In a nutshell: With no end in sight for the chip shortage in the near future, prices continue to soar for graphics cards. The situation has gotten so dire that prices for some GPUs now cost 83 percent over MSRP.

According to updated data collected by 3DCenter, prices for Nvidia graphics cards are now 72 percent more expensive than MSRP. AMD GPUs are even pricier; they're 83 percent above the manufacturer's suggested retail price. That's a notable increase from the 74 percent figure in September, while Nvidia cards were at 70 percent.

SKUs for AMD GPUs affected were part of its Radeon RX 6000 series; in particular, the 6700 XT, 6800, 6800 XT, and 6900 XT. Nvidia SKUs included several from its GeForce RTX 30 series: the 3060, 3060Ti, 3070, 3080, and 3090.

Availability levels for the two firm's GPUs were somewhat improved in October thus far, putting an end to a three-month period where stock levels continued to weaken. Information pertaining to the pricing hikes was obtained from German retailers. However, it's a similar state of affairs elsewhere as well.

Prices in the crypto space have recently experienced a surge, with both Bitcoin and Ethereum approaching previous price peaks. This has consequently led to miners scrambling to secure graphics cards to capitalize on the price rises for cryptocurrency. There's even new software that evades Nvidia's LHR limiter by allowing users to mine two coins simultaneously. AMD, meanwhile, denies claims that it's prioritizing selling cards to crypto miners over gamers.

Related reading: GPU Availability and Pricing Update September 2021

Due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage, other factors could contribute to prices in the industry continuing an upward trend. Copper foil, for one, continues to be in short supply, inevitably leading to higher costs for suppliers – it's not unrealistic to expect motherboard and GPU prices to be affected as a result. Demand in general for CPUs and GPUs has skyrocketed, causing chipmakers to raise prices.

Among the countless patiently awaiting their graphics card orders to arrive was an individual in Poland, who took the matter into his own hands and sent a cake to the retailer he ordered from. It worked: the order was expedited, albeit a year later, and he finally received his RTX 3080.