Monday, September 11th 2017
MicroCenter Starts Limiting GPU Orders per Customer
Taking a distinct approach towards the whole GPU availability and stock issues that we've been seeing in the past few months - mainly due to the cryptomining craze, partly due to low yields on particular GPUs, MicroCenter has started implementation of hard limits on the amount of graphics cards a single user can purchase. According to the new policy, users can buy up to two graphics cards for the base pricing (varying on model) as-is, but orders including more than two units show each additional graphics card coming in at a staggering $10,000 online. This is true for both NVIDIA and AMD-based graphics cards.
In practice however, things are not as harsh as the pricing here leads one to believe. This is a deterrent to people wanting to purchase more than two GPUs, with a senior level employee needed to be able to add three or more cards for each customers. Once approved, you get to buy the graphics cards at prices that remain between the store and the customer depending on the number of units available and required but the local Microcenter here told TechPowerUp that it is certainly not $10,000/card. Microcenter has made this policy known in person, where most of their sales tend to happen. As such, it is their attempt at limiting access to GPUs for mining conglomerates or particularly affluent individual miners, which would otherwise - as has been the case - buy up the entire inventory. It also marks a particularly strong position from MicroCenter, since usually, for retailers and e-tailers as well as for AMD, a sale is a sale, independent of use or buyer case. The company is likely missing out on some additional orders from miners by going this route, and the fact that they are willing to do so really speaks to how strong their vision is for how the market should be behaving. Likely, it isn't that difficult to circumvent this imposed restriction - but the simple fact that it exists is of note. And while this isn't a new approach (we've seen some retailers do the same around RX Vega 64's launch), this might make it more likely for other retailers to follow suit.
Update: The story initially mentioned that the $10,000 per card from three cards and up was an actual store policy, and it has been updated to reflect its nature as a deterrent instead.
Sources:
MicroCenter, via ETeknix
In practice however, things are not as harsh as the pricing here leads one to believe. This is a deterrent to people wanting to purchase more than two GPUs, with a senior level employee needed to be able to add three or more cards for each customers. Once approved, you get to buy the graphics cards at prices that remain between the store and the customer depending on the number of units available and required but the local Microcenter here told TechPowerUp that it is certainly not $10,000/card. Microcenter has made this policy known in person, where most of their sales tend to happen. As such, it is their attempt at limiting access to GPUs for mining conglomerates or particularly affluent individual miners, which would otherwise - as has been the case - buy up the entire inventory. It also marks a particularly strong position from MicroCenter, since usually, for retailers and e-tailers as well as for AMD, a sale is a sale, independent of use or buyer case. The company is likely missing out on some additional orders from miners by going this route, and the fact that they are willing to do so really speaks to how strong their vision is for how the market should be behaving. Likely, it isn't that difficult to circumvent this imposed restriction - but the simple fact that it exists is of note. And while this isn't a new approach (we've seen some retailers do the same around RX Vega 64's launch), this might make it more likely for other retailers to follow suit.
Update: The story initially mentioned that the $10,000 per card from three cards and up was an actual store policy, and it has been updated to reflect its nature as a deterrent instead.
47 Comments on MicroCenter Starts Limiting GPU Orders per Customer
For an online only store that might not be a problem but, Microcenter has a good number of physical locations. Someone coming into a store for a GPU might also poke around the monitor section, look at random peripherals, tell their friends, etc.
Someone looking to snap up cards for mining isn't likely to waste time on that.
I went out there last time because they had a $20 free on any purchase coupon (even if your amount didn't come out to be more than $20, you'd get your purchase for free) and I needed a HDMI cable. $14.99 on a 10ft HDMI cable, $12.99 on a 200mm fan, $20 on a cheap wireless keyboard/mouse set (was $10 off on sale, normally $30) and I almost picked up a $25 4port switch, but I was able to talk myself out of it. So, instead of getting a free HDMI cable, I spent an extra $30 on things I didn't need, but could certainly make use of.
I used to go out there every few months and browse for PC games. Sadly though, since we all know PC games have made a large shift to digital copies, physical ones are harder and harder to come by. About 5 years ago they rearranged their PC and console game section and instead of having 2 or 3 large, long shelves that housed tons of PC games, they have one small shelf to hold all their PC games now and I'm sure it's probably shrunk even more in the past few years since I've last looked. I'd almost always end up buying $20-40 in games and other things such as a spare mouse or looking over SSD/HDD and getting one. You get those items right there in your hand and you just have to buy them. When browsing online, it's just a picture and is meaningless to me so I can easily just close the web browser and be on my way.....I find it harder to put a piece of hardware down once I've picked it up and looked it over.
At some point, equilibrium will be found. It's only a matter of time before buying more GPUs does not yield anymore profit. It's called Tragedy of the Commons, and it's already happening to miners everywhere with decreased profits.
For me everything is out of stock or Available In Store Only.
By The Way...MicroCenter is the best store on EARTH!!!
I generally don't need anymore help than someone getting my stuff from the back room to take up front so I go around the sales floor and have the sales people put their stickers on stuff I picked out....LOL
It's not like Best Buy...The sales people actually know what they are talking about...
The guys and girl that work in the PC section at the MC I go to are either really good actors or are actually psyched to work in that dept..
This is a good move to keep Gaming stock around.
A: Miners work the poor card over until it dies and then return or rma the card. Miners have shown that they have no qualms about doing so, if fact abuse warranties. If this keeps up I wouldn't be surprised if cards with nearly no warranty or draconian warranties start being sold.
B: At the end of a card's useful life, Miners offload the cards in the second hand market. This point directly refutes the point a sale is a sale. With miners it's actually a sale today is a lost sale tomorrow. Not going to mention the poor schmucks who end up buying a these cards that have spent most of their lives being tortured.
B: This leads to manufacturers lowering prices.
It's uncomfortable for the buyer now, but ultimately this leads to the best outcome.
They will also allow multiple transactions depending on salesman.
And I don't see running a global highly secure digital payment network as pointless in the least.