Why right now is a terrible time to buy a graphics card

Looking to purchase a brand-new graphics card? Here’s why you should wait a few weeks to see how the industry shifts, so you get a better deal.

It’s been a while since the initial introduction of Nvidia’s RTX 40-series graphics cards, and AMD’s RX 7000 series. But, this might just be the worst time to buy a new graphics card right now. While great GPUs are on offer, like AMD’s RX 7800XT, the first graphics card to achieve a five-star score from Dexerto, you should probably wait a couple of weeks, as you might get more value for money just by holding on a bit longer.

Nvidia’s RTX 40-series is the definition of a mixed bag. While the RTX 4090 was clearly an incredible advancement of GPU tech, the rest of the stack has not fared quite as well, especially the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4070, each of which is compromised in some way, and doesn’t offer the generational improvements in performance that people were expecting, or are simply priced too high for the silicon on offer.

This could all be changing with the expected introduction of an RTX 40-series Super refresh, which could also be incredibly competitively priced. We’ll have to hold out until CES 2024 for more details, but as of the time of writing, I’ve seen enough leaks to confidently say that you should probably wait until January is over before splurging on a new graphics card.

Why the RTX 40 Super lineup could change everything

While we’re expecting three new graphics cards: The RTX 4070 Super, 4070 Ti Super, and 4080 Super, it’s the effects they might have on the GPU market that makes us a bit more excited. If Nvidia chooses to price them as straight replacements for their vanilla counterparts, this could mean cheaper GPUs across the RTX lineup. If the 20-series is anything to go by, you could get a pretty hefty discount, especially if the company wishes to discontinue those cards.

Secondly, there’s a big, red flag on the wall whenever Nvidia chooses to release a new graphics card. AMD might choose to discount their RX 7000 lineup even further to compete on price, meaning that great graphics cards like the RX 7800 XT could receive a nice, healthy discount, too.

We’re expecting more news later this week from CES about new graphics cards, considering that Nvidia has also announced that they’ll be showing off cool, new tech. Whether that turns out to be the RTX 40-series Super refresh remains to be seen, but it’s incredibly likely.

If I were on the market for a new graphics card, it would not hurt to wait for just a few weeks to see just how things shake out. Of course, unless you are in dire need and you need something in your gaming PC right now.

Should you always wait for newer-gen parts?

I often found myself over the holiday break either repairing PCs or helping family members with their new builds, and one question just kept on cropping up: Should you wait for new parts? In the case of CPU generations, the question becomes more difficult, as what’s on offer at the time of writing is pretty good, and will scream through gaming workloads, whether you’re looking at a 7800X3D or a more mid-range 14600K.

Generally, don’t wait for months to buy a new CPU: The gains in gaming performance are often less impactful than waiting for a new graphics card.

For graphics cards, the question is a case of what you have right now, and what you are waiting for. If you’ve got an RTX 3000-series or older graphics card and are looking to upgrade your GPU, now might be the time, if you want something shiny and new, as you could be waiting much longer for Nvidia’s Blackwell. Equally, if you’re satisfied with your PC performance, don’t let this refresh make you immediately want to upgrade your system, just wait for Blackwell and AMD’s next-gen offerings, instead.