Weird price history on Graphics cards in NZ

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Niber

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#320065 2-Jul-2025 11:59

Every single graphics card that I check the price history for has the same pattern, that the always start out cheaper, and only occationally does it return to that cheap price.

So does that mean "always buy cards when they've just been released", or is it maybe just some error? that perhaps these cards were not actually in stock at that time so it was impossible to buy them?

mentalinc

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#3389058 2-Jul-2025 12:02

Look at the FX rates over time as well.

Also look at global demand, much in the media about cards coming down in price.

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Qazzy03

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#3389062 2-Jul-2025 12:31

Yup this has been the normal since covid for gpus.

Both AMD and Nvidia set a have low/tight MSRP for cards and the expectation is the 3rd party manufacturers have at least one model at or around yhat price for the first wave of gpu stock. Once that release window is over or the first wave of stock sells out, the gloves are off and ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte etc will increase their prices for the next wave or discontinue the basic model in favour of OC or high tier models where they earn more % mark up.

So yes, release day is usually the cheapest GPUs are these days. Btw not just NZ but this world wide.

Niber

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#3389064 2-Jul-2025 12:38

Qazzy03:

Yup this has been the normal since covid for gpus.

Both AMD and Nvidia set a have low/tight MSRP for cards and the expectation is the 3rd party manufacturers have at least one model at or around yhat price for the first wave of gpu stock. Once that release window is over or the first wave of stock sells out, the gloves are off and ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte etc will increase their prices for the next wave or discontinue the basic model in favour of OC or high tier models where they earn more % mark up.

So yes, release day is usually the cheapest GPUs are these days. Btw not just NZ but this world wide.

Fascinating, so they do that it will get more favourable reviews rather than being reviewed as "overpriced" I guess.

The important question then is, does this mean always buy on release, or does it mean that those release ones are hopeless to get unless really really lucky?

Qazzy03

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#3389068 2-Jul-2025 12:47

Niber:

Fascinating, so they do that it will get more favourable reviews rather than being reviewed as "overpriced" I guess.

The important question then is, does this mean always buy on release, or does it mean that those release ones are hopeless to get unless really really lucky?

Based on the last couple of years, the general trend is yes and yes to both questions.

Manufacturers have gotten smarter and they often stop producing current models of card months before the next generation is released. So generally there are very few old models when the next generation releases.

Gpus that don't tend to sell out on launch/release day tend to be ones that are deemed not good value. They can dip in price after release. However it can be a bit of a crystal ball situation. Sometimes you need to do skme research to figure out if launch price is a good deal or overpriced.

ezbee

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#3389075 2-Jul-2025 13:51

Possibly its an indicator that the scale of their other business is such that cut-throat on consumer graphics cards no longer makes sense.

So an inadvertent cozy duopoly.

Economics of 'going hard henry' for a greater share of consumer graphics card pie 'not worth the squeeze'. Especially if that comes at cost of shrinking value of all the pie by lower prices.

Just natural thing a markets can settle into.
When there is not enough competition from other players.
Maximizing return for stakeholders that matter.

Yep, Bob and Jill from accounts fault again. :-)

wellygary

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#3389080 2-Jul-2025 14:28

Also potentially related to the fact that selling consumer GPU cards are less and less the bread and butter they once were for AMD/NVIDA as orders of 100s of thousands of chips for Data centres/AI installations become the main markets for them..

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Niber

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#3389088 2-Jul-2025 14:38

wellygary:

Also potentially related to the fact that selling consumer GPU cards are less and less the bread and butter they once were for AMD/NVIDA as orders of 100s of thousands of chips for Data centres/AI installations become the main markets for them..

Nah this trend is for 4000 and 3000 series too, so it makes no conventional sense to start cheap then go expensive, for each generation

Qazzy03

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#3391390 7-Jul-2025 08:08

GN released a video looking at GPU prices, MSRP, models, and average pricing.

If you don't want to listen for the 24 minutes, here's some screenshots:

Note for scope US market only and in USD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLtlZnWZGt0