Why can’t I buy the Nvidia RTX 2060 12GB right now?
News broke weeks ago about a new Nvidia RTX graphics card, but not the one that most was expecting. In fact, the leak confirmed the existence of a new variant of the last-gen RTX 2060 with a boosted 12GB of RAM that could help it perform on a par with newer GPUs in the series – though without the improved AI smarts.
The leaks were true, and Nvidia revealed the new RTX 2060 12GB days later. But, despite the new graphics card being released, it’s almost impossible to find right now. We explain all you need to know about the current situation right here.
When was the Nvidia RTX 2060 12GB released?
The Nvidia RTX 2060 12GB was technically released on 7 December 2021, but with only asingle review of the GPUappearing online and a lack of listings in stores, it’s almost like it didn’t happen.
Why can’t I buy the RTX 2060 12GB right now?
So, if Nvidia has confirmed that the Nvidia RTX 2060 12GB on-sale date was 7 December 2021, where are all the graphics cards? Despite being coined as a graphics card that could circumvent some of the manufacturing issues plaguing newer GPUs, it seems that the reason is down to a lack of stock.
Not even media and influencers got their hands on the graphics card at launch, painting a good picture of just how scarce stock is right now.
That uncertainty around stock allocation is the main driver behind the lack of online store listings for the new RTX 2060 12GB too.
A representative from UK retailer Scanexplained to PCGamesNthat it’ll be “listing the RTX 2060 12GB when we have sufficient stock to sell on the website. This avoids creating the situation where we take pre-orders but cannot confirm to customers when they might receive their order”.
When will that happen, exactly?PCGamer spoketo Nvidia about the lack of availability at launch, and the company explained that it expects “partner availability to ramp starting the end of December through January” so those hoping for an RTX 2060 12GB under the Christmas tree this year could be disappointed.
How much will the RTX 2060 12GB cost?
With Nvidia taking the decision to not manufacture its own RTX 2060 12GB Founders Edition, pricing is largely at the discretion of third-party manufacturers like Asus and Zotac. And given the fact that stock allocation is still yet to be confirmed with most retailers, there’s no concrete pricing in place just yet.
While we hope that the RTX 2060 12GB bucks the trend of high GPU prices amidst a component shortage and a worldwide surge in crypto mining, it likely won’t stop scalpers from trying to make a bit of extra cash.
Nvidia suggested that it was a premium version of the $349 RTX 2060 6GB and that the pricing would reflect that, but given the fact that the RTX 2060 6GBactuallycosts as much as£549.95/$795from retailers right now, we’d not be surprised if the RTX 2060 12GB far surpasses the RRP.
Where will I be able to buy the RTX 2060 12GB in the UK and US?
Stock of the RTX 2060 12GB will eventually become available, so we’re listing all retailers that stock other Nvidia RTX graphics cards in one place to make it easier to search over the coming days and weeks. We’ll continue to add retailers to this list, and as the product appears online, we’ll mark stock as confirmed.
UK
US
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Author: Lewis Painter, Contributor
Lewis Painter was once a Tech Advisor Senior Staff Writer. He covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware.
