RTX 3050 stock - where to buy Nvidia's latest graphics card

A very warm welcome to our RTX 3050 stock live blog

Some may say I'm a fool. Some may say I'm wasting my time. But I refuse to listen. The RTX 3050 launches today and I'm going to make sure that at least one person is able to buy it.

Yes, if you've been here before with any previous Nvidia RTX 30 Series launch you know that actually buying a graphics card is nowhere near as guaranteed as you would like. Whether it's websites crashing, bots scalping or stock vanishing, we've all seen the complete mess that is trying to buy a new tech product in the last couple of years. Will this time be any different?

I hope so as that's why this live blog exists: to help you find RTX 3050 stock. We know the new entry-level graphics card is due to be released at some point today. And while we don't have a specific time to stick to, we can assume from previous launches that it should be available to buy any time from now. Rumours have suggested between 6am - 9am ET (that's 11am - 2pm GMT) so we're on alert from here on out.

Join me, then, on this potentially fruitless but no doubt fun adventure and hopefully you'll come away with an RTX 3050 at a reasonable price.

RTX 3050: the TechRadar verdict

While we've got a little time, why not take a moment to have a read through TechRadar's RTX 3050 review to get a better idea of the graphics cards we're all hunting for today.

It's fair to say that Jackie came away with a bit of a mixed response to the GPU. There was high praise for its 1080p gaming performance - even with ray tracing. So, those with much older cards looking to upgrade from, say, the GTX 1650, will find a lot to like for $249 / £239. However, it's still a high price when compared to the RTX 2060, which means it might not be quite the affordable entry-level GPU it claims to be and struggle to claim a spot in our best graphics cards guide.

We'll have to see how the prices settle once it's actually available to but later today.

Will the RTX 3050 really be $249 / £239 at launch?

That's the ultimate question, isn't it? We've seen during the launch of all previous RTX 30 Series graphics cards that those recommended prices are nothing but a pipe dream. Could this finally be the time when we aren't forced into being ripped off just to buy some new tech? So far, we've seen arguments that it could go both ways.

First, the good. Just earlier this month, it was reported that there will be a better supply of the RTX 3050 compared to other GPU launches. Now, what exactly does a better supply of the RTX 3050 look like? According to a different report by OC3D, there will be almost 1,000 GPUs available at UK retailers for the recommended price during the launch. That doesn't sound like a lot, but if true, it does go some way to assure that it will be possible to buy the RTX 3050 without paying excessive prices.

Now, before we cheerfully call it there, we've also seen evidence of inflated prices in early listings. At an undisclosed retailer in Peru, the RTX 3050 was spotted for $453 (that's around £334 / AU$630). It's also cropped up in a third-party listing on Newegg Marketplace for as much as $699 (around £520 / AU$980), but that's for a card shipped from overseas.

On balance, we're optimistic, but definitely leaning on the side of caution considering we've been burnt so many times in the past. We should find out for sure which way it goes over the next couple of hours.

Expected launch time: 9am ET / 2pm GMT

It's being reported that the specific launch time has now been narrowed down and Nvidia has supposedly confirmed that the RTX 3050 will go on sale at select retailers from 9am ET / 2pm GMT. We're hunting for confirmation of that right now. 

If true, that means we're just under two hours away from discovering whether the latest 30 Series graphics card will be easy to buy and be available for its recommended price of $249 / £239. Fingers crossed!

Auros Nordic is ready to go

It seems we're not the only ones caught up in the excitement of the upcoming RTX 3050 launch. The Nordic arm of component manufacturer Auros has built up the hype with this image of a boxed Gigabyte RTX 3050. "This baby will be dropping soon!" it has written on Twitter.

It should be soon, indeed. We're expecting retailers to put their RTX 3050 stock live in less than an hour. At 9am ET / 2pm GMT to be precise.

UK retailer Scan confirms RTX 3050 stock at 2pm GMT

One of the UK's top specialist PC retailers has just shared a video about the RTX 3050 on its Twitter account and, unsurprisingly, the majority of replies are asking when the graphics card will be available to buy.

Fortunately, the social media team has jumped in to respond and confirm that the RTX 3050 will be available at Scan from 2pm GMT. The retailer has clarified that "we are expecting small quantities to be available," so it's very likely that getting one could be extremely difficult.

And as for that £239 RRP? "We don't have any info that we can provide at the moment regarding pricing," is the response. I am concerned.

The first RTX 3050s are in the wild

In Denmark? Well, you'll want to go to Proshop where a number of listings for the RTX 3050 are now live with a launch time scheduled at 3pm CET (that's about 15 minutes from now).

Thankfully, we can see the prices of all available cards, and one is actually available for 2,199 kr. - that converts to around $329/£246, which is pretty much dead-on the recommended price. The other cards range from around the same price to much more expensive, with the highest price I've seen at 4,090 kr. That's a whopping $612/£458.

