Graphics Card Price Trends - When's The Best Time to Buy?

Eevee on 01/03/2025 - 20:23
Last edited 02/03/2025 - 11:07 by 1 other user

I don't follow graphic card prices often because I only upgrade every 5 years or so.

But from my experience, I tend to notice the following trend:

  1. Current gen graphics card goes on sale for a small discount
  2. Everyone goes "HODL" for new upcoming card
  3. New card is priced too high over current gen
  4. Current gen cards don't go that much on sale after release of new cards

Is there a good time to buy a graphics card? Do you just wait for any good sale and ignore any potential upcoming cards?

I just found upcoming cards launched will just go on MSRP, so it's not something you necessarily need to buy right away and stock eventually settles so no need for FOMO.

Computing Computer Component Video Card

Comments

  • MS Paint on 01/03/2025 - 20:26
    +19

    If you need a graphics card now you just picked the second worst time in graphics card history.

  • Wiadro on 01/03/2025 - 20:30
    +17

    When's the best time to buy?

    when you need it

  • bargaino on 01/03/2025 - 20:51
    -3

    If anyone is broke, but wants to play a few games and the integrated graphics on your old PC get 4 frames per second,

    Try this for $25: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/185862599996

    Might not be ideal for the latest AAA games, but fine for Steam.

    • CrispyChrispy on 01/03/2025 - 22:52
      +4

      but fine for Steam.

      what do you mean by this

      • Aureus on 01/03/2025 - 23:44
        +11

        Fine for handling the Steam GUI, just don't dare try to run a game.

      • bargaino on 02/03/2025 - 00:42
        -6

        Tons of games with 3D graphics rendering will work. A majority of the catalogue. Also the most popular MMOGs.

        Ignore the smart-arse commenter.

  • tenpercent on 01/03/2025 - 21:03
    -4

    When's the best time to buy?

    Yesterday.

    When's the next best time to buy?

    Now.

  • 7ekn00 on 01/03/2025 - 21:06
    +3

    Nvidia - when stocks available without scalping tax
    AMD - 2 months after new release (they always release at Nvidia - $50, then realize they don't sell and drop the prices slowly)
    Intel - whenever you find a stocked B580 around $400 and you have checked your games run on it!

    "HODL" referred to COVID / inflation insanity for those that refused to pay stupid prices in order to wait for something more reasonable :/

    If you can get an RX9070XT for under $1000, it's probably the best value in the current market :P

    • ldd-mn on 01/03/2025 - 22:07
      +3

      AMD launched their newest cards at a decent price this time. Not NVIDIA -$50.

      • 7ekn00 on 01/03/2025 - 22:10
        -7

        Indeed, this time round it's Nvidia + $50 ;)

        5070 = $549 + $50 = 9070XT for $599 ….

        • CrispyChrispy on 01/03/2025 - 22:54
          +4

          The 9070XT, according to 1st party benchmark results, is just 2% slower on average than the 5070 (including ray-traced workloads). Ti.

          The math this time around is Nvidia - $150.

    • kiitos on 02/03/2025 - 11:04
      +1

      Are each company's releases similar to the other companies and it is much of a muchness which brand to go for, or are there definite better brands or models to look at? (Coming from someone who hasn't bought a graphics card for a very long time)

      • 7ekn00 on 02/03/2025 - 11:12
        -1

        It's more about the job you want done and the budget you have!

        For example, if you have a 1440p screen and want to play "Hogwarts Legacy" at full detail for a cheap price, then the cheapest Intel B580 (around ~ $400) will be the best option (the next best options are $600+) …

        However, if you want to play "CyberPunk 2077" at full detail at 1440p, then you are looking for at least Nvidia 4070 Ti or better (>$1000) …

        • kiitos on 02/03/2025 - 15:40

          Thank you for that!

      • CodeExplode on 02/03/2025 - 16:14
        +2

        Only Nvidia cards can really do machine learning stuff, including DLSS if you want to go that route. There is now an AMD version, but from what little I know of it, it isn't on par.

