GPU prices in March 2026 are not what the spec sheets say. The RTX 5090 launched at $1,999 MSRP and currently sells for $4,147 on Amazon. The RTX 4090 launched at $1,599 and is sitting around $2,755. Even the humble RTX 3090 — a four-year-old card — holds above $750 used because 24GB of VRAM is still 24GB of VRAM.
This page tracks current prices across every GPU that matters for local AI work. Updated March 2026. New-in-box prices sourced from Amazon, Newegg, and B&H. Used prices from eBay sold listings, not asking prices.
Current Price Table (March 2026)
Premium vs MSRP
+107% new
Near MSRP
+7–27% new
+72% new
Variable
Below MSRP
N/A (end of life)
N/A
Below MSRP
At/near MSRP
N/A
Note
eBay used prices shown are from completed sales, not active listings. Active listings run 20-40% higher than what cards actually sell for. Filter to "Sold Items" when doing your own research to see real transaction prices.
What's Moving Right Now
The previous-gen selloff is real. The RTX 4070 Ti fell around 25% month-over-month as RTX 50 series arrived. The RTX 3070 dropped around 32% in the same period. If you were planning to buy a mid-range 40-series card, you're now getting it cheaper than you would have three months ago.
Meanwhile, RTX 50 series street prices are starting to relax on the lower-end cards. The RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti are dipping near or below MSRP for patient shoppers. The 5070 Ti is still running 7-27% above its $749 MSRP depending on the retailer and model, but the spread is narrowing.
The high end is a different story. RTX 5090s at $4,147 represent buyers paying more than double MSRP for a card that retailed at $1,999. The best recorded deal on a 5090 in early 2026 was $2,088 — still a $89 premium, but dramatically better than the median. If you want a 5090 at anything close to fair value, you need price alerts and patience. Most people don't need a 5090. Our 32GB vs 24GB VRAM analysis explains why.
The Best Value Buys Right Now
Best overall value: RTX 5070 Ti near MSRP ($749) If you can find one at $775 or below, the 5070 Ti is the strongest current-gen buy for local LLM work. 16GB GDDR7, 896 GB/s bandwidth, full Blackwell features. At $900+, reassess.
Best used value: RTX 4070 Ti Super ($550-$650 used) Previous-gen selloff has pushed this card below what it was worth six months ago. 16GB GDDR6X, 672 GB/s bandwidth. Competent for 7B-14B models. Not as fast as the 5070 Ti but meaningfully cheaper if you're patient on eBay.
Best value for 24GB VRAM on a budget: RTX 3090 ($720-$850 used) Four-year-old architecture, but 24GB of VRAM remains 24GB. A 3090 at $750 lets you run 30B models at Q4 quantization. You won't get the best tokens-per-second, but you'll get big model compatibility. Check for mining history and thermal condition before buying. Our used 4090 buying checklist applies equally here.
Budget entry point: RTX 3060 12GB ($145-$180 used) If you're testing whether local LLMs are worth investing in, a $160 RTX 3060 runs 7B models at Q4 well enough to decide. Don't build a permanent workstation around it, but as an evaluation card it does the job.
Tip
RTX 4060 Ti 16GB at $330-$380 used is worth considering as an alternative to the 3060 12GB if your budget stretches that far. You get 16GB instead of 12GB — a meaningful difference when 14B models sit at about 9-10GB at Q4. The 3060 12GB tops out at 7B models with comfortable VRAM headroom.
Why Prices Are Where They Are
Two forces are driving GPU price inflation in early 2026.
First: AI datacenter demand is consuming enormous amounts of GDDR7 and HBM memory capacity. NVIDIA is allocating more production toward enterprise products where margins are higher. Consumer card supply is constrained as a result. This isn't going away — the memory shortage has been building since mid-2025 and supply analysts don't see relief before late 2026 at the earliest.
Second: The tariff environment increased import costs on electronics. This hit all GPU manufacturers but Nvidia most visibly given its pricing power and the premium demand for AI-capable cards.
GPU prices are not going back to 2019 levels. The floor has moved up permanently. Prices stabilizing at 50-100% above pre-2020 MSRP is the realistic scenario through 2027. Waiting for "normal" prices is a strategy that's been wrong for four years and shows no sign of becoming right.
When to Buy
Buy now if:
- You have a current project that's blocked on hardware
- You can find the RTX 5070 Ti near $749-$800, the 4070 Ti Super under $650, or the 3090 under $800 used
- You're looking at used 40-series cards on the current selloff — the dip won't last as inventory clears
Wait if:
- You want a 5090 at fair value — monitor for the occasional $2,000-$2,400 deal rather than paying $4,000+
- You're not in a rush and are targeting mid-range 50 series — street prices should continue drifting toward MSRP over the next 60-90 days
- RDNA 5 matters to you — though that's mid-2027 at earliest, not worth waiting for an active project
Caution
The RTX 4090 at $2,755 new is not a good deal. You're paying $1,156 above MSRP for a card that's one generation old. The RTX 5070 Ti delivers 85-90% of the 4090's LLM inference performance at roughly 27% of the current street price. Unless you specifically need 24GB VRAM for large models, the 4090 at these prices is hard to justify.
For guidance on which card fits your model targets, our complete GPU comparison ranks every option by value. If you're working with a tight budget, the cheapest path to running Llama 3 locally covers used-market builds under $400. And if you're weighing a 30B-capable build against a 7B-optimized one, how much VRAM you actually need walks through the model-by-model math.
Prices are current as of the first week of March 2026. GPU markets move fast — check linked retailers for live pricing. CraftRigs may earn commissions on qualifying affiliate purchases.