Finch's Guide to Obtaining a GPU/CPU and Trading Thread

Trading "Rules":
1 - Don't be stupid.
2 - Don't send money to someone you don't know over the internet.
3 - Protect yourself by using PayPal's Goods and Services and/or PayPal Invoice. This is a more protected way of exchanging goods online as compared to normal PayPal Friends and Family, Venmo, CashApp, etc. If a seller tries to use anything other than PayPal Goods and Services and/or PayPal Invoice, do not deal with that person.
4 - In person transactions are strictly up to you and how you want to handle it. Suggest to meet in a public place with plenty of witnesses. Like a police station.

GPU Guide:
First off, this is going to be more difficult than your new gen consoles due to the hundreds of different different variants of each GPU. CPUs aren't quite as difficult, but that's not to say they're easy. You have to be quick. So, here it goes....


Bots
First off, the best chance you will ever have at getting a card is by using a bot. One of the more popular ones is called Stellar AIO. Very rarely do they sell new keys so it may be out of the question for you. However, some Discord servers have users that rent them out daily/weekly/monthly. Please note, at the cost of the bot and if you're able to get a card, you might as well have bought at a scalper's price. That's how expensive these bots are.

Twitter
If you want a more price friendly approach, I suggest following these twitter handles. Again, just like the PS5 thread, you'll want to turn on notifications for each of these twitter accounts. They will provides links from Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, Zotac, etc. when they drop.

https://twitter.com/LeBlarstOfTimes (provides direct product links)

https://twitter.com/BotPCParts (provides ATC links to expedite the checkout process / success rate is very low)

https://twitter.com/stock_drops (provides ATC links to expedite the checkout process / success rate is very low)

I should warn about these accounts, they will tweet anything PC parts related. Cases, cables, fans, headsets, keyboards, mice, etc. That's one of the pains of watching these accounts. They might make you anxious.


EVGA
Your next option is the EVGA waiting list. This eliminates bots that bog down all of the websites when they have drops. The downside is you'll be waiting forever probably at this point. Find the card you want and ask to be notified.

EVGA 30 Series Cards

Don't forget about EVGA's B-Stock program. These are cards that have been traded-in or "traded-up". They're used so keep that in mind.

EVGA 30 Series B-Stock

All B-Stock Items

Newegg
The next option is Newegg's "Newegg Shuffle". Every weekday, Newegg will have GPU/CPU/PSU combos to choose from. If you're lucky to get picked, you'll have the chance to checkout without the rush similar to EVGA's site. Usually starts at 11:00et am or 1:00et pm.

Newegg Shuffle

Best Buy
Best Buy tends to drop every other week between Tuesday and Thursday around 10:00et am - 1:00et pm. Last drop was 7/29 so we'll be waiting another 2 weeks for the next drop.

Best Buy "GPUs" Search Results...

Nerdspeak Queue Timer Browser Extension

NerdSpeak Patreon (Only way to get the newly developed stock bot)


Zotac
Zotac has a Queue-It system now. It's FIFO so you gotta be quick.

https://us.zotacstore.com/us/graphics-cards/geforce-rtx-30-series

AMD Direct Store
This place is just as bad as Zotac. I wouldn't even try, but the prices literally can't be beat for Reference Radeon cards (unless you're buying from Best Buy).

https://www.amd.com/en/direct-buy/us

No more need for scripts for AMD's site. They've implemented a random queue system. With it being random, you place in line can vary regardless of when you arrive. You'll have about 10 minutes before the queue is formed so follow these steps.

1 - Download Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
2 - Open the queue in a normal tab.
3 - Open the queue in a private tab.
4 - Do this for all of your web browsers, including your cell phone.
5 - Wait for timer to expire and set the queue.
6 - Pray that one of your tabs gets you in in time.

Maybe there will be a browser extension to come out soon to create multiple queue tokens. One can hope, anyway.

There's a Mozilla extension that allows you to open multiple tabs and get different queue IDs for each. Go Here

fixitfixitfixit Discord Server
This Discord has a bunch of channels to chat with other people that are also looking for new hardware. They also have a roles channel where you "react" with a specified emote. These emotes are designated to special channels throughout the server that are specifically set up to alert you when that specific series card is available for purchase. This guy also has a YouTube stream that scans each site and will send out an alarm when something goes live.

fixitfixitfixit Discord Server

fixitfixitfixit YouTube Live Stream

Microcenter
If you don't live near a Microcenter, don't bother. If you do, they only sell in store. What you have to do is get there at midnight and wait until they open or usually around 7am. What they do is give out vouchers for the card you want. So, you return later with your voucher and make your purchase. And you can only buy one per household every 30 days. Go in before hand and ask a manager when they usually expect a shipment so you're not waiting for nothing.

Antonline EVGA Bundles
https://www.antonline.com/evga/graphicscards/bundles

GPU Mining Guide on the Tech Board