Hi all.
 
Every three years or so, I'll build a new custom desktop computer (new motherboard, processor, graphics card, etc.).  The last time I put a system together was 2017, and the graphics card I put in it (my current one) is the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 SC.
 
When I build a system, I do my best to try and "future-proof" it (even though, realistically, that's not possible ).
 
Well, I've stuck by nVidia-based graphics cards for a while, and specifically, the brand of EVGA.  I'm at EVGA's site, looking at the latest graphics cards, and that would be the RTX 3090 series, correct?
 
Whew!!  Those cards are around $1,600 to $2,000 dollars!!  Through the years when I've built my custom systems, I'm willing to spend around $500 to $700 dollars on a graphics card, but these new RTX 3090's are easily double that or more!
 
So, I was looking at the RTX 3080's: a bit more reasonable, price-wise.  But something I noticed whether it's the 3090's, 3080's, or I even took a look at the 3070 & 3060's: They all say OUT OF STOCK.
 
Is there something going on that I don't know about?!?! 
 
Well, I went over to nVidia's web site, and you can shop around for the graphics cards there (and they show them coming from various manufacturers other than EVGA).  Well, in the 3080 series, I did come across an EVGA one, the "EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 XC3 Black", and I clicked on the Check Availability button, and it's available at Best Buy.  There was only one customer review on the card (and they did give it 5 Stars), and one negative thing they mentioned caught my eye: They said the card does not have a back plate.  Tell me, is that really a bad thing?  Does it make the card "ugly"?  Is it really something to be concerned about?
 
Thanks for any helpful input;
Pez

You might want to look at this link https://forums.evga.com/EVGA-GeForce-RTX-30-Series-f113.aspx and peruse some of the posting to give you an idea as to what you are facing.  If you are willing to be patient you can get in the queue for the card(s) you are interested in purchasing and wait.  For some cards, people have been in the queue for 6-7 months.

Flint 1760
You might want to look at this link https://forums.evga.com/EVGA-GeForce-RTX-30-Series-f113.aspx and peruse some of the posting to give you an idea as to what you are facing.  If you are willing to be patient you can get in the queue for the card(s) you are interested in purchasing and wait.  For some cards, people have been in the queue for 6-7 months.

As we are seeing newer models being pushed in, what happens if, for example, I only have a 3060 model selected? My chances of being selected are close to none?
 

Flint 1760
I don't believe that anyone can accurately answer that question. 
 
I had been waiting for the 3090 FTW3 Ultra HC to go live again, missed the first time when it was up for about 20 minutes, and have gotten in the queue when it was available on the 10th at 10 o'clock.  I have no idea when I will get notified to purchase that card as my signup time was 10:00:57 and there are about 800+ others ahead of me.  However, I specifically wanted that card to replace my 2080Ti HC, which will go in my wife's new build.  I wanted it mainly for photo work, some video, rendering, and P3Dv5.
 
Will I have the card in the next six months?  Maybe, but I'm willing to wait.
 

Eight months minimum I'd suspect, seeing as they seem to have the cards trickling into the queue. How quickly has it been moving?

Everything is out of stock at every manufacturer. There is a worldwide chip shortage. Auto manufacturing is also affected.
 
GPUs are also being bought by miners, but even if miners stopped tomorrow there would still be a shortage

Oddly enough, I work for large air bag manufacturing company and right now its make my life hell on the daily.

Hi all.
 
I meant to check back sooner for replies to my forum post, but.....
 
Wow.
 
Wow wow wow.
 
Flint 1760:  When you mentioned in your reply about "GPUs are in extreme short supply" and "This shortage affects not only computer components, but just about anything that uses ICCs"......it triggered something in my memory.  Not too long ago, I remembered something I came across in the news, something to do with computer components, circuit boards, and....silicon chips, and how this was becoming a problem here in the U.S.A. because of an issue we have with China, etc.  And, how all of this has caused a shortage because we (USA) don't produce as much of these chips like China does.
 
Soooooo.....all of this didn't hit me when I recently started perusing sites online for computer components to put together a new custom build.  Looking at motherboards, processors, solid state drives, etc. seems OK, but then when I got to looking around at graphics cards.....I was wondering, What's going on?!?!  NOBODY has them available?!?!
 
And then that's why I put up my post here in this forum (with my line of "Is there something going on that I don't know about?!?! ").
 
And yes, this "chip" and circuit board thing is affecting lots of things and businesses.  As SterisTheGreen and KO0IAID mentioned, it has affected auto manufacturing and air bag manufacturing.
 
This "chip" thing has been going on for a while, and, not that it helped, but the past year or so of the pandemic has also had a detrimental effect on lots of businesses; that has probably just compounded and exacerbated the situation.
 
And oh, Flint 1760: You were right in your original reply; that RTX 3080 graphics card showing on Best Buy was gone fast when I went back and checked.
 
But since discovering this graphics card scarcity issue, these prices that I'm seeing scalpers put up, prices that are double and triple of the usual asking price....forget that nonsense!!
 
From some articles I've come across in the interim, I'm seeing predictions that all of this chip shortage stuff might finally start to wind down after the 3rd quarter of this year of 2021, and supply might start to pick up again.
 
Sure, I'd like to start to build my next custom system now....but not with the crazy prices I'm seeing out there, or, being put on this queue system you mentioned.
 
I usually like to get the latest-and-greatest when it comes to a graphics card I put in my system, but this is craziness just now and too expensive; the chip shortage stuff and the "pandemic effect" has seen to that.  But who knows.....nVidia may move on to a 4000 series card, and the 3090 series' prices may drop.  It could happen!!
 
Looks like I'll be waiting a while (at least the bulk of the rest of this year) before graphics card prices come down.....unless something miraculous happens
Pez

I just ordered a prebuilt from cyberpowerpc, $2400 for a nice Phanteks p500A case with 4 140mm ARGB fans, msi z590 gaming edge wifi board, 750 watt gold modular corsair PSU, 16gb gkill trident z ram, 1tb pcie 4.0 nvme drive, core i5 11600k CPU, dual fan tower cooler with RGB. And a magical mystery rtx 3080.  They apparently don't tell you which variant of the 3080, you just get whatever you get.   I'm thinking of just selling the graphics card on ebay if I get one I don't want.  can probably pay for the rest of the computer that way.  $2400 after tax and shipping for all that.  Not terrible.  Not amazing either though.
 
If you really want something now.  prebuilts aren't a terrible investment considering they easily get video cards before us end users.  and you can either keep it or sell it easily.

PezzyDude should be glad that they have a 1080 to work with, that's better than most people have right now or at least better than what most people can hope to get.
 

I'm thinking of just selling the graphics card on ebay if I get one I don't want.

 
Don't. Do a casemod by replacing the factory fans with Noctua fans if you have to, but you may be looking at buying another prebuilt just to get one you want.