Video games.The graphics card market explodes: set up your PC, an impossible mission?

With the persistent shortages of new generation consoles, some could rightly think that salvation is on PC.After all, if mounting a game computer can represent a substantial cost, it also allows you not to be dependent on a single manufacturer when choosing a graphics card (or GPU), the most important part with the processor.At first glance, of choice, there are: Asus, MSI, PNY, EVGA ... However, whoever looked at the question knows that when we talk about GPU, only two manufacturers are essential: AMD and NVIDIA.These are the two main manufacturers of graphic "chipsets" - the play of chips that will determine the power of the card - and which provide all the others.However, like all electronic products, these graphic chipsets need a lot of semiconductors to operate.They therefore do not escape the shortage which also currently affects consoles, but also smartphones and cars.

New, used: prices fly away everywhere

Officially launched on September 17, 2020, the GeForce 3000 represent the latest range of NVIDIA graphics cards.It aroused the enthusiasm of PC players, as the power/cost ratio was interesting.Nevertheless, apart from those who immediately ordered, few are the ones who were able to get their hands on these cards at the prices announced, because stock breaks were quickly felt.As with the console market, opportunistic buyers - the famous "scalpers" - rushed on the rare copies available and began to resell them at double or triple of the recommended price on sites like eBay or Le Bon Coin.

The situation then worsened over the weeks to the point of touching the second -hand market.Cards old or more generations, which can be 5 to 6 years old, are sometimes negotiated at higher amounts than at the cost of the new.The demand is so strong and the supply so weak that the manufacturers themselves have increased the prices.

Take the example of RTX 3080, one of the most popular and powerful, whose recommended price generally oscillated between € 720 and € 1,000 at its launch according to brands.A small tour on the Nvidia site reveals that today practically no more product is positioned below € 1,000.Identical observation on the other cards in the range, the recommended price of the most modest and very recent RTX 3060 was directly placed in the same range as that of RTX 3070 as it was last September.

Un marché frappé par une « tempête parfaite»»»»

How did we get to this incredible situation?An alignment of the worst planets at the same time?Some observers talk about the "perfect storm".

On the offer side, the production of semiconductors has been turned upside down by the health crisis, causing delays in the manufacture of fleas.A seller of a famous brand specializing in the PC who agreed to speak in Ouest-France under the cover of anonymity depicts a real butterfly effect with impressive consequences."On some production channels, a very small disturbance and it becomes a real hassle," he notes, a blockage of five hours in the factory, it creates five months late in store.»»»»

In addition, it remains impossible for manufacturers to increase the rate, because in the world of electronics, orders are spent in advance in advance.As if that were not enough, Taiwan, who hosts one of the main semiconductor factories in the world, has known his worst drought for 56 years.Irony, the manufacture of these components requires a lot of water.

Boat routing was also affected by the consequences of COVVI-19."The crisis also put chaos in the supply means, not to mention the inconvenience of the FIRD Given on the Suez Canal, notes this seller, the prices of the containers have exploded.»»»»

The icing on the cake: The Boom of Cryptomonnaies

Last problem, and not least, video game enthusiasts are no longer the only ones to seize graphics cards, cryptocurrency actors are also looking for this rare commodity.These components are indeed particularly effective in solving the complexes necessary for the functioning of certain cryptocurrencies, mainly Ethereum. Pour résumer, en mettant les GPU au service du réseau, ceux qu’on appelle les « mineurs»»»» se voient récompensés d’une commission pour chaque transaction traitée.And as the courses of these currencies have soared in recent months, the thousands of euros invested in graphics cards are profitable in the blink of an eye.

« Les constructeurs essayent de mettre des protections contre le minage, mais elles finissent toujours par être contournées, explique le vendeur « pour ne rien arranger, on a des cartes comme la RTX 3060 qui ont un rapport consommation/efficacité particulièrement attractif pour les « mineurs»»»».»»»» De surcroît, ces acheteurs-là sont insatiables. Là où un joueur lambda se procurera une seule carte graphique avant de se retirer de la demande, le « mineur»»»» tentera d’en acquérir autant qu’il pourra. Certaines « fermes»»»» de minage en Chine sont ainsi composées de centaines de cartes graphiques alignées dans d’immenses hangars uniquement pour créer de la valeur sur les cryptomonnaies. « Les plus gros « mineurs»»»» ne vont pas dans les magasins, ils achètent les cartes graphiques par palettes entières directement en Chine, fraîchement sorties d’usine»»»», explique-t-il.

Buying your components at retail has become very expensive and difficult

In the shops, in France or elsewhere, the managers nevertheless try to put the GPUs in the hands of the players. « On cherche vraiment à éviter de céder les cartes aux « mineurs»»»» et aux scalpers , explique le vendeur, c’est pour ça qu’on cache les stocks aux gens qui ne veulent acheter qu’un GPU.If on the other hand someone comes and wants to take a complete machine there, yes, suddenly I will have stock for them.»»

The prices of the graphics cards have also exploded so much that it has become interesting to crack for a pre -built PC."Part of the pleasure is to set up your PC, of course, but given the context, you have to know how to make concessions," he deplores.It's counter-intuitive, but taking your ready PC is a good idea today.»»»»

Other components are also scarce.Because of the high consumption of these new cards, high power supplies become difficult to find.In the coming weeks, observers expect to see the price of ram bars explode.New cryptocurrencies exploiting the storage of computers could also subject the same fate to SSD discs.As for generalized telework, he melted the stocks of the screens, especially those at entry -level.

Some scenarios do not provide a return to normal before 2023

And medium and long term forecasts are not good.The main players in the sector agree that the shortage could last until 2023.Only a global crash - and unlikely in the short term - cryptocurrencies could possibly allow a massive arrival of cards on the second -hand market, which would mechanically lower prices.However, watch out for equipment exhausted by hours and hours of intensive mining!

The perspectives are very dark for PC players. « Si j’avais qu’un seul conseil à donner, c’est de considérer la possibilité de ne pas changer de carte graphique»»»», explique le vendeur.If you have a GTX 1070 for example, try to find ways to optimize your configuration to keep it one or two years, especially if you have a just HD screen.»»»»

To play in 4K, remains the alternative to buy a new generation console, despite the shortages and the difficulty of finding one. Au point où en sont les cartes graphiques aujourd’hui et contre toute attente, il semble que ça soit la « moins pire»»»» des solutions.