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In recent updates, Central Computers, notable for being one of the few remaining dedicated computer retail stores in Silicon Valley, informed its subscribers of a new stock of AMD graphics cards. Among these is the Radeon RX 9070 XT, now available for $850, significantly marked up from its typical $600 list price.
The situation extends beyond just one retailer. A recent survey of major U.S. retailers and listings on eBay reveals a troubling trend: the GPU shortage appears to be resurfacing. Many AMD graphics cards are being sold at inflated prices, with increases ranging from $100 to as much as $280. The street price of the Nvidia RTX 5080 has soared to over $1,500, marking an excessive $500 increase from its manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). Meanwhile, the mighty RTX 5090, originally priced at $2,000, is nearly impossible to find for under $3,000.
To provide a clearer picture of this situation, I’ve compiled tables highlighting the current market prices.
Analyzing the price hikes reveals that tariffs alone cannot shoulder the blame. Earlier this March, it was apparent that retailers had begun marking up prices for entry-level AMD models, which hints at factors beyond simple supply demand dynamics. Furthermore, a lack of available GPUs is evident; only about 1,100 new Nvidia GPUs and 266 new AMD GPUs were listed on eBay over the last month.
Delving deeper into the pricing of AMD’s “MSRP” models, which were initially priced at $549 and $599, reveals how inflated the current pricing has become.
Retailers like Newegg and Micro Center have been the major players in listing a variety of models. However, I noted that the “MSRP” 9070 XT models were also available on Amazon for $800 and $850, and at Best Buy for $830. It’s important to note that these figures often represent listed prices rather than actual sales prices, as many items are frequently out of stock.
From December 2020 through July 2022, I closely monitored the prices of GPUs and gaming consoles amid the pandemic, documenting their astonishing markups, with some GPU prices reaching three times their MSRP. I invite Verge readers to share their thoughts: is tracking these trends a valuable service during this turbulent market, or would you prefer updates on when conditions will stabilize?
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