Question Current best methods to get a GPU at near MSRP?

MalVeauX

Senior member
Dec 19, 2008
653
176
116
Hey all,

I've been ignoring the market on GPU's for a while for obvious reasons. My needs are finally starting to change and I will need a fairly newer GPU soon. I'm in no rush at all. But, I would like to start at least looking at what the options are to get a fairly good GPU at near MSRP. This may be laughable. I'm not aware because again I'm not sitting on edge constantly for a "drop" and I'm not camping out at some store at my age and where I am at in life. It's just not that important to me. So I'm curious if there are options other than this or what's the latest on the ability to get something like a 3060 or similar class GPU at near MSRP. The rumor of nVidia dropping a 2060 for an ok price is appealing for someone like me, but that's just a rumor at this point.

Any ok/reliable methods to get a GPU at anything close to MSRP?

I am open to used here in the classifieds, but the prices are silly except a few threads where someone is doing a good deed but I don't live refreshing a page to try to snipe deals. Post a wanted ad maybe?

Situation: You're 40+. You're over everything. You're just looking to get a low to mid-tier GPU at near MSRP. You're not willing to camp at a store. What is remotely reliable and accessible?

Thanks for any time you give this.

Very best,
 

UsandThem

Elite Member
May 4, 2000
16,068
7,380
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See thread from a few days ago which is about the same subject: https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/are-video-card-prices-headed-down-yet.2598851/#post-40630062

Basically the only way to get a video near it's MSRP is to happen upon a private seller who doesn't want to gouge, which is not very often to say the least.

Even if someone decides to sell a GPU for what they paid for it, the retailers themselves are now selling video cards for well over their MSRP. Basically if you want a card like the RTX 3060 or similar, you are going to pay over MSRP for it.
 

Ackmed

Diamond Member
Oct 1, 2003
8,476
523
126
A friend got a discord alert yesterday for Best Buy. I jumped on their website and got a MSI 3800ti Gaming X Trio for MSRP. MSI is my preferred brand, have a 2080 Gaming Trio now.

I was in the same boat, 40+ and I refuse to pay some price gouging price, so I waited. With Battlefield coming out and gaming at 3440x1440 I really wanted a new GPU. Been looking for months, Craigslist, ebay, FB, forums, etc. No luck. Same thing for a PS5, I'm done chasing around looking for one, and won't pay several hundred dollars above MSRP. I'll just wait. My 4 works just fine still.

This comes in Tuesday, looking forward to it. Like others have said, retail store about only chance you have at getting one at MSRP.Screenshot_20211112-094740_Chrome.jpg
 

MalVeauX

Senior member
Dec 19, 2008
653
176
116
A friend got a discord alert yesterday for Best Buy. I jumped on their website and got a MSI 3800ti Gaming X Trio for MSRP. MSI is my preferred brand, have a 2080 Gaming Trio now.

I was in the same boat, 40+ and I refuse to pay some price gouging price, so I waited. With Battlefield coming out and gaming at 3440x1440 I really wanted a new GPU. Been looking for months, Craigslist, ebay, FB, forums, etc. No luck. Same thing for a PS5, I'm done chasing around looking for one, and won't pay several hundred dollars above MSRP. I'll just wait. My 4 works just fine still.

This comes in Tuesday, looking forward to it. Like others have said, retail store about only chance you have at getting one at MSRP.

Thanks, so basically go for alerts and stuff and use different sources to get in on a "drop" at BestBuy basically? Try each time a drop is going to occur and see if I get in? That's not too horrifying I suppose. I have a BestBuy near me and that would be fine. Microcenter is several hours away from me in Jacksonville.

I guess I need to see about what the best "drop" sources are. I don't need a major card. Something in the 1660~2060 range is fine for me. With the effort it will take and cost, I kind of want it to hold things over even still, so maybe something a bit more powerful.

If anyone knows of a discord or other source of potential drops to be ready for, I'd appreciate any help.

