By now, you can buy graphics cards from AMD and Nvidia below the MSRP. However, not all offers are necessarily good, even if they initially seem tempting.
Those who wanted to buy a graphics card in recent months often had to pay significantly more. Dealers charged much more than the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) indicated, and at times one could pay thousands of euros on eBay for an RTX 3080. Several reasons contributed to this:
- The Corona pandemic particularly caused a shortage of semiconductors. These are present in almost every electronic device. High demand with low supply drives prices up.
- Cryptocurrencies like Ethereum or Bitcoin reached new record values. Many people invested in so-called mining rigs, which mainly consist of graphics cards, to mine digital currencies.
But now, things have changed. You can now buy graphics cards at the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price again. Many had almost “gotten used to” paying double the MSRP for graphics cards if they wanted to use current hardware.
These are digital currencies that are traded online. They are anonymous and usually decentralized. The so-called blockchain technology is considered secure. The downside is that currencies can fluctuate significantly in value.
Currently, there are over 4,500 different currencies, the most important of which are Bitcoin and Ethereum (via wikipedia.de).
Thousands of miners sell high-end graphics cards below the suggested price
Why are miners selling their hardware? The main reason is the significant depreciation of cryptocurrencies. If you look at Bitcoin over the last 6 months, its value has dropped from over 40,000 euros per Bitcoin to under 20,000 euros. The currency has lost more than 50% of its value.
Additionally, Ethereum is transitioning to a new procedure, which is also unsettling many users who have invested in mining hardware. Because under Ethereum 2.0, it no longer matters to have many fast graphics cards.
Therefore, many miners are now selling their hardware to at least offset their losses. Many miners invested money in graphics cards when they were still very expensive. The online magazine Tom’s Hardware reports that some large mining companies are currently selling hardware and Bitcoins to raise money again (via tomshardware.com).
This gives gamers the chance to buy graphics cards even below the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price:
- You can often get a GeForce RTX 3080 for as little as 550 US dollars.
- Some people are asking around 300 US dollars for an RTX 3060.
However, you should be cautious when seeing such offers. The good deals often have a catch if you’re not careful. A similar scenario could already be observed exactly a year ago, and prices were similarly low:
Anyone looking to buy a used graphics card should closely examine the offer
How good are such offers really? Opinions vary widely on whether one should buy a used graphics card from miners. After all, the GPUs are said to have always been used in such a mining rig and have mined cryptocurrencies for months under load. And that continuously and without interruption.
However, miners do not treat their hardware any worse than gamers. Professional miners are, like gamers, also careful to treat their hardware well. After all, the hardware is the basis for their income. If you are dealing with professionals, you can usually be confident that the graphics cards work flawlessly. For example, a user writes on reddit whether one can buy a graphics card from miners:
In 99% of cases yes, because people who are seriously engaged in mining take better care of their cards than casual computer users.
Some even add that mining is actually better for the cards than gaming:
- The graphics cards are often operated with less power (undervolted). This lowers temperatures but has little impact on performance.
- In mining, the graphics card operates under more consistent temperatures. The board is subjected to less stress since the material is not stressed as much as when the temperatures constantly fluctuate, as in gaming.
However, things look different when people have acquired mining equipment to quickly benefit from the mining hype without much prior knowledge. In the worst case, the GPUs are then not properly cooled or not perfectly configured. Therefore, you cannot be completely sure whether someone with little expertise has also handled the hardware carefully.
Where is the real risk then? Whether you buy from a miner or another person: Normally, you receive no warranty on your graphics card when buying privately. It is therefore your responsibility, even if the graphics card fails two months later. If you don’t want to take that risk, you’ll pay the normal price at the dealer. And as of now (June 22), that is around 150 euros. Because when buying from a dealer, you get the normal manufacturer’s warranty and additionally the dealer’s warranty. The warranty also applies to refurbished products.
If you’re unsure whether you want to buy a graphics card, keep in mind that the next generation from AMD and Nvidia will be released soon. Whether prices will get even better in the future, we can’t say:
What you should definitely know about the next generation of graphics cards before buying a new one
