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Why you can’t buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy

arstechnica.com

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Re: Why you can’t buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy

#121

Post by OoooooooO »

rbanffy wrote: post #96

I am curious as to what we'll do with all that surplus computing power after crypto currencies (or mining on general purpose hardware) fade out of fashion. Better weather forecasting? AI? And don't forget the investment on cheap power sources.

Lol. The cards are not used by companies, if the crypto market crashes a lot of single people have a lot of single cards.

How do you think this people with their cards are going to do anything else with it? There does not exist a single computing power but 1.000.000 single ones and the only reason they waste electricity is because they get money for it.

Re: Why you can’t buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy

#122

Post by OoooooooO »

topspin wrote: post #106
fermienrico wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand most people are wishful to see Cryptocurrencies crash but what if it doesn't? What would happen if Crytpo booms big time?

First, segmondy didn't attribute future low GPU prices to a cryptocurrency crash. Second, it isn't necessary for a crash to happen to collapse demand for GPUs. Bitcoin isn't driving GPU demand; Bitcoin is mined with ASICs. Ethereum is mined with GPUs, a consequence of deliberate design. However, when `Casper' lands (Ethereum's Proof of Stake scheme) mining will end, and so will the extreme demand for GPUs. If that ha…

Nobody buys 24/7 gpus if they cost more than 10% of the original (before crypto crazy) price.

Undervolting or not, running your card 24/7 makes them worthless.

Re: Why you can’t buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy

#123

Post by [deleted] »

topspin wrote: post #106
fermienrico wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I understand most people are wishful to see Cryptocurrencies crash but what if it doesn't? What would happen if Crytpo booms big time?

First, segmondy didn't attribute future low GPU prices to a cryptocurrency crash. Second, it isn't necessary for a crash to happen to collapse demand for GPUs. Bitcoin isn't driving GPU demand; Bitcoin is mined with ASICs. Ethereum is mined with GPUs, a consequence of deliberate design. However, when `Casper' lands (Ethereum's Proof of Stake scheme) mining will end, and so will the extreme demand for GPUs. If that ha…

[deleted]

Re: Why you can’t buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy

#125

Post by jrs95 »

jakebasile wrote: post #15

I'm legitimately worried about the long term future of my hobby (PC gaming) at this point. Prices like this have a cascade effect because when less people can afford to build a PC and/or upgrade there's less incentive for developers and publishers to spend time on the platform. Consoles are shielded by the ability of Sony and Microsoft to take losses which will be absorbed by online fees and higher game prices but no…

I had no issues at all getting a 1080 when those were new. I don’t think the next generation will really be that bad either. Even with what happened with the Vega release, it was easier to find a Vega GPU than it was to find a Nintendo Switch when those were just coming out.

Re: Why you can’t buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy

#126

Post by JohnStrangeII »

jakebasile wrote: post #29
fermienrico wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gamers are complaining about why can't nVidia just ramp up their production. Having worked in a Fab and an assembly factory, there is a tremendous amount of coordination that needs to happen. Let's forget the business aspects for a moment - in order to ramp up production, it is not just building more lines. Silicon industry supply chains are mind bogglingly complex from oil-free-air supply hardware, etching chemicals…

> Gamers are complaining about why can't nVidia just ramp up their production. I don't see too much of that in gaming circles. It's understood that it would be risky as crypto will crash sooner than later. The anger in the PC community is almost exclusively directed at miners. Threads about it pop up on the daily, but what can we do? We could lobby NVIDIA/AMD to somehow implement restrictions on what the Gaming SKUs…

I don't understand why companies like Nvidia don't adopt to the market and offer cards that are specifically designed for miners. Wouldn't that be possible and make them potentially more useful than mere graphics cards?

Re: Why you can’t buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy

#127

Post by hanbura »

baldfat wrote: post #120
jdietrich wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most PC gamers aren't using high-end machines and don't upgrade very often. The Steam Hardware Survey shows that the majority (74%) of PC gamers have a 1080p monitor and a plurality (37%) have a video card with 2GB of VRAM and 8GB of system RAM (47%). The GTX 1060 only recently overtook the GTX 750 Ti as the single most popular video card. Pricing of high-end hardware is largely irrelevant to the success of PC gaming…

I can't get a mid level graphics card either. These cards in the article are $200 and $250 cards from AMD. They are going for over $400. I am the person that buys $200 graphic cards and high end is $500+ like a 1080ti or some sort of Titan. I always thought that $200 was the sweet spot with the best price to performance ratio. I can't buy a $200 card now. I was lucky and got a new AMD 480 last year for $220. It sadly…

The effects on prices are quite bad, but the pendulum always comes back in the other direction two. Every GPU shortage leads to the second hand market getting flooded a few years later with used mining GPUs.

So in effect we get short term problems, but if you time your purchases correctly you can get deals too.

Re: Why you can’t buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy

#129

Post by jrs95 »

jpatte wrote: post #112

Interestingly the French market (and more generally the European Market?) seems to have been spared from that trend, at least for now. The prices have remained steady during the last year and there is still stock available for a large choice of card flavors. See for example https://www.materiel.net/achat/gtx-1080/catNom-cartes+graphi...

Perhaps electricity costs there are higher than in the U.S. so mining is less profitable?

Although I don’t have these issues in Ohio, either. You can find any NVidia card you want easily, and only AMD Vega is in short supply at the moment. Still doable though, if you’re willing to put in a bit of effort.

Re: Why you can’t buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy

#130

Post by verroq »

JohnStrangeII wrote: post #126
jakebasile wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Gamers are complaining about why can't nVidia just ramp up their production. I don't see too much of that in gaming circles. It's understood that it would be risky as crypto will crash sooner than later. The anger in the PC community is almost exclusively directed at miners. Threads about it pop up on the daily, but what can we do? We could lobby NVIDIA/AMD to somehow implement restrictions on what the Gaming SKUs…

I don't understand why companies like Nvidia don't adopt to the market and offer cards that are specifically designed for miners. Wouldn't that be possible and make them potentially more useful than mere graphics cards?

Because when the crypto bubble pops NVIDIA will be holding the bag on a new line of unwanted products.
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