The best-selling graphics card on Amazon is currently a 7-year-old GPU. And this bestseller for Black Friday clearly shows how frustrating the current situation is for gamers.
Here’s the deal: Graphics cards are currently a rare commodity: They are either not available at all or very expensive. Even the only graphics card that is discounted on Black Friday is likely not worth it for most users.
However, the bad prices still don’t prevent users from buying hardware on Amazon. Because the best-selling graphics card on Amazon at this time (as of 11/24/2021) is the Radeon R7 240. This is an entry-level graphics card that originally came out in October 2013.
What’s particularly absurd is that the graphics card is not even discounted on Black Friday and yet dominates the best-seller list on Amazon in the graphics card category.
Yet this current bestseller clearly shows that the current situation for gamers interested in hardware is no joy. This is also evidenced by a look at the specs of the Radeon R7 240.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Sapphire 11216-02-20G AMD Radeon R7 240 Grafikkarte (PCI-e, 4GB, DDR3 Speicher, VGA, DVI, HDMI)* | Zu Amazon |
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
The best-selling graphics card can’t handle top titles with high details
What can the graphics card even do? The R7 240 is an entry-level graphics card from 2013, which later received a re-release. But that’s not enough to really game with.
Top titles from 2020 like Detroit: Become Human, Red Dead Redemption 2, or Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order run at HD resolution (720p) and low graphics settings at just under 20 FPS. And anyone who has ever played a game at 20 FPS knows how close that is to being unplayable.
Games that rely on faster reaction times, such as shooters, can be forgotten with this hardware. A YouTuber tested 8 games with an R7 240, and in the video, you can see how much the graphics card can handle in combination with a mid-range processor.
Who is such a graphics card even aimed at? Such low-end graphics cards are primarily aimed at users who need a graphics solution for their computer because the processor does not come with an integrated graphics chip. For demanding gaming, the integrated video memory is also far too small.
Hardware shortage and high prices leave gamers desperate
This is the current situation: Although a graphics card that is around 7 years old being the best-selling GPU on Amazon seems strange, it reflects the current situation of gamers. Because at this time, several factors are making it difficult for gamers who want to buy a graphics card or decent hardware:
- Due to the Corona pandemic, too few semiconductors are currently being produced. For this reason, there are currently too few semiconductors for graphics cards, consoles, and many other devices.
- The little hardware that is actually available for purchase is then really expensive. Because either retailers already charge a lot of money, or so-called scalpers add a hefty markup to a graphics card.
- As a third problem, crypto miners are also targeting graphics cards. Because cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are currently very valuable.
Many users therefore wish for better prices in the hardware sector, as hardly anyone is willing to spend a lot of money on a graphics card that is ultimately not worth it.
At this point in time, there are few sensible alternatives for gamers
What alternatives are there? On one hand, gamers can buy older or used hardware. MeinMMO author Benedikt Schlotmann bought a 6-year-old graphics card for a gaming PC and was positively surprised by the performance. However, for some, this may come with many uncertainties and therefore not be an option.
Alternatively, the new next-gen consoles, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, are an option, as they offer more than enough power for all current top titles. However, availability also throws a wrench into the gaming list.
A third alternative could be processors with an integrated graphics chip. AMD’s new Ryzen processors with graphics chip are a good alternative for gamers looking for a reasonable alternative to a dedicated graphics card. Especially for bridging the current shortage phase, such a combo processor is currently worthwhile.
AMD’s new processors with graphics chip are a good sign for gamers on a budget
