Due to a variety of circumstances around the world, many items have become more expensive over the past year. Graphics cards have also continued to rise in price over the last 12 months, no matter if you buy them from a small retailer or Amazon, but what are the reasons for these rises, and just why are graphics cards so expensive in 2022?
Supply and Demand
The overriding reason graphics cards are so expensive right now is due to supply and demand. There are simply not enough graphics cards available to meet demand around the world and as with any product in that situation, the price has gone up as a result.
If you have 10 units of an item for sale and only 5 people want to buy one unit, the price is likely to fall. However, if you have 10 units of an item for sale and 100 people want to buy it, the price is going to go up because the demand for the item is so high. This is exactly what is happening with graphics cards now.
Global Chip Shortage
One of the reasons why there is a lack of graphics cards and manufacturers are failing to meet demand is because of a global chip shortage. Semi-conductor chips are used in millions of different ways, from computers to planes, so it is not only in the graphics card industry where this shortage is being felt.
Mobile phones and video game consoles are two more products to be hit by the global chip shortage and in terms of the latter, there was huge demand each time a batch of new consoles was released. The same applies to graphics cards and as soon as a new batch becomes available for sale, they are snapped up quickly.
Even when playing Platincasino games, you will need a graphics card, as it is what brings these casino games to life on your screen. Fortunately, if you already own a modern computer, you will have a graphics card built-in that can run most online games.
International Shipping
Due to the recent events and some other legal issues that have taken a lot of time to sort out, there has been a problem with the international shipping of graphics cards. The graphics cards that are being manufactured need to be transported to those who are either selling them to the consumer or to the consumer direct. That means the use of trucks and ships to get the graphics cards to their destination.
International shipping between Asia and North America has been problematic for some time and the United Kingdom leaving the European Union has also caused some issues for shipping in Europe. These problems have seen the cost of shipping graphics cards increase and the entire process has become slower, meaning the cost of graphics cards has gone up.
Scalpers
When it becomes apparent the demand for a product is outweighing the supply, some individuals and companies see this to make a quick profit. Scalpers try and buy up as much of the supply of graphics cards as they can, rather than just buying the card they need for their own personal use. The excess graphics cards they do not need are then listed for sale online at inflated prices and those who missed buying one from the retailer when they first became available are forced to buy at the increased price.
So, these four major reasons illustrate that it is not only in the graphics cards industry where this is happening and as things stand right now, none of the conditions driving up the price of graphics cards look set to change.
