I test graphics cards all day, and these early Prime Day GPU deals are ripping you off — buy these instead

2 weeks ago 2

(Image credit: Future)

Ever since I started testing GPUs, I’ve been waiting for the moment to say my favorite graphics cards are on sale. I did start as a deals writer, so the high I’d feel to tell you that you could save money on an RTX 5060 Ti or RTX 5070 Ti would be significant.

But that’s not happened, and frustratingly (given the fact Nvidia did say stock was getting back to normal), the problem is worse than its ever been. What do I mean? Well, there are so-called “deals” popping up as we head towards Prime Day that are still astronomically overpriced.

Worst example? $1,000 for an RTX 5070 Ti! Well, I’m going to put my deals hat on for a little bit and point you to the best GPU prices you can get right now, so that you don’t fall for these trash savings (that aren’t actually savings).

Live in the U.K.? No need to worry!

I’ve checked for GPU stock over the course of this entire year, and one thing has become abundantly clear — scalping is not really a thing in Britain.

That's not to say it doesn’t exist. There are still plenty of cards that are being sold for £30-50 more. But stocking issues don’t seem to be plaguing the U.K. as much, and because of that, retailers will be selling some models at (or even below) recommended retail price (RRP).

Unfortunately, that’s where the Nvidia party ends for GPUs under RRP, as price quickly jumps up with RTX 5080 and 5090.

My advice to U.S. PC gamers

But enough showing off about the U.K. — let’s try and find my friends in the States a little something. As I said, with a $1,000 RTX 5070 Ti being called a “deal” is diabolical, but there are three tips I can give you if you’re shopping around right now:

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Be prepared to go over slightly: I’ll be real with you — it’s rare you’ll find the better GPU choices for MSRP. But that doesn’t mean you should dramatically overpay to grab one. Aim for a $50 flexibility if you’re keen to buy sooner rather than later.
Look to bundles: While the GPU itself may be slightly scalped, if you get it as part of a bundle with maybe some RAM or a power supply, the discount on this bit may bring the cost more in-line.
Consider a pre-build: Normally, the lowest cost approach to a gaming PC is to build it yourself, but that’s not necessarily the case anymore. When comparing pre-builds spotted on Newegg and Best Buy to the equally-specced pcpartpicker equivalent, we’ve seen the price of the pre-build actually be lower about 50% of the time.

Got all that? Good! Rather than go immediately for the first thing you see a big red sale sticker on, go for these instead.

Jason brings a decade of tech and gaming journalism experience to his role as a Managing Editor of Computing at Tom's Guide. He has previously written for Laptop Mag, Tom's Hardware, Kotaku, Stuff and BBC Science Focus. In his spare time, you'll find Jason looking for good dogs to pet or thinking about eating pizza if he isn't already.

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