Analyzing Graphics Card Pricing: October 2022

Graphics card prices have come down significantly since the start of the year when the mining craze was in fully swing. It was effectually May that everything started to settle, and then past July most GPUs were at their MSRP, something that we had not seen for almost nine months.

Today, we're once again doing a deep swoop on graphics card pricing to provide you with the all-time value buys on the market correct now. This is the third report nosotros have compiled this yr. We're now in early Q4 and graphics menu manufacturers are facing a different challenge that could affect pricing, at least in the United States: the import tariffs implemented by Donald Trump.

The starting time set of x% tariffs were implemented on October 1st, and that'due south set to ascent to 25% on Jan 1st, 2022. We're about two weeks in October with the tariffs in identify, and the GPU market hasn't been afflicted yet. We've been keeping a close center on prices effectually the tariff introduction engagement and so far the price of graphics cards has stayed much the same or fifty-fifty gone downwards in some cases.

Nosotros say "nevertheless" considering almost manufacturers would take imported and stored plenty of stock before the tariffs came into upshot, certainly enough to final two weeks. We're still expecting prices to rise before the finish of the twelvemonth and that's something we'll proceed looking into over the coming weeks.

	MSRP	May-eighteen	Jul-18	Oct-18
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti	$ 140	$ 190	$ 170	$ 170
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB	$ 200	$ 230	$ 230	$ 220
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB	$ 250	$ 300	$ 290	$ 250
GeForce GTX 1070	$ 380	$ 470	$ 400	$ 380
GeForce GTX 1070 Ti	$ 450	$ 500	$ 450	$ 390
GeForce GTX 1080	$ 500	$ 550	$ 500	$ 450
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti	$ 700	$ 900	$ 720	$ 700
GeForce RTX 2070	$ 500	Due north/A	N/A	$ 600
GeForce RTX 2080	$ 700	Due north/A	N/A	$ 790
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti	$ one,000	N/A	N/A	$ 1,200
Radeon RX 560 16CU	$ 100	$ 140	$ 150	$ 140
Radeon RX 570	$ 170	$ 260	$ 240	$ 160
Radeon RX 580 8GB	$ 230	$ 300	$ 270	$ 240
Radeon RX Vega 56	$ 400	$ 600	$ 480	$ 400
Radeon RX Vega 64	$ 500	$ 700	$ 580	$ 480

Allow's take a look at how GPUs are priced right now, starting with mid-range offerings. This time instead of using typical sales pricing, all the data above corresponds to the lowest available cost on either Amazon or Newegg. And so the nearly affordable available card in May, in July, and the cheapest in October. Typical pricing ranges from this minimum value, to effectually $20 or $thirty more in most cases.

Lower-mid range cards like the 1050 Ti and RX 560 are still sitting well above the MSRP, and that'southward largely down to college memory prices compared to when these cards were released. The 1050 Ti is 21% more than expensive and the RX 560 xl% more expensive, although the RX 560 has come down in price slightly compared to July. Neither of these cards volition be seen at their MSRP over again, so what nosotros're seeing today is likely the cheapest they'll get.

As for AMD and Nvidia's most pop GPUs, the GTX 1060 6GB is finally back downwardly to the MSRP having dropped in price by 14% compared to July, while the 1060 3GB is a bit inflated. In July nosotros recommended the 1060 3GB as the best value mid-range card on the marketplace, so perhaps consumers have noticed this value and are standing to buy the bill of fare. Meanwhile on the AMD front, the RX 570 is an accented steal at the moment, retailing for just $160, lower than its launch price, having dropped 33% in cost since July. The RX 580 has also come downwardly by eleven%, now retailing for only slightly above its launch price.

Moving into the higher end cards, and what we accept today are three more cards at their MSRP: the GTX 1070, down v% from its July price, the GTX 1080 Ti, downwards 3%, and Vega 56, down a huge 17%. But the even better news is the remainder of the non-RTX cards, which are all selling below their MSRP at the moment.

The biggest discount is the GTX 1070 Ti, which is currently available 13% below its MSRP and just $10 more than the GTX 1070. The GTX 1080 is besides sitting x% beneath its MSRP. Both cards were sitting at their MSRP in July, but with an oversupply and RTX cards now on the market, prices are looking pretty expert for these GPUs. And and so on the AMD side, Vega 64 has seen a huge 17% drop in price since July, now sitting 4% below the MSRP for the cheapest model.

And when you await at the prices for some of these cards in May, at that place take been massive price cuts. Vega 64 and the GTX 1080 Ti were both selling for $200 over the MSRP merely five months ago, while AMD's mid-range cards like the RX 580 were still suffering from the tail end of the mining craze. Today, it's a much more attractive market for PC builders.

Of form, the recently released RTX cards are all the same selling for well over the MSRP, and the RTX 2080 Ti in item is out of stock. I wonder how long it volition accept for these GPUs to hit their AIB MSRPs, which are $100-200 less than current prices, with virtually manufacturers choosing to use Founders Edition pricing instead.

