19.10.2022 | Market analyses ITscope market barometer Q3/2022

Prices for graphics cards on the decline: ITscope Marktbarometer Q3/2022

The ITscope market barometer Q3/2022 is here – with the current top sellers from eight categories and the best newcomers on ITscope!

ITscope market barometer Q3/2022 as a PDF (English)

The ITscope market barometer is based on ITscope GmbH’s own analysis.

Karlsruhe, 20/10/2022 - They're continuing to fall - we are not talking about the leaves on the trees, but the prices for graphics cards. After the record year of 2021, when prices were sky-high during a run on graphics caused by the lockdown home entertainment trend and exploding Bitcoin exchange rates, they are now falling rapidly again. The main reason for this is once again the bitcoin exchange rate, which is currently hovering around a yearly low. Many graphics cards that were purchased solely for the purpose of mining are currently no longer needed while the demand in general is also falling - which of course has a negative effect on the price development. 

In this ITscope market barometer for the third quarter of 2022, we shed light on the price development of graphics cards using detailed evaluations of ITscope platform statistics - read more in the category section. In the Highflyer Charts, a docking station is at the top this time with the Thunderbolt Dock G4 and, as expected, Apple's new iPhone 14 range is also represented in the Pro variant.

The new MacBook Pro (M2 chip) is also doing extremely well both in the Highflyer Charts and in the category ranking - just like the ever-popular Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q 11 DT. This PC system not only has the top spot within the category again, but is also the most clicked-on product on the ITscope platform again this quarter - earning it a well-deserved gold status. But Apple's iMac is also doing well in the PC systems category, while the previously well-placed Mac Studio has lost a few places. Apple also continues to dominate in the smartphone segment, and with the new iPhone 14 series, there are already reinforcements in sight for the coming quarters. The question of whether DDR5 RAM can achieve a breakthrough is on-topic both for mainboards and memory modules - the corresponding products are still rarely represented. In CPUs, the fast and at the same time inexpensive hexa-cores from Intel are very well received, and there is also a lot going on in the still very new category of managed services. 

Content

Highflyers: The new star contenders from Apple, Logitech and Samsung
Smartphones: Strong start for the iPhone 14 series
Tablets: Top ranks remain stable
Notebooks: Rocket launch for Apple's MacBook Pro with M2 chip
PC systems: A computer with absolute gold status
Graphics cards: Prices for graphics cards in free fall
Mainboards & memory modules: DDR5 soon to lead the market - or will it take some time?
CPU: Intel's fast and affordable hexa-cores are doing well
Managed Services: A lot of movement in the new category

Highflyers: The new star contenders from Apple, Logitech and Samsung

With the Thunderbolt Dock G4, a docking station takes first place in the Highflyer Charts this time. This ranking shows the most promising newcomers across all categories of the ITscope platform for the current quarter. While certain products occupy their regular place in the individual categories, sometimes for several quarters or even years at a time, only new products are represented in these Highflyer Charts. If new products attract a lot of attention immediately after their first listing, the chances are good that they will also develop into a popular product or even a long-term favourite. 

With a respectable 3,314 clicks and over 100 W of power, the Thunderbolt Dock G4 charges virtually all common notebooks. And thanks to optimal compatibility, this docking station works with most notebooks as well as common operating systems. The Thunderbolt Dock G4 is also one of the few Thunderbolt 4 docks that has two DisplayPort ports and also has a handy size of less than 10 cm in width and height.   

In second place is Apple's MacBook Pro, one of the first devices with the latest generation of Apple's system-on-a-chip (SoC), the M2. This makes the MacBook Pro one of the fastest devices available with macOS and a 13-inch display. Not only the chip, but also the notebook itself very impressive: with a lot of speed, an excellent display and extremely long battery life, the MacBook Pro is a notebook that convinces in many aspects. The display, which comes with a resolution of 2,560 × 1,600 pixels, is not very colour-accurate however. This is of great interest for professional image and video editing and generally in the creative field. For the standard user, though, this drawback will be of little consequence. The MacBook Pro is available on ITscope for €1,250.

