30-series (Ampere) graphics cards have dropped over the first few months of 2022. The RTX 3080, for example, was nearly 149% above list price in January 2022. In March 2022, it’s 105% above list price.
A 105% increase is still more than double list price, but it’s a much better situation than graphics cards have been in.
Nvidia’s RTX 20-series (Turing) cards have dropped in price, too, but they are also still above list price. You see how the prices have shifted throughout 2022 in the chart below.
Prices are much more reasonable for these last-gen cards. The RTX 2070 Super, for example, was selling for only 11% above list price in March, down from a 43% price hike in January. The best deal right now is on RTX 20-series GPUs, but RTX 30-series prices are dropping quickly.
AMD GPU pricing trends 2021-2022
AMD’s graphics cards aren’t as inflated as Nvidia’s at the moment, but they’re still much more expensive than list price. Thankfully, prices are dropping, and some cards are approaching list price.
You can see how RX 6000 (RDNA 2) AMD graphics cards have moved over the past few months. Prices are cheaper across the board, and cards like the RX 6900 XT are only 25% above list price, down from a 48% increase. Cards remain expensive, however, with the midrange RX 6700 XT still selling for about 47% above list price.
AMD’s RX 5000 (RDNA 1) graphics cards are dropping, too. Surprisingly, some key cards here still sell for significantly above list price. The RX 5700 XT, for example, dropped from 106% above list price in March. However, it’s still 56% more expensive than it released for.
For AMD’s RDNA 1 graphics cards, it appears they’re victims of the overall inflated GPU market. The RX 5500 XT, for instance, has no reason to be selling for 53% above list price. AMD graphics cards are in the opposite position of Nvidia ones. The current-gen RX 6000 cards are a better buy than last-gen’s RX 5000 cards.
Nvidia Ampere and AMD RDNA 2 GPUs
Below, you can find inventory and prices for Nvidia Ampere and AMD RDNA 2 graphics cards. Some retailers, such as Best Buy and Micro Center, may only offer graphics cards in-store. Keep that in mind in case you can’t find a card in stock at a physical retailer.
GeForce RTX 3090
The GeForce RTX 3090 launched on September 24, 2020 for a list price of $1,499. Over the course of March, cards sold for an average price of $2,148 on eBay. Retailers are selling the RTX 3090 for a lower average of $2,077.
Here’s where the GeForce RTX 3090 is in stock:
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti launched on June 3, 2021 for a list of price of $1,199. During March, the average selling price of an RTX 3080 Ti on eBay was $1,433, while retailers sold cards for an average of $1,464. If you want to see the card in action, read our full GeForce RTX 3080 Ti review.
Here’s where the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is in stock:
GeForce RTX 3080
Nvidia launched the GeForce RTX 3080 on September 17, 2020 for a list price of $699. The average selling price on eBay during March was $1,446. Prices at retailers are much lower, with the average price of the RTX 3080 sitting at $1,153. Read our full RTX 3080 review for a performance breakdown.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 3080 in stock:
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti launched on June 10, 2021 for a list price of $599. Over March, the average sold price on eBay was $935, while retailers sold cards for the slightly lower price of $896. Read our GeForce RTX 3070 Ti review to see how the card performs.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti in stock:
GeForce RTX 3070
The GeForce RTX 3070 launched on October 29, 2020 for a list price of $499. On eBay, the RTX 3070 sold for an average price of $887 during March, and for an average price of $830 at retailers.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 3070 in stock:
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched on December 2, 2020 for a list price of $399. During March, it sold for an average price of $771 on eBay, and for an average price of $672 at retailers.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti in stock:
GeForce RTX 3060
The GeForce RTX 3060 launched on February 25, 2021 for a list price of $329. On eBay, it sold for an average price of $593, and at retailers, it sold for an average price of $550 during March. Read our full GeForce RTX 3060 review for benchmarks.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 3060 in stock:
GeForce RTX 3050
The GeForce RTX 3050 arrived on January 27, 2022 for a list price of $249. Over March, it sold for an average price of $419 on eBay, and for an average price of $372 at retailers. Read our full GeForce RTX 3050 review to see how it stacks up to the competition.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 3050 in stock:
Radeon RX 6900 XT
AMD released the Radeon RX 6900 XT on December 8, 2020 for a list price of $999. It sold for an average price of $1,266 on eBay during March and for an average of $1,325 at retailers.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 6900 XT in stock:
Radeon RX 6800 XT
The Radeon RX 6900 released on November 18, 2020 for a list price of $649. During March, it sold for an average price of $1,017 on eBay, and for an average price of $1,100 at retailers.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 6800 XT in stock:
Radeon RX 6800
AMD released the Radeon RX 6800 on November 18, 2020 for a list price of $579. eBay listings sold for an average of $990 during March, and for average of $1,002 at retailers.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 6800 in stock:
Radeon RX 6700 XT
The Radeon RX 6700 XT released on March 18, 2021 for a list price of $479. Over March, it sold for an average price of $679 on eBay and for an average price of $640 at retailers. Read our Radeon RX 6700 XT review for a detailed breakdown of the GPU.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 6700 XT in stock:
Radeon RX 6600 XT
The Radeon RX 6600 XT launched on August 10, 2021 for a list price of $379. It sold for $512 through eBay on average during March, and it sold for $504 on average at retailers. For a performance and comparisons, make sure to read our full Radeon RX 6600 XT review.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 6600 XT in stock:
Radeon RX 6600
AMD launched the cut-down Radeon RX 6600 on October 13, 2021 for a list price of $329. But over the course of March, it sold for an average of $479 on eBay. At retailers, it sold for $392 on average, though prices between models vary quite a bit. Read our full Radeon RX 6600 review for benchmarks and performance.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 6600 in stock:
Radeon RX 6500 XT
The Radeon RX 6500 XT launched on January 19, 2022 for a list price of $199. It’s one of the few GPUs that has stayed inexpensive, selling for an average of $223 on eBay over March. At retailers, it sold for an average of $225.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 6500 XT in stock:
Nvidia Turing and AMD RDNA GPUs
Last-gen GPUs aren’t as expensive as current-gen ones, so we also found stock and prices for Nvidia Turing and AMD RDNA graphics cards. Because these cards are discontinued, we didn’t calculate the average price at retailers. Stock is limited, and prices aren’t representative of how much you should spend on one of these cards.
