How to Buy a Graphics Card in 2022 (Without Getting Gouged)
Who knew it could be so hard to get major corporations just to take your money?
Buying a new graphics card has been tough for a while now. And in 2022 it sure isn’t easy, or for the faint of heart or wallet. Fab-capacity shortages for manufacturing cutting-edge silicon are roiling the tech industry. The resulting supply crunch has hit the graphics card world the hardest.
The result? It's near-impossible for the average person to compete with cryptocurrency miners and scalpers in the race to see who can buy the latest graphics cards the quickest. These days, new cards, sold in limited quantities, sell out in an eyeblink at launch. Soon after, some of those very same cards show up on eBay or Craigslist at multiples of their manufacturer suggested retail prices (MSRPs). Existing cards, meanwhile, go out of stock almost as soon as fresh inventory is posted online or put on retail store shelves.
Sure, there was a run on video cards in 2017-2018, triggered by the first crypto-mining craze. But it has relented, and buying a card before the COVID-19 pandemic began used to be as easy as a leisurely Amazon or Newegg order, or a field trip to your local Best Buy or Micro Center: Enter with a credit card, exit with a video card. No more!
The good news, though, is that it’s not impossible to land the card you want. Some enthusiasts have managed to upgrade their builds with the latest and greatest graphics tech despite these challenges. The bad news: It’s going to require more time than you might expect, a bit more savvy—and maybe even some fast action and sly moves.
Let's run through our five top suggested strategies for buying a new graphics card in this, the most challenging of times for GPU shoppers, PC gamers, and content
Read more on pcmag.com
