Update (22/03/2022): The market has been fairly stable since the release of the Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti. However, It's still an expensive GPU and anyone in the market for something more affordable has no choice but to look to last gen models. Thankfully, there's plenty of performance and value to be found even in the budget tier.
In general, pricing has trended upwards slightly over the last few weeks and months. Like most products, GPUs aren't immune to the effects of inflation. However, the RTX 4090 and RXT 4080 have bucked that trend and are available for less than their (very high) launch prices.
If you put off buying a new GPU in 2022, you’re far from being alone. The influence of crypto mining, supply chain issues and inflation meant 2022 was a really tough one if you were in the market for a new graphics card.
Now that mining has fallen by the wayside, graphics cards can finally be used primarily for... Graphics! Still, prices remain elevated, and as high end cards in particular are still very expensive, the hunt for value is just as important as ever.
We’ve listed RRPs here as it gives you an idea of how inflated (or not) a particular card is and whether buying it is a good idea.
How much should I pay?
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Although graphics card prices are generally stable, many models they are still priced above where they realistically should be. With that in mind, we’ve come up with some general advice on what a good deal is at this point in time. We’ll be updating our recommendations regularly based on the latest pricing.
Our ‘good deal’ pricing is based on what we see popping up on deal sites or intermittent flash sales. If you’re prepared to be patient and stay ready to snap up a great deal when it appears, these will be the best prices that you’re likely to find in the short term. As pricing is trending downward, however, you still might come across an even lower price if you're prepared to wait it out.
Our ‘I can’t wait’ pricing generally shows the best deals that are listed for in-stock models that you can buy right at the time of writing. Of course, you can expect to pay more than this for premium overclocked models.
Entry-level cards (under AU$350)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650
The GTX 1650 mightn’t be the latest and greatest GPU on the market but it’s a good step up from integrated graphics, and it will allow you to play modern games at 1080p – albeit with lower settings.
Australian RRP: AU$309
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$249 (20% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$269 (13% below RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- Asus GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile 4GB - AU$255 @ Computer Alliance
- PNY GeForce GTX 1650 Dual Fan 4GB - AU$267 @ JW Computers
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1650 OC Low Profile 4GB- AU$279 @ Mwave
Read our full Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 review (MSI Gaming X).
AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT
The RX 6500 XT has its limitations but now that it's available at well under its RRP, it can do a job if you don’t ask too much of it.
Australian RRP: AU$399
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$229 (42% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$249 (38% below RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- ASUS Radeon RX 6500 XT TUF Gaming OC 4GB - AU$249 @ Scorptec
- MSI Radeon RX 6500 XT MECH 2X 4G OC - AU$269 @ Computer Alliance
- Sapphire Radeon RX 6500 XT Pulse 4GB - AU$278 @ Techbuy
Read our full AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT review (Gigabyte Gaming OC).
Lower mid-range cards (AU$350 to AU$550)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
The RTX 3050 brings Nvidia’s best tech including DLSS and ray tracing to a relatively affordable price point. With its 8GB of VRAM, it's well placed to play games at 1080p now and into the future.
Australian RRP: AU$429
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$399 (7% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$449 (5% above RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- Asus GeForce RTX 3050 Dual 8G - AU$429 @ Computer Alliance
- MSI GeForce RTX 3050 Ventus 2X OC 8GB - AU$459 @ PC Case Gear
- MSI RTX 3050 AERO ITX 8GB- AU$469 @ Computer Alliance
Read our full Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 review (Gigabyte Eagle).
AMD Radeon RX 6600
Now that AMD's FSR 2.0 is out, the RX 6600 is an option that allows you to play all games at 1080p with high settings. It's also very power thrifty.
Australian RRP: AU$499
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$329 (34% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$359 (30% below RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- ASRock Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8GB - AU$359 @ Mwave
- Gigabyte Radeon RX 6600 EAGLE 8G - AU$399 @ Scorptec
Asus RX 6600 Dual 8GB - AU$399 @ Computer Alliance
Read our full AMD Radeon RX 6600 review. (Powercolor RX 6600 Fighter)
Mid-range cards (AU$550 to AU$800)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
The RTX 3060 is a good option for use with a high refresh rate 1080p screen. The refreshed version with 8GB will save you a few dollars over the 12GB variant.