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti launched on September 20, 2018 for a list price of $999. During March, it sold for an average of $855 on eBay. Read our GeForce RTX 2080 Ti review to see it in action.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti in stock:
GeForce RTX 2080 Super
The GeForce RTX 2080 Super launched on July 23, 2019 for a list price of $699. It’s cheaper on eBay, selling on average for $651 during March. Read our full GeForce RTX 2080 Super review to see how the card performs.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 2080 Super in stock:
GeForce RTX 2080
The GeForce RTX 2080 launched on September 20, 2018 for a list price of $699. Over March, it sold on eBay for an average of $616.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 2080 in stock:
GeForce RTX 2070 Super
Nvidia launched the GeForce RTX 2070 Super on July 9, 2019 for a list price of $499. It sold for an average of $558 on eBay over the course of March. Read our full GeForce RTX 2070 Super review for benchmarks.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 2070 Super in stock:
GeForce RTX 2070
The GeForce RTX 2070 launched on October 17, 2018 for a list price of $499. During March, it sold for an average price of $535 on eBay.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 2070 in stock:
GeForce RTX 2060 Super
Nvidia launched the GeForce RTX 2060 Super on July 9, 2019 for a list price of $399. It sold for an average price of $520 on eBay during March.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 2060 Super in stock:
GeForce RTX 2060
The GeForce RTX 2060 launched on January 7, 2019 for a list price of $349. It’s only slightly more expensive on eBay, selling for $387 on average during March.
Here’s where to find the GeForce RTX 2060 in stock:
Radeon RX 5700 XT
The Radeon RX 5700 XT released on July 7, 2019 for a list price of $399. It’s much more expensive on eBay, selling on average for $637 over March.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 5700 XT in stock:
Radeon RX 5700
AMD launched the Radeon RX 5700 on July 7, 2019 for a list price of $349. Like its XT sibling, the RX 5700 sold for much more on eBay during March. On average, it sold for $615.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 5700 in stock:
Radeon RX 5600 XT
The Radeon RX 5600 XT arrived on January 21, 2020 for a list price of $279. On eBay, it sold for an average of $424 over March.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 5600 XT in stock:
Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB
AMD released the larger 8GB Radeon RX 5500 XT on December 12, 2019 without a set list price. Most cards targeted $200, however. During March, the card sold for an average of $298 on eBay.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB in stock:
Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB
The smaller Radeon RX 5500 XT comes with 4GB of memory, and it launched on on December 12, 2019 alongside its 8GB sibling for a list price $169. It’s not much more expensive on eBay, selling on average for $210 over March.
Here’s where to find the Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB in stock:
Should I buy a new GPU now or wait?
Compared to prices over the past year, GPUs are cheaper now than they’ve ever been. That doesn’t mean you should buy a new GPU now, though. Cards are still significantly higher than list price, so it’s best to wait if you want to get the best deal.
Currently, GPU prices are in free fall. They’re rapidly dropping week-over-week, and we suspect that will be the case for the next few months at least. Right now, it’s best to wait until early summer to buy a new GPU unless you find a particularly good deal.
You may not want to wait too long, though. Nvidia and AMD are expected to release new graphics card generations in 2022, and they could inflate prices. We anticipate these cards will arrive in the second half of the year, though neither AMD nor Nvidia have confirmed that time frame. Read our guide on what to expect from the GPU market in 2022 for more information on the best time to buy.
FAQs about GPU prices
Why are GPUs so hard to find?
During 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. Although these cards are in stock, they are much more expensive than list price.
When will GPU prices return to normal?
It’s hard to say when GPU prices will return to normal. Graphics cards are cheaper now than they were in 2021, and current market trends suggest prices will continue to drop over the next few months. Hopefully, GPU prices will return to normal by the second half of 2022.
It’s possible 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 cards 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 of price shifts. Old GPU prices will drop along with new GPU prices.
Editors’ Recommendations