  • AndyC1 on 01/03/2025 - 21:47
    +2

    Buy the graphics card you want when you can afford it.

  • walterwhite on 01/03/2025 - 22:13

    There will always be something better coming out

    So when you have the money and you have time to play games, you just need to research at that time and decide to jump in now or wait till the next best thing is out

  • Nutrino on 01/03/2025 - 22:46

    My experience?. They go up, they go down, they go around.

    • Poor Ass on 03/03/2025 - 10:59

      round and round

      wheels on the bus goes

  • Jugganautx on 01/03/2025 - 22:47
    -4

    if you buy new you're a fool…. pick up a bargain on ebay auctions…. i might be lucky but i've never had a 2nd hand gpu fail on me in 12 years, and i've gone through maybe 5-10 with various builds.

    i've never bought new.

    • noobshoes on 02/03/2025 - 08:16

      Do you buy from anywhere specific? Are they warrantied?

    • mantra on 02/03/2025 - 14:53

      have you checked ebay recently i've seen RTX 4090 final bid for $4850 most seem to go around $3600 compared to OzBargain low for new card is $2669 im 2024 & $2689 in 2023 overall averaging around $2800 these cards where significantly cheaper new even within first year after launch

      i also tend to buy used and so bizarre how long i've been checking 3090 prices early to mid 2024 seen them sell under $1000 sometimes but typically $1150 but now seems to average $1450

      the entire market is ridiculous, i haven't paid much attention to AMD/Intel as i'm interested in a lot of edge cases better supported by NVIDIA but i've herd rumblings of Intel pushing for higher adaption in WSL2 support offering samples for testing for cloud compute

      if leaks are to be believed some hope soon & the high end used market should respond

      The increase in GB202 supply was to be expected at some point, but this large GPU was competing with other TSMC orders such as GB200 GPUs, which are said to be in lower-than-expected demand. NVIDIA will now shift its wafer production to what’s profitable, and clearly, the RTX 5090 is where the money is now.

  • ColonialBoy on 02/03/2025 - 07:51

    Prices are ridiculous. I bought an old nvidia card on aliexpress, it still works despite the fan quitting, hasn't caught on fire either.

    If you buy a second-hand SFF (small form factor) PC on ebay (eg dell optiplex or HP), a Radeon Pro WX 2100 is a good option.

    These new graphics cards are suited to extreme high frame rates, 4K displays, and ray tracing. Lots of people don't need that and can us something cheaper. AMD integrated graphics is a good budget option.

  • ForkSnorter on 02/03/2025 - 08:30
    +2

    Prices are high, but you almost certainly need a cheaper card than what you think. I bought a 4070 for $679 during Black Friday because I thought the cheaper cards like 4060 were overpriced. So far this card is extreme overkill for what I'm doing with the PC. I actually don't play many games, but according to the stats I'm getting around 270 frames per second. But currently I only use the PC with a 1080p, 100Hz monitor. I probably would have been fine with a 3050.

    • lew380 on 02/03/2025 - 09:56

      I have a 3060 and it's till OK for 1080p gaming. But I'm having to reduce some games to medium/high to get acceptable frames, like stable fps above 60. I think right now a second hand 4070 or 4070 super is probably the only frugal option.

  • CascadeHush on 02/03/2025 - 09:52
    +1

    My last 2 cards I got from eBay on a Black Friday deal at about $100 cheaper than the going rate at the time. A 2060 and a 3060. So I’m at the bottom end of the market. I don’t think anybody should pay more than $500 for a graphics card.

  • Ughhh on 02/03/2025 - 11:06
    +2

    Visited Shenzhen recently, graphic card prices aren't that much cheaper there, surprisingly to me.

    • AustriaBargain on 02/03/2025 - 12:21

      Whenever I match with a Chinese gamer comfortable with English, they usually have modest gaming PCs, like the rest of us.

  • freefall101 on 02/03/2025 - 12:07
    +1

    It's always changing, Nvidia have gotten better at stock management and stopped producing most 4xxx cards last year (probably because they knew the 5xxx series wasn't much of an upgrade) and 5xxx stock was really limited at launch. So now is a terrible time.

