This photo is proof the Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card exists.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 3000 series GPUs aren’t the only graphics cards you can’t buy. You also can’t buy AMD’s latest Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs. Released last fall, the Radeon RX 6800, RX 6800 XT and RX 6900 XT cards are next to impossible to find in stock, and the recently announced entry-level RX 6700 XT card doesn’t launch until March 18.
The new Radeon RX 6000 cards incorporate AMD’s RDNA 2.0 architecture found in the GPUs for the next-gen Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles, but you’re more likely to find a PS5 or track down an Xbox Series X than locate a Radeon RX 6000 series card.
The reason for the supply shortages? Gamers aren’t the only customers jostling for a next-gen GPU. As cryptocurrency valuations continue to soar, crypto miners are buying up AMD and Nvidia’s cards as fast as manufacturers can make them. And if you do find a GeForce RTX 3000 series or Radeon RX 6000 series card in stock, be prepared to pay well above retail price.
Read more: The best graphics card for 2021
The top-end Radeon RX 6900 XT already has a considerable list price of $999, so we’d target the Radeon 6800 XT or Radeon 6800, which list for a more reasonable $649 and $579, respectively. Amazon has a handful of RX 6800 and RX 6800 XT cards available for purchase, but you’ll pay as much or more than you would on eBay or StockX. Best Buy and Newegg have more product listings for the cards — most of which are substantially higher than the list price — but nothing currently in stock.
Radeon RX 6800
Additional reseller options (at higher prices): eBay | StockX
Radeon RX 6800 XT
Additional reseller options (at higher prices): eBay | StockX
How to find a Radeon RX 6800 or 6800 XT
How should you go about finding one in stock? I’ve got three suggestions.
1. Check the links above for the product pages at major retailers for the Radeon RX 6800 and 6800 XT cards from the various manufacturers. We will update this story as soon as we find any retailer with inventory of any of the cards from any manufacturer.
2. Keep an eye on AMD’s product page that tracks inventory of the new Radeon RX 6000 series cards (along with some Ryzen CPUs, too).
3. Sign up for Discord’s Stock Informer and get alerts on your phone when a card is in stock. You’ll have to act fast when a notification appears — there are currently more than 49,000 Stock Informer members — but it will let you keep your finger on the next-gen GPU pulse.
Read more: AMD Radeon RX 6800 series graphics cards have serious 4K cred