[SOLVED] Graphic Card Worth Purchase?

[Frostivus]

Hey all,

I was looking into getting a new GPU and I would like to at least have it for a little while before I'd need to replace it. However, I don't know how long it would be until newer cards come out. How often to new graphics cards come out? How long does it take for a GPU to be considered dated? I'm debating spending a premium to get one of the new ones now, as I don't see a future where the resale MSRP drops before the next generation of cards come out. Are there any other things I should consider when purchasing a GPU for mild future-proofing? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Eximo]

How long it takes a GPU to become outdated is up to the user. It depends on the use case, which games, what resolution, desired frame rate...
New technologies are rarely disruptive to existing systems. Game developers want you to buy the product, so limiting you to the latest cards is not wise.

Given current times, no not likely to see normal pricing this generation at all. Intel might disrupt the low/mid range with new discrete cards (if rumors hold true) But TSMC is making their chips too, so that will be interesting. Best bet is to try and get a GPU near MSRP by tracking the availability, signing up for waiting lists, etc. Just be prepared to buy.

Not really any way to future proof with a GPU. You can certainly overbuy and have more capacity then your current needs. That lets you keep a card longer, but in turn means buying a more expensive GPU next time to see an improvement. You can also be constantly upgrading by always buying a mid-range card, selling it when something new launches, and getting the latest mid-range card. Costs can be roughly the same with either approach.


GPU releases are typically semi-annually from Nvidia and AMD. Intel has yet to release discrete GPUs in any large number

Nvidia just had a Fall 2020 launch, we can expect a news cycle to begin in 2022 with likely a Summer release. Though lower end cards are trickling in, though they have about reached the bottom at 3060 and 3050Ti for mobile.

AMD had a similar launch in late Fall. Though mostly just high end cards. Haven't seen the lower end models make an appearance, so they should be coming soon.

So about 18-24 months between GPU releases on average.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

if you purchase a RTX 3000 or RX 6000 card at 2-3x it's MSRP,
keep it for more than a year,
and then expect to sell it and make any decent amount of the investment back;
i would imagine you will be pretty disappointed when that time comes.

hopefully by the next generation available stock issues will have been alleviated
and the high demand\price would have settled back to normal.

there's always a chance that things will remain in the situation they are currently,
but people paying these ridiculous scalping prices for products is only making the current situation worse.

Are there any other things I should consider when purchasing a GPU for mild future-proofing?

that totally depends on the intended use of the card.

if you're running a basic browsing\office system and may play a few games, than a higher tiered GPU would be a waste of money.

if you're doing a bit of high quality video processing, than a mid-high tiered GPU may be a good investment depending on the exact type of projects.

if you spend a lot of time playing the most demanding games with highest settings at high resolutions and expect high fps,
than a higher tiered GPU(either RTX or RX) may be a good value
but you could possibly get by with an earlier series like an RTX 2000 or RX 5000.