The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X may be getting a lot of retail spotlight, but there’s another piece of gaming hardware that shouldn’t be missed this holiday shopping season–the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. NVIDIA’s newest, super-powerful graphics card has been getting a lot of buzz around the web, but there’s just been one problem… trying to buy one! While PC gamers have been faring better on getting the RTX 3080 than console gamers, the limited stock has still been a real issue with the card. We’ve compiled everything we know about the GeForce RTX 3080 restocks below!
Understanding the GeForce RTX 30 Series
Before getting into the restocks, it’s worth taking a minute to talk about the RTX 30 Series, NVIDIA’s latest graphic cards line. Of the line, there are four cards: the RTX 3060 Ti, the RTX 3070, the RTX 3080, and finally the GeForce RTX 3090. In short, the higher the number, the more powerful the graphics card.
The GeForce RTX 3090 is the most powerful of the new Series 30 graphic cards, but the RTX 3080 is the most popular of the bunch. This is because the GeForce RTX 3080 is the best value for the specs you get. The RTX 3080 is a perfect blend of technological improvements and cost-effectiveness, making it the most in-demand card. The 3090 may be more powerful, but the price will scare most of the consumer base off. You may also need better components, like a beefier power supply, which also puts off prospective buyers.
With that, we focus on GeForce RTX 3080 restocks for this article, but you should be able to follow any Series 30 graphics card at the same retailers.
When and where will the GeForce RTX 3080 be restocked?
While we believe the information below is accurate, it’s important to note that sometimes restocks don’t happen as planned. Restocks may go up late, websites may break, or retailers may just change their minds. This information is to help you plan for possible restocks.
There are multiple versions of the GeForce RTX 3080 on the market for you to pick up, but… well, they’re all sold out right now! You might see some RTX 3080 models “on sale” at places like Amazon, but these will be third-party sellers. PC Gamer reports that this is a problem plaguing much of this year’s PC hardware releases, with similar shortages on AMD graphic cards and new processors. It’s just a rough go of it all around.
Unfortunately, there’s just not a lot of information out there about when the GeForce RTX 3080 will restock. The graphics cards have seen the occasional restock since its initial release, but they usually don’t have much of a warning. Tom’s Hardware reports that the inability to restock has to do with chip shortages and other materials being in short supply. At this time, all we can do is wait and see. If we learn more, we’ll be sure to update this post!
One of the best chances to get the 3080 at this time is if you buy a pre-built PC with the RTX 3080 in it, such as the Alienware Aurora R11 or the ABS Gladiator. Of course, if you’re just looking to upgrade your rig and don’t want a whole new PC, this is far from the best option.
If you absolutely need an RTX 3080 by Christmas, StockX is always an option. With the inflated prices, though, I’d recommend you get by with an older graphics cards and just wait for retailers to restock.
General advice for restocks
Trying to get your hands on something with limited stock is really, really stressful. Make sure to give yourself the best chance you can by following the advice below!
- Make sure you have an account at the store, and all personal information is updated. Restocks put huge strains on websites. On top of that, retailers will only allow you to hold it in your cart for a few minutes, if even that long, when it comes to items like this. Don’t waste your chance trying to update your address or payment information!
- Start refreshing the page early. Often, retailers won’t put stock up at EXACTLY the moment they say. It may be a few minutes early or late. Get to the store page of the item you want before the restock time. You might get lucky!
- Use Ctrl+F5, not just F5. This gives you a hard refresh that doesn’t pull store information from the cache. So, you won’t get outdated information and will be able to see the “Buy” button as soon as possible!
- It’s usually better to be on the computer rather than your phone. While that is not always the case, mobile websites aren’t always optimized for fast refreshing. Or optimized for mobile viewing at all, sometimes. However, sometimes you can have better luck on a mobile app than a browser site. It’s not very often, though, so it’s best to start trying with your computer browser first.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Store Links
Generally, the GeForce RTX 3080 restocks are only going to happen online, as many typical retailers will not be stocking this in-store. Here is a handy list of retailers that you can check!
Unless you have specific and reliable information on an offline retailer stocking up on the card, we would advise against physically visiting a store just to check.
The post NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Restocks: Where and when to purchase your new graphics card appeared first on xda-developers.
