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Nvidia recently released a bunch of new graphics cards, including the RTX 3070, RTX 3080, and RTX 3090. However, we’re months away from initial launch and it’s still incredibly difficult to find them in stock. Nvidia even apologized for the automated systems that bought all available stock.
It’s not even a problem peculiar to Nvidia, with the launch of AMD’s RX 6800 XT and RX 6800 GPUs offering arguably a worse experience for the serious graphics card hunter, where they barely seemed to appear before they disappeared again.
It’s not even a problem specific to GPUs alone. AMD’s new Ryzen 5000 CPUs are still noticeable by their absence from retail, it’s virtually impossible to stock a new PSU, and indeed the best SSDs are the only components we can rely on to actually be available anywhere. Oh, and GTX 1050 Tis. It seems you are able to pay more than the odds for those if you really want.
So yes, this is a terrible time to try to buy a graphics card, but especially if you are looking to buy a new next generation GPU like the RTX 3080. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, however, you may need to be a get creative or, you know, buy an entire PC.
How to bag an RTX 30 series graphics card before Christmas
Realistically, the only way to get your hands on some Nvidia Ampere gaming power this side of the new year is to buy a pre-built gaming PC. Spending a couple of thousand dollars on a new system might seem overkill, but at some point the upgrade dance will run its course and you’ll find you’re running into more expensive bottlenecks.
You’re missing a decent SSD, for example, but your current setup doesn’t support the latest drives, or your CPU is holding onto your GPU and you now need a completely new chip and motherboard.
At some point you need to start a new build from scratch and these days if you build it yourself or have a system builder do it for you it barely makes a difference in the overall price, just in the choice of parts. But even that has gone by the wayside as there are now fewer GPU options than in the big crypto mining wars of 2017.
Alienware
Ryzen-based Alienware Aurora R11 and R10 are our picks for the best gaming PC right now, and the Intel-based version has already been updated to include the latest Nvidia graphics cards. And on top of that, there’s a real honest Black Friday gaming PC deal on the RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 Auroras as well.
Alienware Aurora R11 | i7 10700KF | RTX 3080 | $ 2,439.99 $ 2,391.19 at Dell (save $ 48)
A small discount on the Aurora R11, but it’s currently our favorite pre-made gaming PC and you can actually get one with an RTX 3080. Or an RTX 3070. In these scarce times, it’s a win.
It might just be under $ 50, but it’s a discount on an Ampere shipping machine. And if you play with the configurator you can reduce the price a touch.
We’ve checked delivery times for a couple of different locations in the US and are seeing Dell being able to deliver an RTX 3080-powered gaming PC to our doorstep within two weeks. In some places on the west coast you can have it delivered on December 3rd. This is next week.
You may have an RTX 3080 next week, folks.
iBuyPower
But Alienware isn’t the only system builder offering RTX 3080 or RTX 3070-based gaming PCs, as iBuyPower also has plenty of Ampere platforms, at lower prices, which it promises will also be in your hands before Christmas.
IBuyPower Ampere Gaming PC | RTX 3080 | Intel i9 | $ 2.449 $ 2,299.99 at iBuyPower (save $ 150)
Buying an RTX 3080 is next to impossible right now, so a pre-built system is absolutely the way to go for that sweet, sweet Ampere graphics. This iBuyPower machine has a pretty hefty discount at the moment, offering you a 10-core CPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
IBuyPower Gaming PC | RTX 3070 | Intel i7 | $ 1,749 $ 1,649.99 on iBuyPower (save $ 100)
You can make a deal on an RTX 3070 this Black Friday, it seems … you just have to buy a complete system wrapped around it. This is a fancy wrapping paper, including 16GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, and 8-core, 16-thread 10th Gen Intel Core i7. The system is expected to ship on December 10 as well. View offer
PC of origin
Origin PC is also in the running to get you a new Nvidia GPU before Christmas, but it won’t be an RTX 3080. OriginPC estimates it will take around 29-31 business days right now before they can ship you a machine RTX 3080, but only 6-8 days for RTX 3070 or RTX 3090 big boi.
PC Origin Deals | Collect up to 3 free gifts on select systems
Origin hasn’t listed any specific system deals yet, but it has launched its own Black Friday packages. Bonuses take the form of a $ 50 VISA card, a 500GB Seagate SSD, a Corsair Void Pro wireless headset, a Corsair K55 and Harpoon keyboard / mouse setup, a Corsair Dark Core Pro mouse, or an Elgato Mini Dock.
Corsair
There’s a small chance that you could actually get an RTX 30 series machine from Corsair even before Christmas. The Corsair Vengeance i7200 comes with an RTX 3080 and is expected to ship in a week or three, so it may scrape into this side of the new year.
The Vengeance i7200 is a super powerful machine, but it’s also super expensive. Inside is the 10-core, 20-thread Core i9 10850K, 32GB of 3,200MHz RAM (of course there is, it’s Corsair), a 1TB NVMe SSD, a 2TB HDD, and the all-important RTX 3080.
Corsair Vengeance i7200 | Intel i9 | RTX 3080 | $ 2,799.99 on Corsair.com
Shipping in one or three weeks ago for you he could take the system into your hands by Christmas, and what a system it is. You can understand why Corsair doesn’t have deals with this machine; it is full of technology. A 10-core CPU, 32GB DDR4-3200, 1TB NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD and an Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card.
Main gear
Maingear is offering a $ 300 discount on its VYBE gaming PCs with the RTX 3070 as a Black Friday deal at the moment, though it can’t guarantee you’ll get the system by Christmas I’m afraid.
VYBE RTX 3070 AMD Ryzen 5600X build | $ 1,899 $ 1,599 in Maingear (save $ 300)
It’s proving particularly difficult to find RTX 3070 cards and Ryzen 5600X CPUs right now, but this pre-built gaming PC is installed and ready to go. Saving $ 300 and not having to waste time building seems like a dream to me
How to buy an RTX 3080, RTX 3090 or RTX 3070 as an upgrade
If you’re just looking to upgrade your current PC and don’t want or can’t afford to take the plunge on an entirely new machine, you’re tempted to say you’re almost entirely out of luck. We spoke to Nvidia reps who assure us that stocks are regularly sold to resellers and that all it takes is a little persistence to track down an Ampere card.
I think it might be aside from the fact that there are a whole load of pre-orders still waiting to be fulfilled and that a whole load of stock will go their way instead of suddenly appearing on various retailer sites waiting to be grabbed.
The Nvidia.com store is a good place to start if you want a one-stop shop to check availability. But if you’re looking for Founders Edition cards, they no longer sell them directly, so you’ll still have to drop by Best Buy. But they’re all sold out, so it doesn’t matter today.
However, keeping an eye on these retailers, third-party versions of Nvidia’s best graphics cards can still yield a reward. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but sooner or later. Probably after Christmas and until the new year, unfortunately.
