So, you're wondering whether there will be graphics card deals on Black Friday this year. I don't blame you for asking the question, as it's been a rough few years for GPU deals. From stock shortages driving up prices to custom card makers setting prices well above MSRP, it feels like some options simply just drop down to a reasonable price rather than a record low.
I hate to break it to you, but if you're specifically wondering if there will be RTX 5090 deals, you'll want to forget about it. Nvidia's flagship monster will often cost you well beyond its full $2,000 asking price, and increased demand for the GPU thanks to AI means it's unlikely to ever end up cheap.
The good news is that mid-range cards like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 and Radeon RX 9070 are already budging in price. I suspect we'll even see the GeForce RTX 5080 dip, even if it only a smidge below MSRP. So, here's the skinny on whether there will actually be Black Friday graphics card offers and how to find good discounts.
Which graphics card will be on offer for Black Friday?
It might sound obvious, but older graphics cards are more susceptible to discounts during Black Friday. In fact, that goes for any time of the year, and the emergence of a successor normally means deep discounts on previous-gen options. That said, you'll want to be careful before pouncing on reduced 40-series cards like the RTX 4060, as even discounted price tags are sometimes only $20 more than the RTX 5060. We'd say that's not a very Black Friday move for a retailer to pull, and we're expecting better during this year's event.
We'd also advise caution when jumping on even older cards like the Nvidia GTX 1660, as while it's been a popular low spec option for some time, it might not be the best investment. Sure, if you can get it for a ridiculously good price, then batter in. Just make sure to check out newer models in case there's a discount that fits your budget, as you'll ultimately end up with something that's better value.
As mentioned above, the RTX 4080 managed to reach a record low price before we could even get to Black Friday, but we didn't see any movement with its RTX 4090 sibling. Same goes for the newer RTX 4060 cards, with the lower-mid range end of the scale being occupied mainly by smaller RTX 4070 Super discounts.
On the red side of things, AMD is much more receptive to price cuts, and we've already witnessed some MSRP shifts across the whole RDNA 3 range. This has lead to some ridiculous offers like the RX 7900 XTX dropping to $799, which is absolutely something I'm holding out for, and I'd even take a few mid-range record lows.
As for the best place to start your Black Friday hunt, we'd suggest starting with the retailers down below first before broadening your search. Most of the time, you'll find each retailer sticking with the exact same price, but deviations from the status quo do happen and provide you with an opportunity to strike lucky.
Should I wait for Black Friday to buy a graphics card?
As hard as it may be to believe, the GPU market is in a much calmer state than it has been in previous years. We've previously recommended that you take whatever stock and whatever deals you can get on the best GPUs, but now we'd absolutely recommend waiting for Black Friday GPU deals.
There are bound to be amazing deals, and with a new generation of graphics cards releasing, there are plenty of powerful GPUs that will most likely have stock to spare. Unless it's a real emergency, we'd recommend waiting for Black Friday so your money goes as far as possible.
To get an idea of the sorts of prices you may need to spend on an entry level GPU this Black Friday, we've listed some decent prices below for the cards we most expect to see go on offer this month.
Make sure to swing by our Black Friday SSD deals page if you're in need of a capacity boost, and we've also Black Friday gaming laptop deals for those of you who like to game on the go.