Newegg Shuffle live for RTX 3050

The next Newegg Shuffle event will begin at 9am ET for the launch of the RTX 3050. We've taken a quick look at can see various RTX 3050 graphics cards in stock from $249.99 so get yourself signed up now and register for the products you wish to purchase between now and 1pm ET / 10am PT.

Then, later today from 3pm ET / 12pm PT you will be notified if you've been successful in the draw. You then have a two-hour window to complete your purchase.

It's been busy

We've been trying to keep up with all the various drops over the last few minutes and while we're seeing lots of retailers go live, stock also appears to be going just as fast. These are all the live stores we've seen so far.

• Newegg: Newegg Shuffle for RTX 3050 live at 9am ET
• Ebuyer: in stock from £239.99
• Novatech: check stock
• Overclockers: in stock from £329.99
• Zotac Store: in stock from $249.99

First wave down

The first batch of RTX 3050 stock has launched and while we saw availability at a lot of retailers it seems to be sold out in many places already. Some of those initial graphics cards at the bottom end of the recommended price went in a flash, but there is still some stock out there for the more expensive versions. It seems more stock is being added all the time though, so we'll continue to share updates. 

If you're in the US, definitely check out the Newegg Shuffle as that looks to be the most organised way of distributing the RTX 3050 so far.

RTX 3050 drop at Scan imminent

UK folks, you'll want to point yourself towards Scan right now as it has just added a number of RTX 3050 stock to its store pages. Over a dozen versions are listed but cannot be purchased just yet. We're expecting those buy buttons to appear very soon so get your refresh buttons at the ready.

- RTX 3050 at Scan

So, what just happened?

It's been one hour since the RTX 3050 launch and it feels like we've finally got a few minutes to breathe. So, what state are we in?

As expected, it's not been a smooth ride. While a number of RTX 3050 cards have been available to buy at a few retailers, we've seen many of them sell out in a matter of minutes - especially the cheapest $249 / £239 ones. That said, there are some still available to buy right now and many reasons to be hopeful for further restocks.

First, registration for Newegg Shuffle is still live. On this, you can register for the RTX 3050 cards card you wish to purchase until 1pm ET / 10am PT. Then, from 3pm ET / 12pm PT later today, you will be notified if you've been successful in the draw. You then have a two-hour window to complete your purchase. A full range of GPUs are still listed, including ones at the lowest $249.99 price point, so enter your details and I wish you the best of luck.

Second, lots of other major US retailers haven't listed the RTX 3050 for sale yet. We're still keeping an eye on the big stores such as Best Buy and Amazon to see if anything is available soon.

As for the UK, many more retailers have gone live with RTX 3050 stock. A lot of these early drops saw the cheapest £239 cards go in a matter of minutes. However, some big names including Scan, Aria and Box are yet to go on sale or are slowly releasing more RTX 3050s throughout the day. Do check them regularly as more GPUs are expected to be available soon.

Newegg Shuffle: under 90 minutes left to register

There's only an hour and a half left to register your details for the Newegg Shuffle in order to give yourself a chance at bagging an RTX 3050. All are still up for grabs, including a number of the cheapest $249.99 versions.

You can request as many of the GPUs as you'd like and then simply wait until the draw is made at 3pm ET / 12pm PT. After that, you'll be notified if you've been successful and will have two hours to buy your chosen RTX 3050.

Hey there folks, this is John, TechRadar's US computing writer, and I'll be taking over for James, who has put in the yeoman's work of trying to dig up any stock he's found online. Thanks James!

Now, obviously, stock has not been easy to find for pretty much any graphics card for more than a year, so there's going to be even more demand for the RTX 3050 since people who might have otherwise purchased an RTX 3060, RTX 3070, or RTX 3080 just haven't been able to find any. 

No one wants to say they are "settling" for an RTX 3050, but there are going to be more buyers for these cards than would otherwise be the case in normal times (before the New Normal times? Let's hope this isn't a permanent state of affairs...). 

And since the RTX 3050 isn't going to be all that great of a cryptomining card, whatever demand there'd be from that segment is pretty much getting swapped out for a number of would-be >RTX 3050 buyers.

Sooo, that means demand is as high as ever, which is what we're seeing play out right now.

In the past hour, US Best Buy has sold out of their RTX 3050 stock, but we'll keep an eye on them in case they restock. Amazon doesn't have any RTX 3050 graphics cards in stock from what we've seen, and both EVGA and Zotac are sold out in the US.

I'm digging through the retailers now and will give updates as I go.

Today's Newegg Shuffle is over, so if you entered that drawing, keep an eye on your email for any notifications from Newegg, which should go out starting around 3PM EST/12PM PST. From there, you'll have about six hours to follow the link to buy your card.

As for the rest of Newegg, all but one of their RTX 3050's are sold out, with only the MSI GeForce RTX 3050 GAMING X 8G GDDR6 LHR being in stock at this time. Which is understandable, given that it is the most expensive RTX 3050 we've seen at a whopping $679.

Update on that last Newegg post: the really expensive card is from a Chinese reseller through Newegg, which explains the pricing. I'd expect serious shipping delays if you plan to go that route.

