Modded Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti Hits eBay for $500: A Desperate Measure Amidst the Memory Crisis

The memory crisis has led to skyrocketing prices for modern graphics cards, making it difficult for users to afford even mid-range 4K gaming or heavy AI workloads.

A Hong Kong-based reseller is now offering modded Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti GPUs with 22GB of VRAM, double the original amount, for less than their current average price of $670. Originally released in 2019 with 11GB of GDDR6 VRAM, the 2080 Ti was a flagship GPU but can still keep pace with more recent mid-range cards.

The mod involves replacing the 11 1GB modules with 2GB modules, giving the GPU ample headroom for handling demanding tasks. The reseller notes that the pre-modded units come from various manufacturers, including Gigabyte, MSI, Asus, and Leadtek.

While this may seem like a bargain, users should consider more recent mid-range GPUs with similar or slightly better performance, such as the 16GB RTX 5060 Ti, which currently goes for around $570. Its slightly better performance and support for frame generation might make the modestly higher price worthwhile if gaming is the primary use case.

The situation is expected to worsen in the coming months as the RAM crisis deepens, with experts predicting that conditions will last at least through 2027. GPUs available at MSRP have become a rare commodity, and QuakeCon attendees are taking advantage of this by snapping up cards at their original prices.