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$3,700 RTX 5090 GPUs have found new homes after sitting on US retailer’s shelves
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These are the best GPU ‘deals’ based on real-world scalper pricing and our FPS per dollar test results
Another reason the RTX 4060 desktop price seems so high is that you can grab full gaming laptop systems featuring the RTX 4060 laptop GPU for bargain prices. Of course a mobile variant isn’t equivalent to a desktop PC model, but a couple of weeks ago we spotted an RTX 4060 packing MSI Thin A15 for $729. That’s just $270 more than the desktop GPU alone, and if you were starting out in PC gaming, that bargain laptop features a powerful Ryzen 9 8945HS processor, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage, as well as the laptop screen, keyboard etc. – in a portable form factor.
That’s not a direct substitute for a desktop graphics card if that’s what you want/need, but it illustrates the silly desktop card pricing. We must also comment that, unlike other Nvidia desktop/laptop GPU comparisons, the RTX 4060 laptop GPU actually offers relatively similar performance — the only major differences are clocks speeds and power limits.
Supply and demand strikes again
The law of supply and demand is a very powerful force in economics, and we frequently see this reflected in the PC components market. In the graphics card arena, the supply/demand balance has been unfortunate for PC DIYers and enthusiasts for several months now, chiefly due to AI, and we’ve seen similar issues in the past (e.g. due to cryptomining and Covid). It’s not looking like things will be rectified shortly.
Having said that, we do feel that these RTX 4060 prices can’t be sustained. Nvidia and AMD are preparing to fill this market with new gen ‘60’ cards shortly, and they are usually supplied in good quantities, as they are mainstream mass-market products. Faced with RTX 4060 cards approaching $500, we would definitely suggest waiting a few weeks for the next-gen 4060/9060, with potential replenishments and restocks of ‘70’ series GPUs helping out, too.
If you’re in a pinch, check out our graphics card hierarchy for the comparative performance of lesser-known GPUs from AMD and Intel. Perhaps, for your intended purposes, an AMD Radeon RX 7600/XT or Arc B580, B570, A770, or A750 might be a satisfactory substitute for an RTX 4060. Check our reviews and see how alternatives work in your favorite games and apps. As a stopgap, the Newegg fourth place AMD Radeon RX 6600, at $210, isn’t a terrible choice, either.
