Image Credits: TomsHardware
Best Buy has been one of the more consistent sources to get a current-generation NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics card for MSRP. From time to time, the greatest graphics cards for gaming are available for purchase at a U.S. shop. In the past, the firm has even staged in-store events where anybody in line at a physical location may purchase one card at MSRP (if they were lucky enough to receive a ticket).
Best Buy offers Nvidia RTX GPU behind Obscene $200 Paywall
Image Credits: Best Buy
That is all changing today, thanks to Best Buy’s Totaltech program. Best Buy had the whole GeForce RTX 30 lineup (including the flagship GeForce RTX 3090) available for purchase today afternoon, but the company limited those sales to those who paid an additional $199 for a Totaltech subscription. The monthly membership price includes privileges like free Geek Squad tech help, free 2-day shipping, 60-day returns, and 24 months of product protection (among other benefits).
Another advantage is “access to unique Totaltech member rates,” which appears to be what happened with the most recent GeForce RTX 30 price decrease. @CameronRitz, who watches the in-stock status of different big-ticket products like GPUs and gaming consoles, was the first to notice Best Buy’s antics.
Four hours after Best Buy opened the floodgates for the GeForce RTX 30 cards, they’re all sold out. Inventory generally vanishes fast with these dumps, but we suspect it lingered a little longer today owing to the additional Totaltech requirement.
Founder editions say exclusive access event and we know what that means.
Everyone’s favorite subscription model Total Tech
Sign up here:https://t.co/0MEqyjgMtq https://t.co/vwGZjkexrN
— KillerCam1020 (@CameronRitz) February 10, 2022
We can see why Best Buy is attempting to extract as much money as possible from customers through specialty packages like Totaltech. After all, it’s a business, and Newegg’s Newegg Shuffle campaign plays on players’ emotions in the same way. Totaltech, on the other hand, adds salt to the wounds of enthusiasts who have been put through the wringer with rising GPU costs for well over a year.
Best Buy’s certainty in extending the $200 Totaltech barrier to GPUs is unsurprising considering that it has done the same with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X during previous stock dips. To put it another way, buckle up, because it’s going to be a rough trip!