A mouse takes our 6th place this time: the Master Series MX MASTER 3S from Logitech - an excellent office mouse with many practical features. It fits comfortably in the hand and there are five additional buttons that can be individually configured. In addition, the mouse can be conveniently connected via Bluetooth, and there is also a slide switch on the bottom to switch between up to three devices. The MX MASTER 3S is not available for left-handers. Another special feature of the MX MASTER series is the second rotary wheel, which is controlled with the thumb and can be turned comfortably without resistance.

Compared to the predecessor model, the improvements are rather minor, so that an upgrade is probably not worthwhile for most users. However, those who are looking for a high-quality and flexible mouse for the office or home office are well served by the Master Series MX MASTER 3S, which is available for a Wholesale Selling Price (WSP) of €90 at ITscope. 

Also jumping straight into the charts is the brand new iPhone 14 in the Pro variant - and impressing with strong technology in an impressive 8th place! The smartphone, which has only been listed since the beginning of September, has caught up enormously in just a few weeks and is clearly casting its shadow within the smartphone category as well. The screen is rich in contrast, scrolling runs smoothly thanks to 120 Hz technology and the display is nice and bright. Apple's latest generation is complemented by a super-fast A16 Bionic chip - but for a WSP of almost €1,300, all of this comes at a hefty price. The Pro Max variant comes in at a slightly higher price. You can read more about the features of the new iPhone series in the category section below. 

15th place goes to the Flip Pro WM85B from Samsung, an interactive 85-inch 4K touchscreen that is perfect for meetings. The display allows you to create handwritten notes thanks to the compatible stylus and can display content from up to four connected devices simultaneously. For this, Samsung has developed SmartView+ technology, which divides the screen into four smaller areas - making it ideal for collaborative work. In addition, the Flip Pro WM85B offers multi-touch capabilities, allowing up to 20 people to work interactively on a document via external access. All content can also be streamed wirelessly via Apple AirPlay 2 or Samsung Wireless Mirroring. 

Rank 16 is kept clean by a classic consumer product, the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra: this robot vacuums, mops and cleans completely by itself. The charging station of the current premium model from the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi is particularly convincing: it empties the dust container, fills the water tank and cleans the mop on its own. However, these features also come at a lofty price: you have to shell out over €1,100 for the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra household helper. 

Here are the most active 30 new releases with hot-seller potential - our Highflyer Charts:

Smartphones: Strong start for the iPhone 14 series

Apple is once again in the spotlight within the smartphone category, where almost 20,000 clicks accrued for the top 10 devices alone - among which Samsung is only represented in two positions this quarter. The iPhone 13 once again retains the top spot in the smartphone category and, with over 6,000 clicks, gains a clear lead over the second-placed iPhone 12, which only comes in at just over 2,000 clicks. 

The 3rd generation iPhone SE secures 3rd and 5th place in the 64GB and 128GB versions respectively, not performing quite as well as the 2nd generation did in previous quarters, which claimed 1st place for several quarters.

However, the next pole position candidate from Apple is already waiting in the wings. The iPhone 14, which has been listed on ITscope since the beginning of September, made it directly into the charts - even if it is not quite enough for the top ranks due to the time lag. But even with click figures from only three weeks compared to three months for the other smartphones, the iPhone 14 is actually doing quite well. 28th place goes to the Pro variant, 34th to the Pro Max variant and 67th to the normal version. The latest model from Apple scores with a fast processor, colour-intensive OLED screen and an improved main camera. The camera is even better in the Pro variant, which is also represented in the Highflyer Charts. It's especially impressive for zoomed photos. A new feature is the action mode, which stabilises motion-intensive videos. This new mode shines during outdoor activities, such as running or mountain biking, which often result in heavily blurred footage. Apple is thus aiming to replace typical action cameras, such as a GoPro or a gimbal, with this iPhone feature. 

