Asus says its RTX graphics cards could be up to 25 percent cheaper

Image: Asus

The price of the 3050, 3060, 3070, 3080, and 3090) will be lowered by up to 25 percent. To list some examples, a Tuf 3060 12GB from $550 to $412.50, a Strix 3070 8GB from $825 to $618.75, and a Tuf 3080 12GB from $825 to $618.75 are all examples.

The company says that consumers will see the lower prices starting on April 1st, 2022.

I narrowed my eyes when I heard that the change was going to start on April 1st. The Office of the United States Trade Representative imposed a 25 percent tax on graphics cards imported from China. At the time, the company said it would increase the price of its cards as a result of the tariffs.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced on March 23rd that it would be reinstating that exemption through the end of the year. It makes sense that Asus would lower its prices now that the tariffs are gone since it raised its prices because of them.

Will this make it easier for me to get a graphics card, or will it be more expensive? The answer is exhausting because of how complex buying electronics can be. Suppliers will still be limited on how many cards they can make because of the change in tariffs, so it's hard to see how this will have a noticeable impact on the chip shortage. With lower list prices, you may have to compete with more and more people who want to buy a graphics card and who can afford it.

One important thing is that it is reducing the MSRP of its cards. The MSRP is the suggested retail price, meaning that retailers could always keep selling the same GPUs at the same price, and make 25 percent more for doing nothing. That is not to say that they will, but it is a possibility. Even if we trust stores to have reasonable prices, can we really expect the same from the scalpers and miners trying to get their hands on as many GPUs as possible?

It is not all doom and gloom. According to a report from TechRadar, one retailer predicted that by April or May, we could see the price of the GPUs get closer to the MSRP. If everything pans out, that could mean good things for PC builders, since a large graphics card seller is promising to cut its prices by up to a quarter. This price drop is a sign that manufacturers are trying to make graphics cards more affordable for consumers. It will take enough of them for that to happen.

When asked if they had plans to adjust pricing based on the tariffs, the companies didn't reply immediately.