AMD and NVIDIA, it’s time to cut prices
With GPU prices dropping rapidly, 3DCenter came up with an idea to compare the official suggested retail price to the actual performance of the graphics card.
Here’s an insight into how much each card should cost based on its performance alone. Value for money is calculated by 3DCenter’s 4K Index, which is carefully collected data based on a long list of reviews.
With graphics cards becoming more affordable and available through multiple channels, people can now choose between a number of different custom models, and even consider competition from other brands. This is especially true for high-end models that have seen their prices drop significantly over the past few weeks.
It’s also no secret that many cards released primarily in 2021 are overpriced from the start. Both AMD and NVIDIA have opted for grossly inflated MSRPs because these graphics cards aren’t going to sell for less anyway. However, both companies should realize that their prices are no longer good compared to actual performance.
According to 3DCenter calculations that chose the RTX 3070 as a reference point, most of NVIDIA’s high-end models are expensive and should be much cheaper. However, the mid-to-low-end models in NVIDIA’s lineup are reasonably priced, especially the RTX 3060 Ti models that perform better than they cost. It’s also why many motherboard partners don’t have the 3060 Ti in stock for months, it’s just so pricey, and motherboard partners can easily sell more expensive SKUs in place of it.
In fact, things have changed so much in the GPU market that NVIDIA reportedly no longer offers its RTX 3080 12GB model to motherboard partners. The reason leaker MEGAsizeGPU says is its price compared to the RTX 3080 Ti. However, NVIDIA has never publicly confirmed the MSRP for the 3080 12GB.
No, only the 3080 12G was discontinued. The 3080 12G is now the same price as the 3080Ti after the 3080Ti’s massive price cut, which is why Nvidia decided to stop sending the 3080 12G chip to AIC.
— MEGAsizeGPU (@Zed__Wang) June 26, 2022
The RTX 3090 series is one of the worst-priced cards in the entire comparison. Both cards retail for over $1,000, and their actual price should be less than that. However, anything under the RTX 3080 Ti is actually within 10% of the “fair price” index, which in most cases means a slight overestimate or perfect (100%) balance between MSRP and graphics performance (But remember to refer to the RTX 3070).
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 MSRP and “Fair Price” | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DCenter.org | Suggested retail price | 4K performance metrics | performance/list | reasonable price |
| GeForce RTX 3090 Titanium | $1999 | 408% | 41% | $814 |
| GeForce RTX 3090 | $1499 | 376% | 50% | $750 |
| GeForce RTX 3080 Titanium | $1199 | 366% | 61% | $731 |
| GeForce RTX 3080 12GB | ? | ~344% | – | $687 |
| GeForce RTX 3080 10GB | $699 | 330% | 94% | $659 |
| GeForce RTX 3070 Titanium | $599 | 271% | 90% | $541 |
| GeForce RTX 3070 | $499 | 250% | 100% | $499 |
| GeForce RTX 3060Ti | $399 | 217% | 109% | $433 |
| GeForce RTX 3060 | $329 | 165% | 100% | $329 |
| GeForce RTX 3050 | $249 | ~114% | 91% | $228 |
| Performance/price normalized to GeForce RTX 3070, derived from “Fair Pricing” | ||||
For the AMD Radeon RX 6000 series, the RX 6800 and 6800 non-XT seem to be the best priced models considering performance. Still, RDNA2’s inflated MSRP isn’t that far from the “fair price” index, especially in the middle of the stack. This is not the case with audiophile and low-end models. According to the analysis, the RX 6950XT should be priced at $735, while the RX 6400 should drop to $107.
One should keep in mind that performance is not always the only factor that should be considered. This is especially true for flagship cards with highly complex board designs, extensive cooling solutions, or other features. This will definitely increase the cost of the board partner, which cannot be calculated by frame rate alone.
| AMD Radeon RX 6000 MSRP vs “Fair Price” | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DCenter.org | Suggested retail price | 4K performance metrics | performance/list | reasonable price |
| Radeon RX 6950XT | $1099 | 368% | 67% | $735 |
| Radeon RX 6900XT | $999 | 348% | 70% | $695 |
| Radeon RX 6800XT | $649 | 322% | 99% | $643 |
| Radeon RX 6800 | $579 | 278% | 96% | $555 |
| Radeon RX 6750XT | $549 | 234% | 85% | $467 |
| Radeon RX 6700XT | $479 | 221% | 92% | $441 |
| Radeon RX 6650XT | $399 | 167% | 84% | $333 |
| Radeon RX 6600XT | $379 | 159% | 84% | $317 |
| Radeon RX 6600 | $329 | ~134% | 81% | $267 |
| Radeon RX 6500XT | $199 | (~71%) | 71% | $140 |
| Radeon RX 6400 | $159 | (~54%) | 67% | $107 |
| Performance/price normalized to GeForce RTX 3070, derived from “Fair Pricing” Radeon RX 6400 & 6500 XT performance figures based on FullHD performance and its distance from Radeon RX 6600 |
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One thing’s for sure, now more than ever, GPU price cuts should be expected. Sadly, neither AMD nor NVIDIA are officially ready, but motherboard partners are eagerly awaiting such an announcement. Time is ticking as the massive stock of RTX 30/RX6000 cards no longer surprises anyone, retailers now only have 3 months to sell most current generation cards before gamers focus on the next generation.
Source: 3DCenter.org