Give one upgrade on the machine is every PC gamer's dream. In recent times, the price of hardware increased and we also experienced a lack of video cards on the market. In fact, these two factors are closely related for a number of reasons, and it looks like the year 2021 will not give PC Gamers a break. 192c1e
In Brazil the price of computer components has always had a high value, however, nothing compares with the current moment. This time, we need to understand that the problem is global, mainly with regard to the industrial pole where the production is located.
Much of the hardware we use is finished or fully assembled in China, and, after the industrial stage, the products are shipped by ship or plane, depending on the value of the cargo, to other corners of the planet. The first obstacle starts here, as the world is still suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the world at the mercy of the new coronavirus, it gets more expensive carry out imports and exports. Countries remain in a cycle of hardening or easing with regard to social isolation policies, which constitutes a greater difficulty in buying and selling relationships in the international market. In addition, large-scale security protocols cost a lot of money, which also makes it difficult to market products, as it is necessary to comply with the rules proposed by the World Health Organization.
The logistical and monetary problem is exacerbated by the fact that on January 1, 2021, an exemption from the import tariff on products from China expired, causing an increase that may vary from 7,5% to up to 25%.
In the first months of the pandemic, another problem also coalesced and we are now reaping its consequences. The factories were inactive for a given moment, as they gather numerous workers, increasing the chances of contamination. With the return of activities, it would be necessary to “replace” the amount obviously lost due to inactivity, and, at the present time, manufacturing costs have increased considerably.
Before proceeding further, it is important to pay attention to a new factor. The quarantine caused millions of people to the home office, and many of them with the need for superior parts in their machines to be able to work as best as possible. In the same way, social isolation caused a certain affective lack, and many entered or deepened their with games. The market started to buy more than there was stock, and whenever demand is greater than supply, prices go up.
Basically, this set of causes works together, generating what we are seeing: an increase in hardware and peripherals, lack of video cards, etc. from high demand and difficulty in production, a website report The Elec states that TSMC, one of the most important companies developing semiconductors, has serious logistical problems in the production line, causing the value charged for development to be higher – which falls straight into the lap of customers.
Semiconductors are important as they make up the overwhelming majority of PC components, so their use is on a large scale and is critical. If their output increases in price, the hardware also increases, becoming a directly proportional equation. The document also pointed out complications in the development of Samsung components, which integrates a good portion of chips of various devices on the market.
As a result, the situation, which is no longer good, worsened with the announcement of a readjustment by some manufacturers of hardware. ASUS was the first of these, announcing that its graphics cards and motherboards would go up in value. Then, companies like MSI, EVGA and Zotac also gave the fateful news of the increase in the prices of their products, with values between 9 and up to 16%.
However, this value is suggested by companies, but what happens in practice is quite different. The RTX 3080 had been announced with a suggested price of US$ 699 in the United States, however, as if it were not difficult to find the card in stock, some dealers charge more than US$ 1400 for the GPU.
If everything looked bad, there's always room for it to get worse. As if that weren't enough, cryptocurrency mining, such as bitcoin, seems to be making a strong comeback, and the who delves into this area acquires a good amount of GPUs simultaneously, aggravating the problem of the lack of video cards.
In Brazil, the situation is not encouraging for two main reasons. The first is that, unfortunately, things are actually more expensive for this consumer market. There's too much bureaucracy, too many regional logistical problems, and we don't even need to mention the sky-high taxes. The second factor is the result of all the content explained before, since the problems that affect the American technological branch also affect us.
The lack of video cards is not unique to Brazil, however. And, incredible as it may seem, we still haven't felt all this increase in practice, since the existing stocks here are still manufactured and imported shipments before the price readjustment. In other words, stocks, which are already scarce, will run out and, when the next orders arrive, we will feel a real increase on the part of shopkeepers.
The problem doesn't just apply to NVIDIA either. It is almost impossible to find palatable prices for the line Radeon RX 6000 newly released. Buying video cards has become a big gamble in recent months.
For now, there is no sign of changes or any light at the end of the tunnel to solve the rising prices and the lack of video cards on the shelves. The only recommendation is to think twice before making your purchases and put everything in the balance to decide whether or not it's worth it.
Sources: BBC News, TechPowerUp, Lifehacker
