Early GeForce RTX 4080 Super GPU Shortage Leads To Price Gouging, Don't Fall For It
by
Thiago Trevisan
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Monday, February 12, 2024, 10:22 AM EDT
As CES 2024 is well behind us with all NVIDIA GeForce RTX Super GPUs having now been launched, we can now survey the marketplace and see how the current GPU landscape has reacted to these iterative product upgrades. While we are far from the great GPU shortage that occurred a few years ago (*knock on wood*), there is still trouble afoot for availability here in the early going.
NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4080 Super is sold out at many retailers, leading to independent marketplace resellers to increase the price. While the GeForce RTX 4080 Super has a base MSRP of $999, many price opportunists (Editior's note: what a nice way of saying "dirtbag scalpers") have tacked on hundreds of dollars to that total. Some prime candidates for this type of tomfoolery include Amazon and Newegg, which both have marketplaces that allow sellers to choose pricing freely. To contrast, retailers such as Best Buy do not allow this reseller activity, keeping a tighter ecosystem of its own supply.
The GeForce RTX 4090 has suffered a similar fate recently, especially concerning the Chinese market and lack of availability. That is more-so tied with the AI demand however, making it a different case than the more gaming-centric GeForce RTX 4080 Super. We'd surmise the inventory levels of GeForce RTX 4080 Super were modest to begin with, launching into an unpredictable market.
Amazon Marketplace seller with a big mark up
MSI's custom GeForce RTX 4080 Super 16G Expert carries with it an MSRP of $1,149. However, an Amazon reseller has it listed for $1,429.99, reminding us of the days where GPUs were price gouged with impunity. It can be easily recommended for consumers to wait it out slightly, or look more closely for MSRP priced versions of this GPU. Much of this excessive price and lack of availability is likely due to the proximity we are to the initial launch. When the hype has died down, prices should return to normalcy with steady inventory.
Reseller on Newegg's marketplace
Not to be outdone, a reseller on Newegg's marketplace has NVIDIA's Founders Edition GeForce RTX 4080 Super listed for a stunning $1,679. Jumped up from the base MSRP of $999, this is GeForce RTX 4090-level pricing that is unreasonable to the max. The Founders Edition is specially-released only by NVIDIA and into select retailers such as Best Buy, making it at times more desirable and harder to acquire.
While the GeForce RTX 4080 Super is certainly a strong GPU, consumers need to carefully navigate these marketplace waters so as not to be taken advantage of. Amazon and Newegg are only two of many places where this type of activity can occur in the open, but they can be tricky for an unsuspecting consumer. The line between items sold by Newegg or Amazon, or a third-party reseller, can often seem blurry at first glance. That is why consumers should closely look at pricing and seller data to make sure they're getting the most accurate pricing possible, and to avoid any sneaky price gouging.