Very best,
 

UsandThem

Elite Member
May 4, 2000
16,068
7,380
146
A friend got a discord alert yesterday for Best Buy. I jumped on their website and got a MSI 3800ti Gaming X Trio for MSRP. MSI is my preferred brand, have a 2080 Gaming Trio now.

I was in the same boat, 40+ and I refuse to pay some price gouging price, so I waited. With Battlefield coming out and gaming at 3440x1440 I really wanted a new GPU. Been looking for months, Craigslist, ebay, FB, forums, etc. No luck. Same thing for a PS5, I'm done chasing around looking for one, and won't pay several hundred dollars above MSRP. I'll just wait. My 4 works just fine still.

This comes in Tuesday, looking forward to it. Like others have said, retail store about only chance you have at getting one at MSRP.
But the MSRP of the RTX 3080ti was $1199, so you're still paying dearly for it now.

But that also shows how much Nvidia, the distributers, and the retailers have marked up video cards.
 

Furious_Styles

Senior member
Jan 17, 2019
492
228
116
A friend got a discord alert yesterday for Best Buy. I jumped on their website and got a MSI 3800ti Gaming X Trio for MSRP. MSI is my preferred brand, have a 2080 Gaming Trio now.

I was in the same boat, 40+ and I refuse to pay some price gouging price, so I waited. With Battlefield coming out and gaming at 3440x1440 I really wanted a new GPU. Been looking for months, Craigslist, ebay, FB, forums, etc. No luck. Same thing for a PS5, I'm done chasing around looking for one, and won't pay several hundred dollars above MSRP. I'll just wait. My 4 works just fine still.

This comes in Tuesday, looking forward to it. Like others have said, retail store about only chance you have at getting one at MSRP.View attachment 52769
Just an FYI that's not really msrp. 2k is msrp for the 3090.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
I guess I need to see about what the best "drop" sources are. I don't need a major card. Something in the 1660~2060 range is fine for me. With the effort it will take and cost, I kind of want it to hold things over even still, so maybe something a bit more powerful.
If that's all you need, and you're in ConUS, PM me. I've got some of those kicking around.
 

Ackmed

Diamond Member
Oct 1, 2003
8,476
523
126
It's not a reference 3080ti, it's a 3rd party. Thats the MSRP for it. I didn't really want it, I wanted the 3080 Gaming X, not the ti but it was sold out. It was $600 cheaper. I understand there are many different versions of each video card out there, lots of different MSRP's based on the MFG, overclocking, cooling, etc. This has always been the case. It's several hundred dollars less ($500+) than the cheapest Amazon price for the same card.

There are many reviews showing the MSRP.
Screenshot_20211112-152349_Chrome.jpg
 
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balloonshark

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2008
6,286
2,681
136
You could always get a prebuilt like these and pull the GPU and sell the PC. Just make sure the motherboard has outputs for the APU graphics. The PC's are going for around $360 or more on ebay.

 

balloonshark

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2008
6,286
2,681
136
You could always get a prebuilt like these and pull the GPU and sell the PC. Just make sure the motherboard has outputs for the APU graphics. The PC's are going for around $360 or more on ebay and the HP 3060 cards are going for $650 and up.

 
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MalVeauX

Senior member
Dec 19, 2008
653
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So is the NewEgg shuffle still a thing? Looks like a valid way to get a 3060 without it being used or without being scalped for used ancient stuff.

Very best,
 

arandomguy

Senior member
Sep 3, 2013
556
183
116
So is the NewEgg shuffle still a thing? Looks like a valid way to get a 3060 without it being used or without being scalped for used ancient stuff.

Very best,

This depends on what you consider MSRP.

If you mean the actual launch MSRP Nvidia (or AMD advertises) for their base SKUs this would mean $330 USD for the RTX 3060. You won't get that with the Newegg Shuffle. AiB MSRPs are up (even more so than at launch). They also use the shuffle to bundle with other components that you'd typically be able ot get much cheaper (even if you needed it) individually.

