Black Friday graphics card deals 2021: will there be GPU stock in November?
Black Friday graphic card deals could be your best chance to score the GPU you need at the price you want, but we're still waiting to see how the savings will shake out on the best graphics cards this year. The sad truth is that pandemic-driven shortages as well as higher demand have combined to make it much harder to find graphics cards at any time of year, and as more people search for holiday savings it may just get tougher. On the other hand, you never know when the Black Friday gaming deals will suddenly abide.
We may be past the worst of the GPU shortages at this point, which makes it, well, not likely but at least less unlikely that we'll see some good Black Friday graphics card deals. Online and physical retailers have started hosting more restock events for RTX 30-series and AMD Radeon 6000 cards in recent months, and it's entirely possible that they'll aim to get another ready to go on the massive day for online shopping. If you're hunting for a fresh supply drop of RTX 3060, RTX 3070, or RTX 3080 during Black Friday, you may get lucky - but as far as discounts go, the best you're likely to find is a bundle that drops the price on some other component or accessory included with the card.
While the supply of standalone cards seems to be getting better, the best way to beat this serious hardware brought is still to aim for Black Friday gaming PC deals. Prebuilt systems featuring the elusive RTX 30-line are selling at comparative rates to the GPUs themselves from certain online retailers, and we believe the alternative is a much better value for your money and time at the moment.
Why is it so hard to buy a GPU right now?
This is a simple and understandable question related to Black Friday graphics card deals with a sorta complicated answer, so bear with us. There are two main reasons why it's so hard to buy a GPU right now, and they go back to those age-old principles of supply and demand. First up is the supply of graphics cards, which has been severely constrained by component issues related to the pandemic. GPUs are intricate demanding pieces of electronics, and they require all kinds of different parts sourced from all over the place to be created - if the manufacturers can't get enough of those parts, they can't make enough cards.
The second reason why it might be extra tough to find a Black Friday graphics card deal is that demand on GPUs is so high. PC gaming keeps growing in popularity, and many players want the highest quality visuals possible, which leads to a corresponding growth in demand for graphics cards. But on top of that, the very same cards are also used en masse for generating cryptocurrency and other related pursuits, which are booming in popularity themselves. Taken all together, it's a perfect storm that translates to empty GPU shelves around the world.
Will graphics card prices drop on Black Friday?
We wish we could give you an unequivocal and enthusiastic "yes!" on this one, but the reality is more murky. In short, no, the Black Friday graphics card deals probably will not include significant price drops on graphics cards, at least not on the latest models that everybody wants. Don't let that discourage you, though - there could still be savings out there to be found for intrepid deals hunters. They'll likely just come in the form of bundles.
Retailers will often bundle hot-ticket items like Black Friday graphics card deals in with other, semi-related items, such as SSDs or RAM. The reasons for this are twofold: first, it helps combat scalpers to a certain extent, since the extra item cuts into their profit margins and adds more logistical overhead. Second, it helps the retailer move more inventory that might otherwise sit around along with the stuff flying off the shelves.
The good news is that these bundled-in items often will receive a discount. If you also need the additional item on top of the GPU, you just saved money overall! Even if you don't need it, the discount means you have a good chance of selling it second-hand and making the difference back up later.
Where will the best Black Friday graphics card deals be?
Unfortunately, we don't yet know whether any of the popular online retailers are planning RTX 30-series or AMD Radeon 6000 restocks at this time ahead of Black Friday. However, we're hoping, given the rumors of Nvidia possibly resurrecting the RTX 2060, that previous generation GPUs could be cheaper than what we've seen throughout 2021 so far. This is what you can currently expect from all the biggest players on Black Friday right now.
USA:
Amazon: Average prices on current generation RTX and GTX graphics cards
Best Buy: Decent prices available on latest AMD Radeon generation GPUs
Newegg: Little in the way of discounts or savings, but RTX-30 stock is in
Walmart: Limited supply with a focus on entry-level and mid-tier cards
UK:
Amazon: Fair prices on some RTX 20-series and older GPU models
eBuyer: Decent, if still over-the-odds, rates on RTX 30-series cards
Currys: Expected prices on AMD Radeon 6000-series and RTX CPUs
Laptops Direct: Minor savings on AMD Radeon and older Nvidia GPUs
CCL Computers: Fairer rates on RTX and GTX graphics cards than most
When will the Black Friday graphics card deals start?
Black Friday is slated for November 26 this year. As touched upon above, however, no restocks have, as of yet, been promised or guaranteed by any major GPU manufacturers (Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, etc.) or card creators (Nvidia and AMD) at this current point in time. It remains to be seen what stock will be available nearer the time, and even more interestingly, whether or not said GPU stock will feature discounts in any way, shape, or form.
Is it worth waiting until Black Friday to buy a graphics card?
Here's where the answer becomes complex. If you've stumbled upon a reliable retailer restocking the likes of the RTX 30-series for their MSRP before the sales event, then you absolutely shouldn't wait until Black Friday, as not only is stock not guaranteed, but whatever does show up isn't likely to be discounted below the retail price. However, if you've had no luck at all at getting your hands on a new video card, then there's no harm in waiting for Black Friday and waiting to see if RTX-30 series restocks or AMD Radeon RX 6000 cards are available.
Black Friday GPU deals: what to expect
If you've been holding out for RTX 30-series stock at its MSRP on Black Friday then we have some depressing news for you. Now, given that Nvidia's newest graphics card line launched on September 2020, and disappeared completely within a matter of days, there isn't much to compare to when looking back on Black Friday 2020.
However, discounts that were, in fact, available last year didn't exactly set the gaming world alight. The best Black Friday graphics card deals of 2020 were very much a sobering affair for many would-be PC builders, with the entry-level GTX 1660 Ti seeing a minor discount from some online retailers, and that was pretty much it from an enthusiast-level.
The best advice that we can offer to take advantage of any Black Friday GPU deals is to get online early on the day and check through all the major retailer listings just in case the fabled RTX 30-series cards happen to show up for their MSRP, and aren't beholden to the current price hike that they've hovered at now for pretty much an entire year.
Best Buy - RTX 30-series | (Check Stock)
Best Buy is one of the most reliable retailers when it comes to RTX 30 series stocks. Back on October 1, stores across the US were graced with a limited run of Founders Editions (Nvidia made) RTX 30 series GPUs. It's not yet known when a restock event could happen again, but we advise keeping a close eye on Best Buy in the run-up to Black Friday to have your best chance at scoring a new GPU.
Another great way of getting your desired GPU for less is through Black Friday laptop deals.
What's more, take that action to the big screen with some great Black Friday gaming monitor deals, and sit in comfort with Black Friday gaming chair deals to complete your setup.
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