How I Got a Video Card (RTX 3070 Strix)

[CUJO_1970]

How I acquired a video card, if it helps anyone. Cliff's Notes version:

1. Arrive Micro Center Marietta, Ga. at midnight Thursday for the Friday 7AM stock drop.
2. Place camping chairs at end of line, claim this territory as our (my son and I) place in line.
3. Find sign in sheet, sign it and discover I'm 33rd in line. (this is a crucial step)(I'll come earlier next time)
4. Realize nobody intends to stay in their actual chairs overnight (cold night) and will be sleeping in their vehicles.
5. Have fun doing whatever it takes to get you through the night.
6. Wake up between 5AM-6AM notice 30 more people have arrived in line. That's cool tho 'cause I'm on the list already.
7. 6:30 AM people start queuing up near entrance. People from multiple states, some over 6 hours away.
8. 6:45AM Micro Center Employee reads off names on list and forms line in that order (hence why getting on the list is crucial)
9. 7AM Micro Center Employee comes out and reads off what cards came in and their quantities. 65 cards!
10. Realize after months of searching online drudgery and misery I'm going to be getting a card this morning!
11. It's going to be at least a 3070 ? which is fine by me.
12. A table is set up outside the entrance. Employee takes his seat, with a stack of vouchers corresponding to each card.
13. Each person, in turn picks their card. First in line gets first pick and so on, down the line.
14. Be amazed at how fast the line moves. These people know what they want.
15. Have drivers license ready. (Your legal name goes on your voucher)
16. As you approach table, try to zoom in on list to see what cards are left.
17. My turn, realize I get the very last RTX 3070 Strix they have.
18. Pick that card, give the guy my drivers license, get voucher for that card.
19. Be Happy.
20. Find something to do until 10AM, opening time.
21. Go to Waffle House.
22. Come back, wait in queue for store to open.
23. Have a quiet chuckle at the occasional poor sod that shows up at 9AM in hopes of getting a voucher.
24. All are giving a formal group warning that it's 1 card per household per month.
25. Get caught breaking that rule, get banned from the store for 1 full calendar year.
26. Get sent in, in groups of 5 with military precision to redeem voucher.
27. Politely decline extended warranty.
28. Receive 3070 at register. Swipe AMEX for $779.99 American dollars.
29. Drive home. Go to bed.

 

Hope that helps someone. I'm going back next month to get another card. This Micro Center is well known to get cards Thursday AM and Friday AM. Last Friday they got 71 cards. This morning they got 65. They are all gone in minutes.

The next item Micro Center will be limiting is solid state drives...as those will soon be used for mining as well (?)

 

 

[JG7_X-Man]

I'm am looking for a EVGA FTW3 ULTRA or a ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3090 and I am not paying more than MSRP out of principle. I don't mind waiting until July to build my rig. I am not buying a bot to shop for me, nor am I camping out anywhere! I hope all you scalpers out there take a loss on their loot and choke on those losses. 

[Gambit21]

Anything involving Microcenter is out of the question for me - they don’t exist up here.

 

I hope I can score something this Summer - new rig is up and running with the 1080 for now.

[Dutch2]

11 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

Anything involving Microcenter is out of the question for me - they don’t exist up here.

 

I hope I can score something this Summer - new rig is up and running with the 1080 for now.

Right now I have installed an Artic Accelero Extreme IV on my GTX1080 to get some overclock headroom.  The cards I wanted to go for the RTX3080 or 6800XT are become very expensive.  In June it seems the 3070ti is finaly being released I do hope by that time the miners are all being supplied or the bitcoins are low and I can get the RTX3070ti.

[CUJO_1970]

17 hours ago, JG7_X-Man said:

I'm am looking for a EVGA FTW3 ULTRA or a ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3090 and I am not paying more than MSRP out of principle. I don't mind waiting until July to build my rig. I am not buying a bot to shop for me, nor am I camping out anywhere! I hope all you scalpers out there take a loss on their loot and choke on those losses. 

I hope you get one but the way things are going, you won’t be paying retail for a 3090 anywhere without doing something outside of the box like I did.

 

And camping out is what you make of it. We had a blast.

13 hours ago, Gambit21 said:

Anything involving Microcenter is out of the question for me - they don’t exist up here.

 

I hope I can score something this Summer - new rig is up and running with the 1080 for now.

If they didn’t have the 1 per household per month I’d grab you one and ship it.

[jskibo]

Hit refresh several times on EVGA B stock from my comfy couch at 7:30pm, 3090 FTW3 Ultra shows up for $1849, pop in cart, rush to pay, now wait for UPS.

 

EVGA drops cards several times a week in the B stock store, usually between 7-8pm EDT.  Sometimes they start with the junk cards and move up and drop newer ones every few minutes, sometimes they start with the top cards and work down.  Thursday was almost every card down to 1030's, then a 3090 popped up again at the end.

 

https://www.evga.com/Products/ProductList.aspx?type=8

Edited April 27, 2021 by jskibo

[Jaws2002]

 Congrats on your victory. ?  Nvidia said will release new versions of their Ampere cards, with  hard coded crypto limiter. 

The 3080ti, due for release on May 25th, is going to be the first one. 

 They also said they expect much better supply.

 

We'll see how it plays out, but I won't hold my breath. 

 I have a micrometer just half hour from me, but it's on the other side of the border, but us, the Canadians,  are locked like cattle and we are not allowed to go across.

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by Jaws2002

[CUJO_1970]

6 hours ago, Jaws2002 said:

 Congrats on your victory. ?  Nvidia said will release new versions of their Ampere cards, with  hard coded crypto limiter. 

The 3080ti, due for release on May 25th, is going to be the first one. 

 They also said they expect much better supply.

 

We'll see how it plays out, but I won't hold my breath. 

 I have a micrometer just half hour from me, but it's on the other side of the border, but us, the Canadians,  are locked like cattle and we are not allowed to go across.

 

Nice.

 

I’ll be there for the May 28 drop - we will see what they come up with. May have to upgrade and sell my 3070 ?

[CUJO_1970]

On 4/27/2021 at 4:39 PM, jskibo said:

Hit refresh several times on EVGA B stock from my comfy couch at 7:30pm, 3090 FTW3 Ultra shows up for $1849, pop in cart, rush to pay, now wait for UPS.

 

EVGA drops cards several times a week in the B stock store, usually between 7-8pm EDT.  Sometimes they start with the junk cards and move up and drop newer ones every few minutes, sometimes they start with the top cards and work down.  Thursday was almost every card down to 1030's, then a 3090 popped up again at the end.

 

https://www.evga.com/Products/ProductList.aspx?type=8

Congrats on getting a card, especially from the comfort of your own home!

 

But...$1849, that’s a lot of pesos for a graphic card.

[J2_Steve]

I got my 3080 eventually buy buying a gaming PC with a Gigabyte Gaming OC 3080 card installed in it.

I noticed that although retail stock was being grabbed by scalper bots instantly, build stock was not. So I bought the PC removed the card, replaced it with an older 980Ti I had hanging around and sold the pc with the old card  for £900. Meant I paid £1100 for the 3080. But I'd rather have done that then pay a scalper £1500 or wait until stock start to meet demand

Edited April 29, 2021 by J2_SteveF

[jskibo]

14 hours ago, CUJO_1970 said:

Congrats on getting a card, especially from the comfort of your own home!

 

But...$1849, that’s a lot of pesos for a graphic card.

Thanks.  I run triple 70's at 4k so every little bit helps