    If rumours are right and AMD has decent stock of the 9070 series, then it'll be a good buy. Especially as the 9060 isn't far off either. Need to remember as well that people are buying Nvidia cards for workstation/AI usage too. The 5090 is cheap compared to the workstation version of the card, and the workstation card is slower than a 5090.

    IMO, midcycle is the best the last couple of generations, particularly when AMD released the 7900 GRE. But who knows if that will hold this time. Depends on yields and stock availability more than anything else. The lack of stock is driving high prices, it could be AMD's time to shine if they get stock to market.

    • skillet on 02/03/2025 - 16:11

      It's always changing, Nvidia have gotten better at stock management

      They are Far from better
      https://wccftech.com/nvidia-is-suppressing-inventory-levels-…

      • freefall101 on 02/03/2025 - 17:07

        I meant better from their perspective, for making maximum profit.

        There's no clearance of old GPUs when the new ones come out anymore, there's no ample stock (even if it's Nvidia manipulating it), all we can hope is AMD floods the market and wants volume over maintaining operating margins.

  • outlander on 02/03/2025 - 13:03
    +1

    Far as I know… never. There was a rising demand for graphics cards before covid, due to bitcoin. Then we had covid and everyone was stuck at home. Now it's AI clusters.
    We've had price stack on price stack on price.

    It used to be that 100 or 200 would buy a card from 3 years ago that was decent enough to play games, but that pattern doesn't seem to work now.

    The good thing is, that games like Minecraft run on even onboard graphics, and for the more intense AAA games there's cloud based (which is what, $20 for a month? Enough time for you to chew though a single player campaign).

    I'm mostly checked out of the graphics card scene. I use a hacked ps4 now if I want to game

    • tenpercent on 02/03/2025 - 15:02

      hacked in what way?

      • outlander on 02/03/2025 - 21:18

        pppwin for firmware 11.0

        You made a post on making multiple Temu accounts. How did that end up working out for you?

        • tenpercent on 02/03/2025 - 21:21

          Got some nice discounts twice :)

          • outlander on 02/03/2025 - 23:50

            @tenpercent: Nice. How much?
            I just placed an order today for $200 minus $25 new user and then 55% cashback. But the cashback is a gamble as to whether I get it. If it were guaranteed I probably could have spent another $400 on a graphics card. Maybe even a few thousand on lithium batteries

  • THICKnSLOW on 03/03/2025 - 07:47

    Tag the brand and model card you want on ozbargain and wait for a deal that you think is good value.

  • Stevecro on 03/03/2025 - 08:08

    Never

  • Vavoom on 03/03/2025 - 08:09
    +1

    Other considerations are: what do you like to play? How picky are you with graphics?
    AAA games? Then sure, upgrade to the best where possible.
    Indie or management sims? Probably don't need a 4090.
    For myself I played through Spider-man 2 on a 2080 Super on Medium/High graphics and I'm currently playing KCD2 on High and to my eyes both looked beautiful. Sure you won't get ray-tracing AI frame generation Avatar 2 graphics but you'll have saved yourself some money.

    All that being said, I do want to upgrade too, it's just that I can't justify the diminishing returns to myself.

  • charkwayteo on 03/03/2025 - 09:07

    Ideal time to buy is usually when a new gen gets released and is a significant uplift compared to last gen tier for tier at a price which makes sense.
    4090 release was a good time to buy. 5090 not so much..
    If I had to get a gpu now though I'd wait for the 9070xt..or literally RIGHT NOW I'd get a 7900xtx.

    I usually go team green but can't really support this 5000 series release, chance of missing ROP units, bad pricing in relation to gains etc (if the 5080=4090 in performance and 5090 was at least 60% better than the 4090, I would have been ok with what they were priced at)

    Someone who bought a 4090 (me) on release could literally sell it for more right now than what they got it for 2 years ago.. which is like something that usually never happens with tech..

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