Graphics card prices are dropping steadily across the board, with channel supplies improving by leaps and bounds. Of course, all this unrest is controlled by no one party in particular. Rather, inventory levels and demand together push prices down (and at times up). Board partners, however, have started adjusting to the rapidly falling GPU prices in an attempt to get positive PR and sales. ASUS is the first AIB to publicly admit this. In a statement to PCGamer, an ASUS representative confirmed that the manufacturer has been dropping prices across all SKUs.
This falls in line with what we’ve been observing. The ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 Ti TUF Gaming OC is the first 3070 Ti to drop down to $699 (now OoS). It’s worth noting that the RTX 3070 Ti is the most popular graphics card in the DIY market, so it’d be fair to assume that the AIB is aiming for that solid chunk of the midrange market.
The ASUS GeForce RTX 3060 KO V2 OC is another such example. This mid-range GPU is selling for $449 on Microcenter, placing it $120 over its MSRP of $329.
In other news, the Office of the United States Trade Representative has reinstated 352 products into its exclusion list, which governs the Chinese imports subject to increased, punitive tariffs as part of the US-China trade war. The revised listing once again excludes Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) from the added duties.
These PCBs are the primary components of modern electronics, most notably motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, game consoles, etc. The updated duties mean that PCBs, the bulk of which come from China are now going to be 7-25% cheaper when imported. In theory, this should result in a drop in GPU and motherboard prices, by at least 10%. However, considering how the pandemic and the Ukraine war have been straining the supply chain, I wouldn’t be surprised if the savings aren’t passed on to consumers at all.
