RTX 3050 stock live blog – where to buy Nvidia’s latest graphics card
Refresh
Will the RTX 3050 really cost $249 / £239 at launch?
That’s the ultimate question, isn’t it? We’ve seen at the launch of all previous RTX 30 series graphics cards that these recommended prices are just a pipe dream. Could this finally be the time when we don’t have to get ripped off just to buy new tech? So far, we’ve seen arguments that it could go either way.
First, the good. Earlier this month it was reported that there would be a better supply of the RTX 3050 compared to other GPU launches. Now, what exactly does better provisioning of the RTX 3050 look like? According to another report from OC3D, nearly 1,000 GPUs will be available from UK retailers at the recommended price at launch. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but if it’s true, it guarantees that it will be possible to buy the RTX 3050 without paying excessive prices.
Now, before we happily call it there, we’ve also seen evidence of inflated prices in early listings. At an undisclosed retailer in Peru, the RTX 3050 was spotted for $453 (or roughly £334 / AU$630). It also appeared in a third-party listing on Newegg Marketplace for up to $699 (about £520 / AU$980), but that’s for a card shipped from overseas.
Overall, we’re optimistic, but we’re definitely leaning towards the side of caution given that we’ve been burned so many times in the past. We should know for sure which direction it is going in the next few hours.
RTX 3050: the TechRadar verdict
While we have some time, why not take a moment to read TechRadar’s RTX 3050 review to get a better idea of the graphics cards we’re all looking for today.
It’s fair to say that Jackie came away with a bit of a mixed response to the GPU. There was praise for its 1080p gaming performance, even with ray tracing. So those with much older cards looking to upgrade to, say, the GTX 1650, will find plenty to like for $249/£239. However, it’s still priced high compared to the RTX 2060, which means it might not quite be the affordable entry-level GPU it claims to be.
We’ll have to see how prices stabilize once it actually becomes available, but later today.
A very warm welcome to our stock RTX 3050 live blog
Some will say that I am a fool. Some will say that I am wasting my time. But I refuse to listen. The RTX 3050 is launching today and I’m going to make sure at least one person can buy it.
Yes, if you’ve ever been here on a previous Nvidia RTX 30 series launch, you know that buying a graphics card isn’t nearly as guaranteed as you’d like. Whether it’s crashing websites, scalping bots, or disappearing inventory, we’ve all seen the total mess of trying to buy a new tech product in the past couple of years. Will this time be different?
I hope that’s what this live blog exists for: to help you find RTX 3050 stock. We know the new entry-level graphics card is due out sometime today. And while we don’t have a specific timeframe to stick to, we can assume from previous launches that it should be available to buy anytime from now. Rumors have suggested between 6am and 9am ET (i.e. 11am – 2pm GMT), so we’re on high alert as of now.
Then join me on this potentially fruitless but no doubt fun adventure and I hope you walk away with a reasonably priced RTX 3050.
