Some GPUs Now Being Sold at MSRP

Just a few weeks ago, we noted GPUs were finally in-stock. At the time, Nvidia had launched a promotion advertising a new “restocked” event. Unlike a lot of marketing events, this one actually delivered because GPUs were available for purchase. However, not all of them were at MSRP, so it was a baby step of progress. Now that we’re in the month of May, things are continuing to improve. Glancing around a variety of e-commerce sites we see GPUs both in-stock and at MSRP, depending on the model. This is a huge development as it mostly marks the end of the Great GPU Shortage of the Pandemic (GGSP). At least, it seems to be over for the expensive cards. Midrange cards are still difficult to acquire.

Right now, if you want a high-end GPU, chances are you can find one that’s not outrageously priced. Depending on the specific model, you might even find one at MSRP. This applies to both AMD and Nvidia GPUs too. Previously it was mostly just Nvidia cards that had become easier to find. That’s no longer the case. Over at AMD.com, everything is in-stock at MSRP. Even the previously sold out Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU is available. The company’s high-and-midrange GPUs are both available, but sadly both 6800 variants are not. It seems like the “sweet spot” GPUs that aren’t insanely expensive or too midrange might still be difficult to find for awhile.

Over on Newegg.com there’s an RTX 3080 Ti in-stock at MSRP. Its price is listed as $1,199, which has been marked down from a gonzo $1,549.99. It’s a funky looking triple-fan Windforce model from Gigabyte, which may not be your cup of tea. It also might not even fit in your case, as it’s 12.6″ long and requires 2.7 PCIe slots. It only requires two 8-pin connectors, which suddenly seems quaint in light of next-gen rumors. As an added bonus, the card even includes free shipping.

If you live near a Microcenter it also seems trivial to get a card now, finally. The company is even offering discounts on some models. This has brought the price of an RTX 3080 12GB down below $1,000 for the first time in recent memory. That card is normally priced closer to an RTX 3080 Ti, which is around $1,200 or so. You can get EVGA’s FTW3 model for $999, which is $300 off its usual price. If you don’t mind “only” 10GB of VRAM there’s options around $900 too. EVGA also has its 12GB card in stock for the same $999 price, but you’ll have to pay for shipping. Only EVGA Elite members get free shipping. Microcenter doesn’t ship anything, as everything is in-store only.

Finally, what about those previously impossible to buy Nvidia Founder’s Editions cards at Best Buy? Well those are still tough to find. We’re not sure how many cards Nvidia is making, or has made, but only the RTX 3080 Ti and 3090 Ti were in-stock for $1,199 and $1,999, respectively. As far as the midrange cards go, since they are the most affordable versions of Ampere you probably have to get lucky with a sudden drop of cards. They’ve never been in-stock on a regular basis, and that will likely not change. Your best bet is to hit up one of the notification Discords if you want to find out when they’re dropping.

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