And while pricing does expect okay at the moment compared to previous months for a lot of these graphics cards, information technology's still worth mentioning that most of these products take been on the market for at least a year, or in some cases over ii years for a GPU similar the GTX 1080. The fact that some of these cards are merely at present selling for below their launch price is pretty crazy, they should be well under the MSRP at this indicate, but the marketplace has been so horrendous and contest so lackluster that we've been stuck with high prices for a long time.

And so with all that pricing info in mind, let's explore which cards are the best value today...

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a game nosotros've most recently benchmarked all these GPUs in, so we can get some squeamish data. We're using 1440p using the "Very High" graphics setting. When you look at the cost per frame breakdown, it's no surprise seeing more mid-range cards at the elevation of the charts.

The RX 570 is the standout value champion here, followed by the GTX 1060 6GB just a fiddling bit behind. As far as 1440p class cards are concerned, the GTX 1070 Ti is the champion hither, merely edging out the GTX 1070, and both are better value than Vega 56 in this title. If you want to play at 4K, your options are limited to the 1080 Ti or poor value RTX cards. The interesting thing about this title is Nvidia cards gain a bit in terms of value when looking at 1% lows compared to averages, though the general rankings remain similar.

The other title nosotros've recently benchmarked is Forza Horizon 4, which is much better optimized across a range of GPUs and runs better on AMD cards. Here the standout value champion is once more the RX 570, though the RX 580 is also excellent for playing at 1440p with Ultra settings. We're as well seeing Vega 56 beat out the 1070 to 1080 in terms of value, while the 1080 Ti is the best selection for 4K high refresh gaming.

It'south an interesting turn of events, considering back in July we were talking well-nigh the RX 580 existence roughly level with the GTX 1060 3GB in terms of value, with the GTX 1060 6GB not far behind, and the RX 570 not as competitive. But today, equally far as these mid-range cards are concerned, the RX 570 is the clear value champion at just $160, while the GTX 1060 6GB is meliorate value than the 3GB model and it trades blows with the RX 580.

Let's focus in more on the higher end of the market, with cards suited to 1440p gaming and up. Here nosotros can switch to using a twenty game average considering we happen to have that information on mitt for the upper end cards, you can thank the RTX launch for that. If you lot're interested in the exact 20 games nosotros used and the performance breakdown of each card, check out our RTX 2070 review.

In Steve'due south review of the RTX 2070 he used typical retail prices when discussing value, but we're going to dial downwardly hither and hash out minimum pricing as we've been doing and so far, because we're assuming you guys are deal hunters or something similar that. Using minimums does change the conversation slightly, so let's take a wait at the information.

Using current pricing and our 20 game boilerplate at 1440p, we're seeing a number of cards provide competitive value. The GTX 1070 Ti with its current cost 13% below MSRP just manages to beat the 1070, 1080 and Vega 56 which are all evenly matched. With current prices, actually all are good buys for 1440p builds merely the 1070 Ti in particular with its cost so close to the 1070 is the best value.

Having these four cards deliver near equivalent value is also great for those with slightly different budgets, on the lower end you tin grab a 1070 Ti for $390, or yous could spend $60 more for the 1080 knowing yous're getting a performance increase in line with the price increase. And those who would rather go Squad Blood-red for FreeSync or other reasons can now safely purchase Vega 56 knowing it's not horrible value like it was several months ago.

Despite Vega 64 selling at iv% below its MSRP, it's not a great buy right now compared to the similarly priced GTX 1080. And it'due south no surprise to see Nvidia'due south new RTX cards fail in terms of value, the RTX 2070 is definitely not worth ownership compared to the 1080 right now, and the 2080 can't match the 1080 Ti. The 2080 Ti is the worst value but information technology besides offers incomparable operation so it'due south actually only suitable for those with cash to throw around.

Flicking dorsum to July, it's easy to see how things have changed. Dorsum then, the GTX 1070 was the best value purchase, with AMD pretty uncompetitive with Vega. Vega 56 was roughly on par with the 1080 Ti for value, now Vega 56 is i of the best value buys on the marketplace for higher-end cards.

What well-nigh if cards were priced at their MSRP? Well it'southward here that Nvidia'due south RTX cards, in particular the RTX 2070, get better value. The GTX 1070 and Vega 56 would all the same be the outright value champions, while the RTX 2080 would be a ameliorate buy than the GTX 1080 Ti.

And here's an interesting idea experiment. What would the market look like if all overpriced cards fell to their MSRP, and all cards currently selling for below the MSRP remained at their current price? Well, we'd be in a situation where the GTX 1070 Ti would nonetheless be the best value carte on the marketplace, and the GTX 1080 would be a slightly better purchase than the RTX 2070. Unless the 1080 Ti falls in price, the 2080 would also be a slightly meliorate purchase, though non astonishing value by any means.

So that's where nosotros are at equally far every bit graphics card value is concerned. Nvidia'south new RTX cards might non be anything special when it comes to cost/performance, especially at the moment when none tin exist found at the MSRP, merely at that place are nevertheless good value products out there. The RX 570 is the all-time value information technology's been in ages, the GTX 1060 6GB and RX 580 are highly competitive, and the GTX 1070 Ti selling for well beneath its MSRP provides a decent value choice for gamers that desire to play at 1440p.