If you want a powerful GPU for your computer, you may need to make a shopping decision like never before. No, I am not talking about buying a GPU from a reseller for a hefty price. I am talking about buying a pre-built gaming PC.

The inconvenient truth about the GPU shortage is that demand has continuously exceeded supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even now that the pandemic has abated, demand for GPUs is still very high from gamers as well as cryptocurrency miners; a month ago, Nvidia warned that the RTX 3080 shortage was not just a problem today, but would plague us well into 2022.

I am new to this conversation. I have gone from not needing a gaming PC to loving the powerful loaner PCs out there in the last 5 months. However, I have been paying close enough attention to the critical chip shortage to know the odds of finding a standalone GPU.

If you look for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU online now, you will see prices around $1,300 to $1,600. That's a price increase of 100% to 200% over the graphics card's original MSRP of $499. Of course, Google is not exactly helpful and throws mirages where they shouldn't be. For example, the search engine lists Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 GPUs in shopping results for 3070.

Alternatively, you can try the lottery. For example, you can sign up for the Newegg Shuffle for a chance to purchase one of these rare GPUs. The price in this scenario is much more affordable, but still costs at least $649. It is painfully obvious that everyone is now testing the limits of their spending.

Hilariously (and unfortunately), Newegg Shuffle got weird on May 25. The service tried to sell readers kettles, Uber Eats gift cards, and fruit hydrators. And Newegg had an Asus ROG Strix RTX 3070, which cost $859. I dont want to win a contest where my reward is to pay a slightly unfair markup.

I have already spent far too much time trying to get my hands on a PS5. Likewise, my colleague Marshall Honorof says it is best to accept the current chip shortage and its impact on consoles and GPUs. But with all due respect to Marshall, what if we don't want to accept it?

Then we must accept that it is time to buy a pre-built machine. Why, the GPU shortage is not such a critical issue for Dell and other OEMs.

One of the cheapest desktops from a major manufacturer with a 30-series GPU is the Dell XPS 8940 Special Edition, priced at $1,749. Shipping, however, will take nearly a month.

I want the 3070 instead. That would be $1,949, and Dell estimates the system will ship in about two weeks.

If you are desperate for the power of a new GPU, this may be your best bet. This is especially true if the overall price of a pre-built machine barely exceeds the price of a single used GPU.

Indeed, if your existing system still works, buying an entire new tower may seem a bit wasteful. Furthermore, if you are used to building your own gaming PC (or know someone who is), you may view these off-the-shelf systems with the same skepticism with which you view GPU price hikes.

Yes, PCs can be made more cheaply - or at least they could if demand didn't hit supply so hard that Godzilla blew Kong away in a recent movie. At least, if demand doesn't beat supply harder than Godzilla beat Kong in a recent movie.

But honestly, the reason I am comparing these prices is because I know that sooner or later we will need a new gaming rig. We are in a tight spot right now.

Personally, I value the time I can save by buying a ready-made PC instead of prowling the Internet waiting to win. Likewise, there is always a risk involved in building your own gaming PC. You will learn quite a bit the first time you make a mistake, but you may create an expensive, time-consuming technical support sinkhole.