GPU price hike

[peterpies]

They way to confirm if the exchange rate is at fault is compare the UK/US GPU prices from 2007. The GBP/USD exchange rate then was $2.1 to £1, was GPU's 50% cheaper in £?

I'll take a wild stab in the dark, they was cheaper maybe 25% but not 50%.

Edit to add.

No need to only focus on 2007. Choose any year when the exchange rate has been different.

 

[Nasher]

Not sure they actually were any cheaper tbh :/

 

[Cooper]

They way to confirm if the exchange rate is at fault is compare the UK/US GPU prices from 2007. The GBP/USD exchange rate then was $2.1 to £1, was GPU's 50% cheaper in £?

I'll take a wild stab in the dark, they was cheaper maybe 25% but not 50%.

When the exchange rate is good = Wahey!! free & easy extra profit over and above normal margins.

When the exchange rate is bad = Exchange rate bonus margins are all but lost, but the normal profit margins remain the same by the customer base taking up the slack.

...Gibbo doesn't drive a Ferrari for nothing, you know.

Either way the customer always pays. The idea that places like OCUK are going to turn down free extra profit when exchange rates are favourable is ridiculous, they're going to fill their boots as much as possible

PS.

This applies to all E-tailers, not just OCUK.

 

[LambChop]

Price gouging does happen, and all companies do it. It's not going to go away.

But give OCUK a go, they are very fair and I'm sure if they can price match you they will. I know I've had it in the past.

 

[Jay85]

OCUK's customer service is pretty top notch tbh, yeah their prices aren't the cheapest and you can buy cheaper from other companies but you do get the service and support that comes with it.

I've never had an issue returning or getting things fixed/replaced when i needed to and they're always on hand to do so. I can't say the same for other companies i've used from my personal experience.

 

[Darujhistan]

When the exchange rate is good = Wahey!! free & easy extra profit over and above normal margins.

When the exchange rate is bad = Exchange rate bonus margins are all but lost, but the normal profit margins remain the same by the customer base taking up the slack.

...Gibbo doesn't drive a Ferrari for nothing, you know.

Either way the customer always pays. The idea that places like OCUK are going to turn down free extra profit when exchange rates are favourable is ridiculous, they're going to fill their boots as much as possible

PS.

This applies to all E-tailers, not just OCUK.

He must laugh himself to sleep at night at some of the epic mugs on this forum, an army of thick-as-pudding sycophants who will swallow anything he tells them and are happy to get reamed for new toys and then they converse with him like they're mates!

Fair play to him, he's cultivated a following of rubes and has milked them dry.

 

[tamzzy]

I've never had an issue returning or getting things fixed/replaced when i needed to and they're always on hand to do so. I can't say the same for other companies i've used from my personal experience.

With manufacturers warranty and DSR, not that hard to do.
For example when I bought my computer parts way back in 2012, I "saved" over £200 on a £1500 spend by buying from different e-tailers than just sticking with ocuk. The same spec would've cost £1700+ if I'd have solely bought from ocuk...
I've just recently upgraded to ryzen, and if I'd listen to all the hype/bought from ocuk/bought gibbo and 8pack recommended parts, it'd have cost me another £200 on top of my £950 spend.
That's a silly amount of money to be handing over to some random company for something as nebulous as perceived better "customer support". Most large (and probably smaller) e-tailers would provide similar levels of support.
If £200 is chump change then great and even if it was, better to have it in one's own pocket than someone else's

 

[tamzzy]

He must laugh himself to sleep at night at some of the epic mugs on this forum, an army of thick-as-pudding sycophants who will swallow anything he tells them and are happy to get reamed for new toys and then they converse with him like they're mates!

Fair play to him, he's cultivated a following of rubes and has milked them dry.

Lol ikr

 

[McPhee]

They way to confirm if the exchange rate is at fault is compare the UK/US GPU prices from 2007. The GBP/USD exchange rate then was $2.1 to £1, was GPU's 50% cheaper in £?

I'll take a wild stab in the dark, they was cheaper maybe 25% but not 50%.

Edit to add.

No need to only focus on 2007. Choose any year when the exchange rate has been different.

I'll take the challenge, just to play Devil's Advocate.