AiBs themselves are all selling at a marked up MSRP and I'd assume AMD/Nvidia are likely pushing up the pricea of GPUs/memory (they sell them together) they provide to them as well (it's not entirely profit taking by the AiBs). They're also prioritizing higher margin units, that's if they even offer any variant closer to the actual MSRP.
 

OlyAR15

Senior member
Oct 23, 2014
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It's not a reference 3080ti, it's a 3rd party. Thats the MSRP for it. I didn't really want it, I wanted the 3080 Gaming X, not the ti but it was sold out. It was $600 cheaper. I understand there are many different versions of each video card out there, lots of different MSRP's based on the MFG, overclocking, cooling, etc. This has always been the case. It's several hundred dollars less ($500+) than the cheapest Amazon price for the same card.
Ouch, so you basically got scalped by the manufacturer. No way that card could go for so high in a normal market. Maybe a hundred over reference boards at best. Boy, the times we live in.

BTW, I bought an MSI 3090 for about $2100CDN last year, and I consider that a bargain. Was looking for a 3080, but it was either this or nothing.
 

MalVeauX

Senior member
Dec 19, 2008
653
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I'll have to look for local drops at BestBuy (not likely, huge college town Gainesville, Florida.... I won't beat those kids and if I see a line I will not even bother, I don't wait in lines at this point in my life), use the NewEgg Shuffle, and/or just wait for a friend of mine who does drive to Microcenter to just buy one. I think at this stage and what the prices are, I'd be better off just getting a 3060 for whatever price it comes in at for myself to pair with my current 1660 Super and just be done until nothing runs again.

Very best,
 

CP5670

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2004
5,508
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This depends on what you consider MSRP.

If you mean the actual launch MSRP Nvidia (or AMD advertises) for their base SKUs this would mean $330 USD for the RTX 3060. You won't get that with the Newegg Shuffle. AiB MSRPs are up (even more so than at launch). They also use the shuffle to bundle with other components that you'd typically be able ot get much cheaper (even if you needed it) individually.

AiBs themselves are all selling at a marked up MSRP and I'd assume AMD/Nvidia are likely pushing up the pricea of GPUs/memory (they sell them together) they provide to them as well (it's not entirely profit taking by the AiBs). They're also prioritizing higher margin units, that's if they even offer any variant closer to the actual MSRP.

Yes, there are markups at all levels, at the AIB, retailer and ebay scalper. The top AIB cards often cost more than a reference or FE version of the next level of GPU, like a 3080 costing more than a 3080ti. The 3080ti and 6900XT seem less marked up than the others because they are not as good for mining.
 

Riverhound777

Diamond Member
Aug 13, 2003
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Your best bet imo is to go through bundles. If you're planning to build a new computer anyway, this is the easy choice. If you really just want a video card, it's still a good option, but you have to re-sell the other pieces yourself. I got mine though antonline.

I just refreshed the page randomly throughout the day and saw the Gigabyte 3060ti bundle in stock.
 

AnitaPeterson

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2001
5,940
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Spending $2k on a GPU is unbelievable... MSRPs are obscene in this tormented day and age.
We're not talking equipment which lasts a lifetime - these cards will be a joke in 10 years.

10 years ago, the flagship nVidia card was the GTX 690, with an eye-popping MSRP of $999.
Today, most of you wouldn't even consider playing anything on it.
Same goes for its AMD counterpart at that time, the HD7970 (rebadged later as R9 280), with a MSRP of $550.
 
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fleshconsumed

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2002
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Your best bet imo is to go through bundles. If you're planning to build a new computer anyway, this is the easy choice. If you really just want a video card, it's still a good option, but you have to re-sell the other pieces yourself. I got mine though antonline.
So long as you're willing to take a large hit on whatever you're reselling. I see newegg bundled items going on ebay for half the retail price because everybody is dumping them at the same time.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,135
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So is the NewEgg shuffle still a thing? Looks like a valid way to get a 3060 without it being used or without being scalped for used ancient stuff.