The Samsung Galaxy S22 has also climbed quite a bit, from 22nd to 11th place. As the smallest variant of the new Samsung generation, the Galaxy S22 nevertheless offers similar strengths in terms of performance, display and features as the Plus and Ultra models. Only the battery is smaller and therefore has a shorter runtime. The camera quality is not very convincing and has even deteriorated compared to the previous generations according to the CHIP test.

Slowly but surely, Google's Pixel 6 is also fighting its way forward. Up from 25th place last time, it is now in 21st. In contrast to the Galaxy S22, the camera here is really outstanding and the performance is also impressive. In addition, the Pixel 6 is Google's first smartphone with its own System-on-a-Chip (SoC), the Google Tensor. On top of that, Google also promises five years of update support - so far almost a unique promise for Android devices. The Pixel 6 is available from ITscope for around €450.

A newcomer from Samsung is also represented among the mobile phones, albeit only in 40th place - the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 6 Pro as the Enterprise Edition. The Xcover 5 Enterprise has already performed very well in the past quarters and maintains a good 4th place. Now comes the successor, the 6 Pro, which starts off well straight away: once again, it is a robust and stable outdoor smartphone, perfectly suited for athletes and all those who like to be out and about. 

Tablets: Top ranks remain stable 

No movement in the top places: the iPad (10.2" version) continues to secure the top spot and places 2 and 3 also remain unchanged with Microsoft's Surface Pro 8 and Samsung's Tab A8.

In 6th place is the top climber of the quarter, also a Surface Pro 8, which just like the Pro 8 in 2nd place has been listed on the ITscope platform for almost exactly one year. The two tablets differ in terms of memory: second place has 16 GB of RAM, while sixth place only has 8 GB - but at a WSP of around €930, it is a little cheaper than second place, for which you have to shell out €1,170. 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite has also climbed considerably, from 239th to a magnificent 31st place. The tablet, which has been listed since May this year, impresses with a 10.4-inch LCD display, the practical S Pen, up-to-date software and a high-quality design. This time Samsung is not using its own Exynos processor, but rather a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset. It is supported by 4 GB RAM and 64 GB or 128 GB of internal storage. For a WSP of just under €270, you get a solid and feature-rich device.    

Notebooks: Rocket launch for Apple's MacBook Pro with M2 chip

The Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 3 20YG is still in first place - and deservedly so: with 6,762 clicks, this notebook is not only far ahead in this category, but also makes it to 4th place among the most clicked-on products for the entire ITscope platform. 

The Lenovo ThinkBook 15 G2 ITL 20VE also aims for the sky, namely jumping from 27th directly into 4th place. And the MacBook Pro M2 also performs well, shooting from 516th directly into 8th place and, having been listed in June 2022, it's also doing very well in the Highflyer Charts. After many M1 processors, Apple is now gradually launching the first M2 chips. After the Californian manufacturer succeeded in a real revolution with the M1 and the upscaled variants such as the M1 Ultra, the improvements in the M2 are rather limited though. It achieves 16 percent more CPU and up to 38 percent more iGPU performance, and even up to 45 percent more speed with the revised media engine. However, this performance also requires more energy, which negatively affects efficiency, at least under load. Nevertheless, the M2 is a fast and fundamentally efficient chip and a solid basis for upcoming Pro and Max variants. 

PC systems: A system with absolute gold status

No surprise in the top spot: the Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q 11 DT still holds absolute gold status and not only has a firm grip on first place in the category, but is also once again the most clicked-on product across the whole platform this quarter with an incredible 18,155 clicks. The ThinkCentre M70q 11 DT owes its first-class performance to a powerful 10th generation Intel i5 processor and fast DDR4 RAM.

It is interesting to note that the top 5 PC systems are exclusively mini PCs - also almost all of the tope 20 are Lenovo models. Presumably, these slim and space-saving models are currently enjoying particular popularity, as they are more power-efficient in relative terms due to the built-in notebook chips. 