My first GPU was the X1950 XTX. It launched in 2006. The US launch price was $449, excluding sales tax:

https://www.anandtech.com/show/2069

OCUK had that card listed for preorder at £330, including VAT:

https://bit-tech.net/reviews/tech/graphics/ati_radeon_x1950xtx/18/

£330 less 17.5% VAT gives a price before sales tax of £280.85.

Checking the exchange rate on 23/08/06 (the day the reviews were published), xe.com gives $1.48 to £1. So the UK price was equivalent to £280.85 × 1.48 = $415.66. We paid almost $34 less than the yanks.

 

[peterpies]

I'll take the challenge, just to play Devil's Advocate.

My first GPU was the X1950 XTX. It launched in 2006. The US launch price was $449, excluding sales tax:

https://www.anandtech.com/show/2069

OCUK had that card listed for preorder at £330, including VAT:

https://bit-tech.net/reviews/tech/graphics/ati_radeon_x1950xtx/18/

£330 less 17.5% VAT gives a price before sales tax of £280.85.

Checking the exchange rate on 23/08/06 (the day the reviews were published), xe.com gives $1.48 to £1. So the UK price was equivalent to £280.85 × 1.48 = $415.66. We paid almost $34 less than the yanks.

Well done!

I'll admit I briefly checked and threw the towel in.

This tells use UK consumers are getting gouged. What it does not tell use is by whom, either by the manufacture, retailer or both.

Edit to add.

I read it wrong, you're figures show no gouging.

 

[McPhee]

I read it wrong, you're figures show no gouging.

Indeed.

Personally, I think there may be a little gouging going on this time, as demand for the 5700 cards is outstripping (current) supply, and Nvidia's competing cards are priced higher.

But I don't think exchange rate can be ruled out as a cause.

 

[R3v4n]

As usual consumers are getting absolutely stuffed and making retailers filthy rich in the process.

 

[BigBANGtheory]

It’s all about resolution imho, if you game at 1080p there are plenty of options at 1440p high frame rates will cost and at 4K you’re pants down fleeced into lunar orbit

The problem starts with manufactures wanting to maintain a high GP on products with lower volumes of sales and production to maintain shareholder value. I don’t know the exact value but I can tell you it doesn’t cost anywhere near 1k for Apple to make an iPad anymore than Nvidia to make a GPU

 

[Darujhistan]

1440p can be done very reasonably.

 

[pieman109]

I tend to agree with "not an apple fan" inasmuch as the problem is people keep buying these cards at these inflated prices, not so much the e-tailers (though they do "appear" to gouge). A lot of this stems from people worldwide accepting that £500-£700 is ok for a mid range card (which it isn't imho) and I place the cause at Nvidia taking advantage of the mining boom initially when the prices went berserk and after that, settled the prices didn't at the same rate. So they're gonna think "oh, people are fine with the inflated prices 'cos they keep buying 'em (which they do).
The result is peeps keep buying at these prices, so they're gonna stay high and the only way to get the prices to lower to an acceptable point is to stop buying, or buy cheaper, lower end cards (like thats gonna happen).

 

[Darujhistan]

It's too late, Pandora's box has been well and truly opened the 2080ti was the final nail in the coffin, once punters would pay £1300 for a GPU that wasn't even that great it was over. The market has pretty much doubled in price over recent years. Wait until you see what price the 3080 is.

 

[pieman109]

It's too late, Pandora's box has been well and truly opened the 2080ti was the final nail in the coffin, once punters would pay £1300 for a GPU that wasn't even that great it was over. The market has pretty much doubled in price over recent years. Wait until you see what price the 3080 is.

Oh it'll deffo get a lot worse and yet, people will still buy 'em

 

[Darujhistan]

Oh it'll deffo get a lot worse and yet, people will still buy 'em

Let them get keep getting reamed, I shan't be joining them!

 

[Hades]

I've heard predictions of crypo values increasing which might push up prices soon too. I can also pretty much all but guarantee that Brexit will just be abnother reason to hike proces above any currency fluctuations too.

 

[Zernath]

Let them get keep getting reamed, I shan't be joining them!

Next gen consoles will be a good option for a lot of people, and perhaps if we see PC component sales going down, then prices will go down in turn.

They're having it too good at the moment, with too many people in the market for an upgrade or new build, and so the fleecing is really on a roll. This won't last though, especially if harder economic times are ahead!