Very best,

It is, but you probably don't have a chance of getting anything "reasonably" priced like a $500 GeForce 3060. You might have a chance scoring one of those $2,000 GeForce 3080Ti bundles that come with a motherboard or power supply, though.

I wish that I was exaggerating about those prices, but I'm not:


Seriously, NewEgg's shuffle pricing is as bad as the eBay scalper pricing now.
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
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So is the NewEgg shuffle still a thing? Looks like a valid way to get a 3060 without it being used or without being scalped for used ancient stuff.

Very best,

ironically u do not want to look for any gpu's with a single pci-e plug.... those are all miners preference.

You want something which will use 2 x 6pin or 2 x 8 pin.... so something ideally like a 6700X or a 3070 class or above.

Lastly, a used 3060 non LHR will cost more then a NIB 3060 LHR, because of that low hash rate, so if you do somehow manage to find a cheap 3060 non LHR, locally, you'll probably make more flipping it for an upgrade as funny as it may sound.

Also days of cheap GPU's are gone... expect cheap to start at 600 to 700 for the near foreseeable future, until crypto tanks or the electric company decides to sodomize everyone with cost of inflation increases in rates, to a point where it no longer becomes much profitable to mine. (Which no one can seem to get the time correct on when that will be as it was supposed to be August, but got pushed to December, and now i don't think it will even come until probably next year.)

But your competing against miners at the moment, and they have a really high Return of Interest at the moment, so they don't mind paying mind blowing prices of 1000 dollars per card as it will pay itself back + have resell at the end of the bubble.
 

MalVeauX

Senior member
Dec 19, 2008
653
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116
Very disheartening in general for this.

Still casually just watching and waiting. The NewEgg shuffle has some 3060's in the $5XX to $6XX range, without resorting to someone's used 3060 or similar. But can't know the odds of winning a shuffle to have permission to buy one (what a joke we accept this as normal now).

Hopefully APUs will get more love since APU is awful for miners and they won't go that way due to total cost inefficiency of having to have multiple of every bit (power, board, etc), so even if the APU were to become a more powerful GPU (say get something into the 1660 Super perforamance range for games) it would be terrible for mining since it doesn't scale. GPU's can scale from one system so its cost effective with the low returns. APUs won't. So maybe if APU's would get more love it would be an answer for low to mid tier gaming options to avoid being put into $2k+ territory just to have a PC capable of gaming modern games as more arrive.

I'm just not going to pay more than $500~600 ever on a PC component. So if it stays or goes that way, it just means that's something I'll not have. I have and use too many PC's every day (5+ now) for various tasks and GPU is the least needed thing for me and my work. It's nice to have sometimes for a game or for encoding/transcoding for some applications that I do. But ultimately 99% of my PC work is CPU intensive and generating lots of data, so networking and storage is the 2nd big component of why I use PC.

So maybe in 5 years I'll get a used 3060 Ti for $200. Lol. Sigh.

Very best,
 
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VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
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So maybe in 5 years I'll get a used 3060 Ti for $200. Lol. Sigh.
I'm just not going to pay more than $500~600 ever on a PC component.
Still casually just watching and waiting. The NewEgg shuffle has some 3060's in the $5XX to $6XX range, without resorting to someone's used 3060 or similar.

Honestly, $500-600 for an RTX 3060/ti in that range is probably the best that you're going to get online, without resorting to used.

And your dream of finding one in five years for $200, may be shattered, by the trend of putting GPUs "in the cloud", to utilize, rather than sell them to consumers outright. That's a new emerging trend.

So, we may not even be able to "own" GPUs five years from now, as the mfg's won't be selling them to us.