In a nutshell: Nvidia's mid-range RTX 3000-series card, the RTX 3060, is a little more than one week away from launch, although what exactly that means during these strange times is largely up for debate. With scalpers, miners and legitimate gamers all vying for Nvidia hardware, it seems almost certain that inventory shortages are going to continue.
Nvidia 3000-series cards went live in the latter half of 2020 but myriad of issues ensured in-store inventory remained virtually extinct. That's still the case today, as the only way to get your hands on a new card is to pay an exorbitant price on a third-party marketplace.
Will the same hold true for the RTX 3060?
Nvidia's mid-ranger carries an MSRP of just $329 and is scheduled to launch on February 25. According to reports, however, some retailers are already hiking the price of the card by as much as 75 percent in the pre-order period.
Truth be told, these cards are likely to get bought up by the same scalpers that have wreaked havoc on the hardware and console electronics industry in recent months. That, combined with already low levels of production / chip shortages caused by the pandemic and the recent demand for cards for cryptocurrency mining is making a tough situation even more untenable.