Australian RRP: AU$529
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$439 (17% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$489 (7% below RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- PNY GeForce RTX 3060 VERTO Dual 8GB - AU$439 @ Mwave
- Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3060 GAMING OC 8G - AU$489 @ JW Computers
- Asus GeForce RTX 3060 Dual 8G - AU$499 @ Mwave
Read our full Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 12GB review (Zotac Twin Edge).
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
RTX 3060 Ti availability and pricing was affected by mining demand more than any other card. As it gets closer to the end of its shelf life, it's available for less than its RRP, and it remains a potent 1440p option.
Australian RRP: AU$699
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$629 (10% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$649 (7% below RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- GALAX GeForce RTX 3060 Ti SG 1-Click OC Plus 8GB - AU$629 @ Mwave
- Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Windforce OC 8G - AU$649 @ Mwave
- MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Ventus 2X OCV1 8G - AU$649 @ Umart
Read our full Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti review (Founders Edition).
Mid-high end cards (AU$800 to AU$1100)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
The RTX 3070 is a strong option if you’re looking to game at 1440p with high frame rates.
Australian RRP: AU$809
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$799 (1% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$829 (2% above RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 EAGLE OC 8GB - AU$829 @ Mwave
- Asus Dual GeForce RTX 3070 O8G V2 - AU$835 @ JW Computers
- MSI GeForce RTX 3070 VENTUS 3X OC- AU$849 @ JW Computers
Read our full Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 review (Founders Edition).
High-end cards (above AU$1100)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
The RTX 3080 wowed us when it launched thanks to its very strong 1440p and 4K performance. It made ray tracing and DLSS technologies truly relevant and over 2 years after its launch it remains a desirable card.
Australian RRP: AU$1,139
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$1,099 ( 3% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$1,249 (10% above RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- PNY GeForce RTX 3080 10GB XLR8 Gaming REVEL EPIC-X RGB - AU$1,099 @ Scorptec
- PNY GeForce RTX 3080 10GB XLR8 Gaming REVEL EPIC-X RGB - AU$1,099 @ Mwave
- Asus GeForce RTX 3080 TUF Gaming OC LHR 10GB - AU$1,249 @ Mwave
Read our full Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 review (10GB Founders Edition).
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
AMD’s reference RX 7900 XT is a fast and efficient card that's available for well under its AU$1,619 RRP. Custom models are quite a bit more expensive though.
Australian RRP: AU$1,619
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$1,249 (23% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$1,299 (20% below RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB - AU$1,249 @ Mwave
- ASRock Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB - AU$1,299 @ Mwave
- Powercolor Radeon RX 7900 XT Red Devil OC 20GB - AU$1,499 @ PC Case Gear
Read our full AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT review.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
The RTX 4080 is excellent high performing and power efficient GPU. It's still on the pricey side but it has dropped to more palatable levels.
Australian RRP: AU$2,219
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$1,749 (21% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$1,799 (19% below RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- GALAX GeForce RTX 4080 SG 1-Click OC 16GB - AU$1,749 @ Mwave
- PNY GeForce RTX 4080 XLR8 Gaming VERTO EPIC-X RGB OC - AU$1,769 @ Mwave
- Gigabyte RTX4080 16GB Gaming OC AU$1,799 @ Computer Alliance
Read our full Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 review (Founders Edition)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
The mighty RTX 4090 is by far the most powerful graphics card on the market and it carries a price to match. A true monster of a GPU.
Australian RRP: AU$2,959
Recommended 'good deal' price: AU$2,749 (7% below RRP)
'I can’t wait' price: AU$2,799 (5% below RRP)
Top deals we've found:
- PNY GeForce RTX 4090 XLR8 Gaming Verto EPIC-X 24GB - AU$2,799 @ Mwave
- GALAX RTX 4090 24GB SG OC - AU$2.899 @ Computer Alliance
- Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Windforce 24GB - AU$2,899 @ Mwave
Read our full Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 review (Founders Edition)
