With GPU shortages, gaming laptops and pre-engineered PCs are the only alternatives
As many other industries feel the effects of ingredient shortages, gaming in particular has also been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While cars, TVs, home appliances, and other products lead to supply shortages, video game hardware is equally struggling with supply shortages. PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles are difficult to find at MSRP, with many people having to purchase more expensive bundles or buy from resellers at premium prices. PC gaming in particular is also a major victim of this trend, especially for any player looking for a graphics card in today’s chaotic market.
The supply of GPUs has become so scarce that many people have led many unorthodox and impractical methods to get better performing hardware for their PCs in the last year. Whether it’s the GPU or other hard-to-find hardware like the CPU (and in some cases the RAM and power supply), dedicated people trying to upgrade their devices even have to buy pre-built PCs. , just for the express purpose of scavenging piecemeal for implementation in their existing rigs. Those trying to get into PC gaming for the first time even have to buy a gaming laptop. Oddly, though, it’s not a bad choice on the current market.
Hardware supply shortage will continue into 2022
Just as it looks like the pandemic will ease in the United States and in certain parts of the world, variants of COVID-19 are starting to spread as worries about a new pandemic begin to grow. . As a result, component shortages caused by 2021 are now likely to continue throughout 2022, as global supply chains are hampered by additional shutdowns and complications. Video games continue one of the industries hardest hit by the global shortage, as graphics and processing hardware continue to be the most sought-after silicon components, meaning hardware manufacturers are facing severe delays in orders and deliveries.
Finding a real GPU on your own is nearly impossible because of a few key factors: Supply chain issues, resale bots taking up hardware inventory as sales pages go live, and a large percentage direct supply to hardware manufacturers like Dell and ASUS, using pre-built PC GPUs. While (relatively) CPU, RAM, memory, and other components are easier to find, GPUs are the hardest PC gaming components to buy. As there is more profit from pre-built devices with labor cost, many hardware companies are paying attention to GPUs and other hardware first, leading players to buy more pre-built PCs than.
Buying a built-in PC and a gaming laptop may be the only option
For those looking for an immediate hardware upgrade, and even those looking to upgrade with less urgency, the only alternative for both camps is to purchase a pre-built PC. That’s not the most ideal situation, nor is it a particularly responsible choice given the level of volatility that’s happening in the gaming market right now. Buying a full gaming PC or even buying a real gaming laptop are the only navigational ways to avoid the GPU self-recognition problem. Give a way GPU like RTX 3070 Currently priced at an average of $1100+ on eBay (twice the average MSRP of $499.99), pre-built rigs are an alternative many people are considering.
Obviously for first-time buyers, this shouldn’t be a big deal. A big part of PC gaming is that players finally get their own rig after spending some time researching and learning how to build their own PCs, but that’s not entirely realistic in 2022. . Even buy a pre-built gaming computer If that doesn’t detract from that experience, it’s much less of a headache trying to build a brand new device on top of the existing hardware market. Gaming laptops are even a solid choice in this case, as the disparity between mobile variants of CPU/GPU and desktop hardware has shrunk considerably over the past decade. . Plus, laptops have more practical/convenience factors compared to desktop computers.
However, owners of powerful rigs that have been looking for an upgrade/replacement/etc are in a much more difficult situation than the average consumer. Buy a pre-built PC just to separate the relevant parts for use in existing hardware leaves tons of waste material that they may not need. That means churning out things like extra RAM, storage, motherboards, power supplies, fans, cases, and more on sites like eBay, to wait a while. It’s not justifiable, but for those daring enough, it may be the only option to upgrade the GPU as resale prices are rising to meet the prices of pre-built machines.
Ultimately, there is still hope for a much more consumer-friendly market environment in the future for PC gamers, but it’s not coming anytime soon. Representatives from Intel, Nvidia, AMD, etc. also expressed similar views that Component shortages will continue well into 2022/2023. PC gaming has become an elusive hobby in the last few years, and the constant scarcity of supply will only make things harder.
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https://gamerant.com/pc-gpu-shortage-nvidia-amd-intel-gaming-laptops-pre-builts-pc-alternative/ With GPU shortages, gaming laptops and pre-engineered PCs are the only alternatives