No word yet on RTX 3050 stock at Amazon, as there aren't even any cards listed on the site yet, but we're keeping an eye out for an Amazon stock drop at some point in the next couple of hours.

While we wait on Amazon, our own Jackie Thomas reflected on what the RTX 3050 means for budget gaming and why it really signals that budget PC gaming is effectively dead, at least from a DIY perspective.

With even the cheapest DIY gaming rig coming in around $800 by her calculations, you can likely get more out of prebuilt systems now, and next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X offer superior visuals and performance at a much lower price.

It feels like the end of an era of sorts, and, in her words, "that just kind of sucks."

Still no word on Amazon stock in the US, but it looks like US retailers are tapped out right now, unfortunately.

On Newegg's page for RTX 3050 cards, many of them are listed as Newegg Shuffle only, which is in line with what we've seen with past graphics card releases. Make sure to check Newegg tomorrow morning starting around 9AM EST for another Shuffle event.

In the past, Newegg has held enough inventory for a few Shuffles at least, so if you aren't notified today that you've won a chance to buy a card at MSRP, you might get another chance tomorrow and Saturday.

Still nothing from Amazon, but we're signing off here in New York, so I would suggest everyone keep an eye on Amazon for now, since they are the last remaining US retailer who hasn't listed any stock yet. 

You can guarantee that whatever they put up will go fast though, so we wish you all a good night, and good luck. As always, be kind to one another.

A new day has dawned and we're struggling to find the RTX 3050 in stock anywhere right now. It seems most retailers have already sold through their original allocation of stock but we do still have an eye on a few who haven't gone live yet or could potentially restock in the near future. Expect it to be quiet for a while, then, but we'll alert you as soon as possible when the RTX 3050 is available to buy again.

It's the start of a new week and, unsurprisingly, no new RTX 3050 stock has turned up in stores. As we suggested at the end of last week, it's likely going to be some time before the next batch of Nvidia's budget graphics card is put on sale. 

For now, we'd keep checking the retailers we've listed above, and follow us for regular updates on the next Newegg Shuffle. The next one is actually about to get underway today, but features a host of other RTX cards including the 3060, 3070 and 3090 - but there's no 3050s this time.

The best graphics card deal right now in the UK

OK, RTX 3050 stock remains an absolute nightmare to find in both the US and UK right now so what are some good alternatives? In our opinion, probably the best value card out there right now is the mid-range Radeon RX 6600 XT.

AMD? Yes, yes we know. We all want a shiny new Nvidia card but let's face it - you've got to keep your options open these days. 

In the UK in particular, the card can be had for £449 right now at Overclockers. Yep, that's a hard sell if you were wanting to spend £250 on a card but it's easily the best deal on the market right now, considering the circumstances. It's cheaper than an RX 3060 for example and should get you a little bit more performance for the scratch.

- Overclockers
- Amazon UK
- Novatech

The state of play this week...

In the US

Things continue to look bleak this week with no major retailer RTX 3050 restocks. We're starting to see a few cards drift through via third-party sellers on Newegg and Amazon, but at hugely inflated prices. 

The cheapest we've seen so far is this measly single-cooler low-profile Palit RTX 3050 for $438 at Newegg. Our advice? hold, and hold hard. At $350, a case could be made for this listing if you're building in a tiny case but at over $400 it's just a terrible buy in our opinion.

Unsurprisingly, the cheapest RTX 3050's in the US can be found over at eBay currently, where a card will set you back about $450 on the cheapest buy-it-now listings. Again, hard hold on these. It's a bummer, but a lower-end card like the RTX 3050 shouldn't be had for anything over $350 in our opinion.

In the UK

As of writing, there are a few UK retailers with RTX 3050 cards in stock - namely AWD-IT for £429 and £479, and Box for £409. All of these listings are way above MSRP and we'd 100% avoid these cards at this price - they simply aren't worth it, no matter how much you want a budget RTX card.

For that price, you're much better going with the AMD RX 6600 XT for £449 at Overclockers. It's a more power-hungry card but it's way closer to MSRP, readily available, and generally matches an RTX 3060 for outright performance.

Another option for RTX 3050 stock in the UK is to try your luck over at eBay. Currently, the card is being sold for anywhere between £360 to £400, which is better than some cards but still absolutely not worth it in our eyes.

Considering there are a ton of cards on eBay right now, and that the vast majority of these are going to be dodgy scalpers, we'd definitely advocate holding off. If they can't shift these cards at these inflated prices then they'll have no choice but to bring them down... or at least we hope.

RTX 3050 in stock at Zotac...but for $399.99

It's been quiet for a while but Zotac has just added a new RTX 3050 card to its online store. The kicker? It's priced at $399.99 - that's a whopping $150 more than the RRP of the budget GPU.

I guess one positive is that it's also $150 less than some of the prices we've seen from third-party sellers on Amazon and Newegg, but still a tough ask when the RTX 3050 is supposed to be a lot cheaper. We suggest you hold out if you can, especially when we've seen the UK and EU markets slowly improve over the last week or so.