Apple's iMac is also doing well - climbing from 16th to 13th place, while the previously well-placed Apple Mac Studio loses a few places and slips from 5th to 14th place. The iMac is Apple's all-rounder, a device that convinces in almost all aspects: it is really fast and always remains very quiet, even under high loads, the screen is rich in detail and with realistic colours. However, the iMac is not cheap at a WSP of over €1,100 - but it still costs less than the Mac Studio, which comes at a noticeably higher WSP of just under €1,800.

Which of of these models is suitable for which target group? The iMac is definitely the model for the masses, a complete package that offers the necessary performance for common requirements and has an outstanding 4K display. The Mac Studio, on the other hand, offers comprehensive features for professional creatives, but comes without a monitor, keyboard or mouse. Apple does offer a matching monitor with the Studio Display, but most demanding users probably want to choose the monitor that suits their needs themselves. For those who want to give their creativity the greatest possible freedom, the Mac Studio is a good investment; for everyone else, the iMac is absolutely sufficient. 

Both systems come with the M1 chip, and it is currently unclear how Apple will equip the Mac Studio in the future. At the moment, it is available with either the M1 Max or the M1 Ultra, the latter of which is to be further developed into the M2 Ultra, according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman. In addition, Gurman also speaks of an M2 Extreme chip, i.e. a further increase, as well as a new iMac, which is to be released later this year and is to be larger than the current 24-inch iMac. The new performance monster is to be released as the iMac Pro and, according to Gurman, will have "similar chips to the M1 Pro and M1 Max".

Graphics cards: Prices in free fall

While the prices for graphics cards went through the roof almost one and a half years ago, the tide is now turning. The reason for this is, as it was back then, down to the price development of cryptocurrencies, which strongly influences the prices for graphics cards. 

As the chart shows, the crypto boom in 2021 is now being followed by a deep fall: the price continues to drop dramatically. And this decline in cryptocurrency prices in turn ensures that the demand for graphics cards, which are needed for mining, falls. As a consequence, prices are also plummeting - which is very noticeable on the ITscope platform.



For the top 10 graphics cards of the current quarter, the average price is €867; in the third quarter of 2021, it was at over €1,200, corresponding to a drop of around 28 percent. 

The drop in price becomes even clearer when looking at products individually. The first-placed GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GAMING X from MSI comes in at just under €490 this current quarter; in the previous quarter, the WSP was over €530. In the third quarter of 2021, the price was even as high as €725 - though it should be mentioned that the graphics card was listed as brand new at that time. 

Price/stock/status history MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GAMING X 8G LHR (Prod. no. V397-231R) July 2021 to October 2022

A similar trend emerges for PNY with the NVIDIA RTX A4000, which occupies 8th place in the ranking. Here too, the price dropped in spring 2022 and has remained at this lower level ever since.

Price/stock/status history PNY NVIDIA RTX A4000 (Prod. no. VCNRTXA4000-PB) May 2021 to October 2022

The price/stock/status histories also show that stock levels are currently extremely high due to low demand. It was already apparent a year ago that the ban on crypto mining in China would also have a major impact on the price development of graphics cards. Demand is falling not only in China, but also in the rest of the world, where mining is becoming much less lucrative at the current low prices and graphics cards are no longer needed to the same extent. Nvidia recently reported a slump in sales of its GeForce graphics cards. A reason for this is certainly the mentioned decline in crypto mining, which Nvidia now wants to counteract with special 'pricing programmes' to empty the full warehouses. 

 

Mainboards & memory modules: DDR5 soon to lead the market - or will it take some time?

In terms of mainboards, there is one big question this quarter: when will DDR5-supporting devices arrive on the market? So far, at least, primarily DDR4 boards are to be found in the leading ranks - presumably because many users are falling back on existing and significantly cheaper stocks. These, however, are often not compatible with DDR5 modules.