The prices of current graphics cards do not look like reaching MSRP any time soon, unfortunately. While RTX 30 series cards are no longer at 3x MSRP as they were in mid-May, they have started rising again after falling to 1.6x by July. Apparently, improved availability brought prices down, which also saw Radeon RX 6000 series cards drop from over 2x to 1.5x MSRP.
3DCenter's latest data paints a bleak picture on both fronts though, with prices increasing again and availability dropping off. Currently, RTX 30 series prices have risen to 1.7x MSRP, the highest they have been since June. Similarly, RX 6000 cards are now at 1.74x on average, with the margin between MSRP and current prices remaining above RTX 30 series cards for a second month.
The website adds that the Radeon RX 6800 XT is the most inflated graphics card. AMD claims that the card should sell for €649 in the Eurozone, but retailers are charging upwards of €1,299; a 2x mark-up in other words. Neither AMD nor NVIDIA expects prices to drop soon, as we have reported previously. Instead, they assert that availability could remain tight until late 2022, which may well be the RTX 30 and RX 6000 series full product cycle.
The second-hand market does not look much better, either. Searching on marketplaces like eBay returns vastly inflated prices for RTX 30 and RX 6000 series cards, such as the RTX 3070 and RX 6800 XT. Both cards are selling for well over US$1,000, for example, as are older cards like the RX 5700 XT.
Source(s)
3DCenter via Videocardz, Digital Foundry - Image credit