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People lining up outside stores when a new gadget is about to launch is nothing new, but some gadgets tend to attract a bigger crowd than others. If you’re in the market for a new GPU and are looking to pick one up on launch day, chances are you’re going to have to deal with a fairly big crowd.
There are some pretty big advantages to buying a GPU on launch day, but given how GPU launches have been in the past, especially with Nvidia’s RTX-30 series, here are a few tips and tricks to help you get your GPU as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
Why Should You Buy a GPU on Launch Day?
There are certain advantages of buying a GPU on launch day. For starters, you won’t have to deal with scalpers or third-party resellers who’ll sell the GPU you’re looking for with an additional markup on top of what will already be an eye-watering price tag. One of the best ways to buy a GPU on MSRP is to buy it from an official store (online or offline) on launch day.
Stock availability is also a point of concern here. The more hype you see around an upcoming GPU, the greater the chances of stocks running dry on launch day. This doesn’t always happen, but when it does, there’s no telling when the company will be able to restock its GPUs, meaning you could be in for a long wait.
Finally, if you want to try out any new exciting features that Nvidia, AMD, or Intel might announce with their new GPUs, getting one on launch day is the quickest way. Even most software improvements and features arrive only with the latest GPUs supported on launch day, with the rest of the lineup added later.
As you might expect, buying a GPU, or any other highly anticipated piece of tech for that matter, can be a hassle, especially if you’re looking to be one of the first people to get your hands on it. Thankfully, it isn’t rocket science. Just keep these five simple things in mind, and you should be able to breeze through the process.
1. The Early Bird Gets the GPU
If you’ve ever wondered why people start lining up outside a store hours before it even opens, you’re about to understand why. Generally speaking, any tech product is manufactured in batches to match the estimated sale for a certain period of time. If you’re buying your GPU on launch day, you better get to that line—the earlier, the better.
People waiting 10, 15, or even more hours in line to make their new tech purchase isn’t unheard of. The earlier you get to the store, the further up you’ll be in the queue, and the earlier you’ll be able to get your hands on that shiny new GPU.
It might not make sense to line up outside a brick-and-mortar store especially considering most manufacturers allow pre-orders that you can place from the comfort of your home and wait for your GPU to arrive. However, while it is certainly a lot of work, speaking from personal experience, lining up outside a store with like-minded people can actually turn out to be a great time. Not to mention visiting the physical store is the fastest way to get your hands on that new GPU.
2. Aim for a Physical Store Purchase
Speaking of physical stores, you might want to avoid purchasing a GPU online on launch day. The thing about the internet is that you’re not the only one browsing. Not only will you be competing with every other person around the world looking to get their order in, but you’ll also be competing against robots and crawlers, and that’s a race you’ll almost certainly lose.
You also run the risk of being scammed by a fake or phishing website impersonating the manufacturers. Amidst the chaos, it’s natural that you won’t pay as much attention to the URL bar in your browser when trying to place the order as fast as possible, and that’s where scammers can exploit you. Phishing pages are also getting increasingly more realistic, so it’s best to watch out. Here aresome ways you may identify a phishing websiteif you need a refresher.
Overall, opting for a physical store may be more work, but it is by far the safest and quickest way to get something on launch when hundreds if not thousands, are trying to do the same.
3. Don’t Browse for Options
This might sound counterproductive considering you’re shopping, but it’s best to decide which GPU you want in advance. Browsing for options at the last minute while walking the store aisles can cause several problems, but mostly, it might get you confused, and you can end up taking more time, eventually holding the line for others behind.
As I’ve mentioned before, launch day is generally chaos, whether it’s GPUs or any other popular tech. In such situations, it’s best to do your homework beforehand andknow exactly what GPU model you wantso that you can enter the store, pick up your GPU, pay, and head back home to enjoy your upgrade.
4. Be Ready With the Cash
Speaking of paying, keeping your payment method in working order is never a good idea. You’ll be kicking yourself if you show up to the counter with your brand new GPU only to find out your payment method, be it credit or debit cards or any payment wallet service not working.
Good old cash might just be the best option here. As long as you’re carrying enough money to cover the cost of whatever GPU you’re buying, you can just hand it over to the cashier and be on your merry way instead of fumbling for cards in your wallet or trying to get your payment app to work because you don’t have cell service.
5. Avoid Bots and Resellers
Last but not least, be on the lookout for bots and resellers who might either con you or sell you the GPU you want at a significantly higher margin. There’s no shortage of bots on the internet that claim to do your shopping for you or get pre-orders in before a specific window closes. While some of these bots might work, we would recommend steering clear of them. GPUs are getting expensive, and you shouldn’t trust your money to software you don’t trust.
You might have a better chance with resellers or scalpers. Their entire model depends on how much inventory they can gather, allowing them to sell each GPU for a higher individual price. The pricing here can get really absurd, to the extent that it makes more sense to just let the card come back in stock and order it from a legitimate seller at MSRP.
