In case the incessant cries from crypto enthusiasts haven’t given it away, crypto prices have plummeted. Bitcoin is down $10,000 (a third of its value) and Ethereum has lost 40% of its value over the last month. This is drastically changing the capitalist calculus of crypto mining to the point where some crypto miners are giving up. And that’s great news for GPU prices.
What has kept GPUs out of the hands of enthusiastic gamers for the past few years has been the simple economic forces of supply and demand. Pandemic-related supply issues have restricted the supply of graphics cards, while massive demand from both gamers and crypto miners has meant retailers are unable to keep GPUs in stock and sent prices skyrocketing in the market. secondary.
However, Tom’s Hardware has been tracking GPU prices and the publication noted a steady drop in average prices over the past few months. We’re now at the point where some high-end video cards, like the Nvidia RTX 3090, 3090 Ti, and 3080Ti, are actually selling out. down MSRP at select retailers. Popular cards like the RTX 3070, 3060, and 3060Ti are still selling above MSRP, but not by much, and maybe not for much longer.
3080 Ti
Things look even better on the secondary market. Head over to Ebay and you’ll find deals on new and used GPUs. Here’s a new RTX 3080 for $780, or this used one for $550.
What is probably driving video card prices even lower on sites like Ebay are former crypto miners. As crypto miners leave the crypto mining game and sell their old hardware, the price of these video cards is well below what we have seen in years. Just grab this RTX 3060 Ti; once the unlucky resident of a crypto mining platform, it can now be yours for $275 USD.
But should you buy a card from a former crypto miner? Well, these cards have typically been running smoothly for months or even years, and while Linus Tech Tips has confirmed that this probably doesn’t affect their performance, it probably will affect the overall lifespan of the GPU. If you can find a good deal, it might be okay to buy an old crypto miner card, but be sure to check out those fans carefully.
There are also rumors that Nvidia will soon launch its new 4000 series of GPUs, and AMD will likely follow through with its next generation of video cards. If you’re willing to wait a bit, it might be a better investment to get a new video card with the latest technology. As long as cryptocurrency prices do not rise again, leaving us right where we started.
