When We Think About Graphics Cards / GPUs. Will the Shortage End?
There has always been the need for evolving and improving. When it comes to technology, the world of computer components has hit a massive barrier in the form of graphics cards shortage. This shortage has occurred during the year 2020 and has impacted everyone from tech enthusiasts who enjoyed building customized PCs to the entire GPU industry.
There are several causes of the sudden drop in the supply of GPUs but with that being said there are ways to go around this problem. In this article, you will come to know about the possible reasons that play a part in this shortage and what you can do about it.
Why are Graphics Cards Short?
When it comes to video cards, there is more than one reason for this sudden shortage. Graphics cards are globally available for an insane price (if any) and even those are difficult to get. Here are some of the main reasons for the shortage of these GPUs.
1. Challenges in manufacturing:
One of the major reasons for the shortage of GPUs as well as the higher fabrication costs is China’s attempt to decrease energy consumption. China was the largest producer of silicon chips but is only producing a fraction of its previous output. China has made a stand to reduce power consumption that has led to a reduced silicon output.
However, this isn’t the only issue, as the production of silicon chips was also put on hold during the pandemic of Covid-19, as the factories had to undergo complete lockdown. Whereas, the US faced horrific events of a winter storm that hit Texas that also resulted in factories being closed in February 2021. Plus, the US sanctions against China haven’t proven to be helpful either.
2. The Increasing Demand:
The demand for graphics cards has always been high but recently the demand for GPUs grew at an immense rate in the past year, as now more and more people are looking for used and refurbished video cards for cryptocurrency mining.
Mining requires the graphics card to run at full capacity and let alone 24/7 can be torturous for any graphics card. Such restless use of a GPU often results in it getting burnt quite early as compared to a normal gaming card. During the pandemic, the demand for mining was at its high because the prices for these cryptocurrencies were increasing and people thought of it as an alternative income.
Besides the demand for crypto miners, a huge portion of the world’s population was stuck in their homes because of the pandemic of Covid-19. People were now either upgrading their old rigs or building new PCs. Graphics cards were a need for their work and gaming and people were buying GPUs from anywhere they got the chance. This unexpected surge of demand resulted in the shortage of GPUs at a global level.
When Will The GPU Shortage End?
There’s no way of knowing for sure when the shortage of graphics cards will come to an end for good because AMD and NVidia are trying their best to increase the supply. However, both these companies are facing a lack of sources and NVidia has indicated that these shortages might last to the end of 2021 or may even continue to 2022.
Is There Any Solution to Overcome This Problem?
The shortage of video cards in 2021 doesn’t look any better than it was in 2022. Therefore, expecting that the shortage issue for GPUs will come to an end anytime soon. However, there are some solutions to overcome the shortage problem. Here are some of the ways that you can get Graphics Cards at minimal price and effort.
1. Buy Used or Refurbished GPUs:
A great way to go over this issue is by buying used or refurbished video cards. You might not necessarily find the video card that you are looking for but you can get a substitute for it. You can either buy a previous generation of the GPU by the same manufacturer or by going for the competitor’s GPU with roughly the same specifications. You can easily find used or refurbished graphics cards for mid-range GPUs.
You can pick out the cards that fulfill your purpose and the alternative cards would surely be capable of providing the specifications that you are looking for. No matter you are choosing a video card for gaming or content production, finding a refurbished or used GPU won’t be such a difficult task.
2. Buying a Pre-Built PC:
Most people prefer to buy a pre-built PC, as they get everything in ready-to-use condition. Although you don’t get the facility of customizing each component as per your requirements it does save money and tie.
You can get a prebuilt PC with a graphics card already installed. The pre-installed graphic card might not be the latest generation but would be as per the requirements that you requested. This option is a viable one because you always have the option of replacing the graphics card once the shortage has ended.
3. Wait for The Shortage to End:
This is the final option and might not seem to be the best one for most people, as it requires patience, and the fact that no one knows when this shortage would end makes it even more difficult. However, after seeing how top manufacturers of graphic cards are working to reduce a massive quantity of GPUs, we might expect this shortage to end within the year 2022.
It may seem like a long shot but if you want to get a new GPU according to your needs, waiting for this shortage to end is the only option that you are left with.
Final Thoughts:
The shortage of graphics cards is due to the massive increase in demand and decrease in production over the last year. This high demand along with the shortage has resulted in an exponential surplus in their price.
The need for graphics cards is more than ever before, as people need them for work or gaming. So the best solution for the ones, as mentioned earlier is to buy a used or refurbished video card because you will always have the option of replacing it with a new one, once GPUs are available. Nevertheless, if you are unaware of a place to get quality video cards, the best place would be Sibbex.
