Graphics cards have been a necessity for modern-day users, especially those who are aiming to have a high-spec gaming PC or laptop.
Amid the pandemic, people are required to stay inside their houses, that's why indoor activities are in demand nowadays.
Sniping for GPUs is never easy. The popular retail stores for the cards may have restocks, but they could quickly disappear in a matter of minutes. Besides the surge of demand for these cards amid the pandemic, there's also a global shortage happening right now, contributing to the chaos.
For someone who wants to find success in hunting graphic cards, here are the tips that you should follow for your pursuit.
Tips on How to Successfully Purchase Graphics Card
There are many strategies to try if you want more chances of obtaining graphics cards in your area or other locations, as per PCMag.
Notification Sources For Potential Restock
Usually, those who could not catch up with the supplies of graphics cards might forget the first method of obtaining it: using restock notification tools.
If you are already familiar with Telegram and Discord, you won't have any problems following a store for a possible restock. For gamers, the latter is a must-use online place, so you won't miss any news about GPUs.
You can also try entering YouTube and Twitch so you can regularly hear more about your popular streamers. Sometimes, the announcement about graphics cards is mentioned there.
Most importantly, do not forget to visit the online stores and track the progress of their GPU drops.
Read also: NVIDIA RTX 30-Series GPU Restock: Here Are The Retailers Where You Could Buy a GeForce Card
Local Shop Inventory Tracking
Sometimes, physical stores are more reliable compared to their online counterparts. Even amid pandemic, some shops are open, but with several restrictions that people should follow.
Physical retailers are the go-to places for almost all kinds of buyers: from ordinary citizens to hoarders and scalpers.
When going to these stores, always politely ask the staff about the GPU restock. In some cases, limited stocks are hiding on the shelves. In addition, do not forget to ask about the days of restocking.
Alternatively, you can also use online tracking tools for monitoring. Find out what best works for you and stick with that until you purchase your desired GPU.
Nevertheless, the threat of COVID-19 is still here, so be sure you are following health protocols in your city for your own safety.
Try the Newegg Shuffle
If you are in for a chance to win a graphics card, you might want to test your luck at the Newegg shuffle. Just like raffles, every participant has a chance to win a new graphics card.
Rely on Bot/Scalper For Purchase
If you have no options left to obtain your precious graphics card, you might want to settle using a bot to purchase one. For another option, you might want to negotiate with a scalper to make things easier for you.
Although this is included in our tips, we are not recommending everyone to do this without trying the previous strategies first. For one, dealing with scalpers could be risky since you won't get your GPU at a recommended price. Plus, you would be giving other buyers a huge disadvantage by using bots, and you might get banned from purchasing online at certain stores if you are caught.
If you feel that something is lacking in the above-mentioned tips. you might want to have a look at an article about buying second-hand graphics cards from cryptocurrency miners.
You can also try reading a more comprehensive guide by Tom's Hardware about buying the right graphics card for 2021.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry