There was a time when spending $500 on a graphics card felt extravagant. That much money could buy you a seriously high-end GPU, and for $300 you could get something pretty powerful. Fast forward to today and these numbers seem almost quaint.
Our latest GPU pricing update paints a rather depressing picture. Graphics card prices have increased by 35% in the last three months alone, with mainstream models selling well above their original MSRPs. An RTX 5070 that was supposed to cost $549 now sells for around $900 in the US, while the high-end market has increasingly moved away from what most gamers would consider reasonable.
Of course, everyone’s budget and priorities are different. Some enthusiasts have no problem spending $1,000 or more on a GPU that they will use for several years. Others have drawn a hard line at $300 or $500, regardless of how much faster the latest hardware is.
And there’s another question worth asking: What about value? Have we just gotten used to paying more? What felt outrageous a decade ago might seem like the price of admission to serious PC gaming today.
So here’s this weekend’s question: What is the most you have ever spent on a graphics card and what is your absolute spending limit today? Have rising prices caused you to forego upgrades, buy used equipment, or settle for a lower price? Or are you willing to pay a premium if the performance justifies it?
