A shortage of hardware components. We’ve been here before. Unfortunately, the lack of high-performance components has been a very common problem in the past half-decade, although it hasn’t been quite as pronounced or as widespread as the one that PC gamers face today. Over the past year, we’ve seen “Out of Stock” or “Subscribe for Inventory Notifications” plastered on store pages for graphics cards, CPUs, PSUs, and even gaming mice.
The reason for the shortage of PC components today is multifaceted. Perhaps the root cause of all this was the Corona virus, which undoubtedly affected the production of the most demanded components today. Factories halted production in early 2020 and are still largely catching up today. However, we must not ignore what has only exacerbated the supply problems: bots and cryptocurrency mining continue to make things worse for your average computer builder.
What he’s due to basically is a matter of massive demand. Not just from those looking to make a quick buck with a graphics card or two, but gamers new and old. Computer games are on an amazing height right now.
If you’ve just been after the past twelve turbulent and drama-filled months in computer games, you’ve come to the right place. There have been many twists and turns leading to where we are today, which is unfortunately not much different from where we started this mess, but with which we can make some judgment calls next year building PCs.
Graphics cards
When will the GPU shortage end?
There is no clear end in sight to the GPU shortage that is currently wreaking havoc in the field of building PCs. Nobody knows when it might stop, not even Nvidia or AMD. Perhaps that’s not a good sign of the persistent GPU shortage, which every graphics card has had within reason, even for several generations, has been flying off the shelves in a matter of seconds.
Here’s the latest news on the GPU shortage:
Nvidia also saw fit to restrict Ethereum mining to its RTX 3060 12GB graphics card, which it claims is “unhackable.” This is the only card so far in the GeForce RTX 30 series that attempts this feat, although future (unannounced) cards are also expected to feature something similar.
The specified one is currently in limbo, as Nvidia accidentally released a driver without a prerequisite code to keep the miner away. The company is said to be considering switching the GPU in order to give the impenetrable selector another shot, although that’s still just a rumor at the moment.
AMD has confirmed that it will not limit any workload to its graphics cards. Its Radeon RX 6000-series GPUs are still in short supply too, which is unfortunate because they may be the company’s best yet.
At least you might have some luck with the latest gaming laptops, which are now available with RTX 30-series GPUs. Likewise, gaming desktops of the pre-built type offer some solace to the wary stock hunter. Delivery lead times are now sometimes two months or more, but at least you can guarantee there’s a machine on their end.
Finally, it’s important to note that it’s not the complete lack of graphics silicon that necessarily pushes graphics card manufacturers to hold back. There is a widespread shortage of components in almost every corner of the global manufacturing world, causing shortages of those tiny electrical components you’d never think twice about as a consumer, but which are essential to computer parts.
If you’re not bothered with hours of card hunting, or if you’re on a tight budget and don’t like the look of the latest price hikes, here’s our guide to building a gaming PC on a super budget.
Treatments
And what about the CPU. Can I buy one of these?
I have good and bad news for all potential CPU buyers. The good news is that you maybe Buy a handler today. AMD’s Ryzen 5000 and Ryzen 3000 processors are both fairly widely available, in general, while Intel’s 11th Gen Rocket Lake chips are often found at MSRP. You may even find half decent savings if you shop around.
The bad news is that the high-end 12- and 16-core AMD Ryzen Zen 3 processors, the Ryzen 9 5900X and Ryzen 9 5950X, are like golden dust. Lots of mid-range chips to choose from, but only high-quality Intel available at anything close to the MSRP – although we wouldn’t blame you for losing Core i9 11900 K.
In terms of APUs, AMD has released Ryzen 5000-series chips for both laptops and OEMs, for use inside pre-built PCs. So far there is no confirmed date for these chips to reach the DIY market, although AMD said it aims to make them “available to DIY manufacturers this year.”
We’re hoping for a release sooner rather than later, just because these chips can be useful, albeit a bit disappointing, for the ongoing GPU shortage.
Here is the latest news on processors:
Solid State Drives
It’s surprising that SSDs are still so cheap
Thank God, things are not looking up Terribly Bad for most other important computer components in 2021. Solid state drives are among them. While we weren’t sure if the price of NAND Flash would kick in in 2020, it looks like it will stay at its modest price so far in 2021.
SSD prices have gradually come down over the past few years, so much so that the fastest M.2 PCIe 4.0 models aren’t terribly expensive alongside the more logical PCIe 3.0 and even SATA drives.
So far, only slight price increases are expected throughout the year. This is according to Market Analyst TrendForce’s Latest Investigation. Although, these types of predictions of high and low prices are very common and do not necessarily indicate the price you will see on the shelves.
Here’s the latest news on SSDs:
The bottom line is this: Cheap SSDs are already available, even in these tough times, and faster than ever, thanks to PCIe 4.0. Although there is certainly an argument not to put off buying a new SSD in the hope that prices will drop further as there is a chance we will see prices rise down the line.
memory
Get into the RAM while everything is going well
RAM pricing has been a fast ride the past few years. From lows to highs to lows again, luckily we still had a period relatively Low prices and steady supply.
But I’m not entirely convinced that this latest lull will last for long. Take a look at the average price of the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3200MHz Stick on camelcamel, for example. For the better part of 2020, we’ve been enjoying record low prices for this popular memory set, although it’s starting to sound like such goodwill among manufacturers and retailers.
Here’s the latest news on RAM:
At least there’s an exciting time ahead for system memory. DDR5 will arrive in earnest later this year, touting faster speeds than any DDR4 group, with seed support found in Intel’s Alder Lake CPUs.
power supplies
PSUs are back in stock soon after in 2020
For a while we were there on shaky ground with PSUs. In 2020, the initial wave of component shortages and crypto sales drove PSU stocks off the shelves faster than anyone seemed to be able to make. In turn, this led to high prices for this important component, which is often left to the end.
We’re used to finding PSUs with some pretty big discounts too, so the price hikes above the MSRP, or a complete shortage of inventory, came as a shock to some.
However, these tough conditions eased somewhat in 2021. If we look at any number of major retailers, you’ll find the best power supplies from trusted manufacturers with unbeatable discounts. Back to our regularly scheduled shows, then.
Well, not exactly. There is still some malaise surrounding the PSU of choice for crypto miners: effectively anything over 1kW. This is enough for most mining rigs to get off the ground, and high operating efficiency can also be a desirable feature when you are trying to make a quick profit.
It is certainly possible to find a 1000W or more power supply unit available today, but don’t expect any big discounts.
For the most part, unless you want an extreme PC, an 850W PSU will be enough for even the best GPUs today. Fortunately, those seem to be in abundance after a short fluctuation.
If you need a helping hand in choosing the correct wattage for your PSU, check out our PSU calculator.