There seems to be a bit of a rush lately for graphics cards manufacturers to get some cheaper products out onto the market. Given the cost of high-end hardware, it's hardly surprising. However, when AMD raised its RX 6000 prices last year, with it expected to go even higher, it likely didn't appease a lot of people hoping for something less costly. Sadly, it doesn't look like things are due to get any better, especially for more expensive gear, as it seems that Nvidia is also raising its prices for some of its GPUs.
According to German site computerbase.de, it seems as though parts of Europe are feeling the sting of rising costs, as Nvidia has apparently increased the price of the Founders Edition of its RTX 3000 series cards. The site shows that the 3060 Ti through to the 3090 have seen an increase in five to 6.5 percent. While that may not sound like a lot, it does show that the RTX 3090 is now €100, or about $113, more than it was.
Tom's Hardware reached out to Nvidia to inquire about whether the company would do the same in the US. A brief reply from a representative says that what's happening in Germany is due to "exchange rate fluctuation." This means that the United States may be spared from price hikes on cards such as the RTX 3090 or RTX 3080 Ti. In general, it's still not looking good for graphics cards in general, especially in the EU, and this is not the first time this has happened in Germany, with RTX 3000 prices increasing in January 2021 by up to four percent.
It seems as though Europe is currently seeing the dark, or rather darker, side of GPU prices. With the RTX 3090 Ti being listed at almost $4,000, getting hold of a new graphics card is becoming ever more expensive, and mid-to-high-end products are already quite pricey as they are. Add onto that the current shortages which is driving prices up even more, and it continues to be a struggle for gamers and PC enthusiasts to even purchase anything that team green or team red are putting out.
While Intel says the tech shortages could go on until 2023, Nvidia suggests things could ease up midway into 2022. However, this could be just in relation to its own GPUs. In any case, the sight of prices going up does not bode well for the market in general, but all consumers can do, especially in the US, is hope that it doesn't have any long term effects.
Source: computerbase.de (Google translation), Tom's Hardware