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GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Started by Kimberly Gomez34 · · 👁 48 views · 5.7K replies

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Participants Kimberly Gomez34Michael King7Gerald Campbell65crimsonstag84Robert Rodriguez2Scott Mendoza88Ryan Wilson7Jesse Lopez83David Sanders4Taylor BrownAdam Moore3Benjamin King2Larry Ortiz5Amy Vaughn12Adam Williams2swiftscout21fadedorca66driftingwalker19William Hughes16swiftstag66mistymason18Jonathan Reed50hiddenpilot4Jamie Patel2 …
wiredotter14 wiredotter14 Regular
433 messages
joined Aug 2007
#5541 ·
steelfalcon71 said:You can apply that same logic to everything else, including digital goods. To answer your question: I’ve never actually run into a situation where I had to pay extra VAT because I was buying from another state. Since everyone stays under that 25% threshold, I haven't had to deal with any price differences or anything like that. Whether it's physical products or digital stuff, I've been shopping regularly ever since we joined the union.

It’s out of your hands, and honestly, it’s out of the retailer's hands too. Once they hit a certain threshold for goods or services delivered within any EU country, they're legally required to charge and remit local sales tax. I remember seeing figures from a few years back—the limit was around $200k in annual revenue. Big players like Amazon or Google are always going to blow past that mark, so you aren't going to find a way to order from them to the US without paying the local tax. It's just how it works.
Since there’s no shipping address for services, everything basically boils down to the billing address or how you paid.

Sure, retailers can jump into that system whenever they feel like it. It’s entirely possible some have already signed up on a massive scale across the entire US if they're already shipping there.
Small-time retailers will still let you order with their local sales tax included—assuming they actually bother to ship anything at all.

If you're ordering through a business, none of this even matters. Honestly, the absolute worst move is ordering with American sales tax applied—you end up paying for it all over again.

If you're ordering on behalf of a business, you have to provide your US Tax ID. Once the merchant verifies it, they can ship the goods without charging sales tax, and then your company handles the self-assessment for the tax on your end.

It’s actually pretty convenient on Amazon because you can just set up a business account and everything handles itself automatically. If an American company orders through Amazon (like Amazon.com), they can bypass the sales tax entirely—it’s basically the same thing as getting a tax exemption certificate here in the States. This isn't just useful for grabbing consumer electronics; it works for professional gear too, like high-end testing equipment or specialized tools.

Benjamin Sanders76 said:Just hopped off the phone with a buddy over in Germany. They’ve got the 4070 Ti going for $1,100 over there. That means we’re paying a $200 premium compared to them. Honestly? It makes sense. Our income levels are way higher than theirs, so why wouldn't it be? 🙂🙂

You don't need to call up some buddy in Germany to figure this out. Just hit up Idealo or any other price comparison site and check it yourself.

So, what's the starting price on the 4070Ti now? $980 including shipping. Inno3D? It's in stock right now.
The only model I could find around $1,200 is the ROG Strix.

Check this out: https://www.amazon.com/inno3d-graphics-card-series/b/B0XXXXXXXX
Checking the price comparisons for the 4070 Ti on Amazon. Looking at the current market trends.
Alexander Moore67 Alexander Moore67 Active Member
137 messages
joined Jun 2013
#5542 ·
If I were looking to pick up a high-end card, I’d probably go for an RTX 3060, which would run me about $450 used here in the States, $1667but hey, that's just my personal take!
Benjamin Sanders76 Benjamin Sanders76 Member
37 messages
joined Dec 2022
#5543 ·
steelfalcon71 said:There aren't any customs fees since both countries are part of the European Union. I order from abroad all the time. The only issue is dealing with those poorly managed shops that occasionally miscalculate the tax—charging you 25% instead of the standard 19%. If that happens, you just skip them. It’s that simple.

If you buy locally at our domestic prices, are you out of your mind or just throwing money away?

So what? How much extra are you actually paying when you order directly from Germany?
For me, it would have been worth it because I was coming from Canada; I really should have ordered through someone in America!
But it's too late now, I already pulled the trigger on Micro Center... I definitely overpaid a bit, but at least I have peace of mind for the next five years. 😁
Benjamin Sanders76 Benjamin Sanders76 Member
37 messages
joined Dec 2022
#5544 ·
wiredotter14 said:You don't need to consult a friend in Germany; just head over to Idealo or any other price comparison site to check the numbers.

The 4070Ti is starting at $980 including shipping for the Inno3D model, and it's in stock right now.
The only $1,200 model I managed to find is the ROG Strix.

https://www.notebooksbilliger.de/inn...0+ti+x3+788585
https://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich....html?q=4070ti

Look, I wasn't saying they were all $1,200. Of course there are cheaper options available here too. I personally paid $1,400, while in Germany it's about $1,220. But keep in mind, if you buy from overseas and something goes wrong with the card, you have to deal with the hassle of shipping it back and waiting for a resolution... 🍿
wanderingbison9 wanderingbison9 Active Member
159 messages
joined Jan 2018
#5545 ·
Benjamin Sanders76 said:Well, look, I didn't say they were $1,100, though obviously, there are premium prices here in the States too; I ended up paying $1,300 while they're listed for $1,123 over in Germany, but isn't it a bit risky to order from abroad when if something goes sideways with the card, you have to ship it all the way back and just wait... ... ... 🍿

A difference from what? Since you're living in Canada, doesn't the US feel about the same as Germany to you? You still have to either travel personally to deal with the retailer or the service center, or you're just dealing with the logistics of shipping things back and forth anyway... or perhaps you're just visiting the US on a temporary basis? 🤷

Honestly, I doubt I'll be ordering from overseas unless it's through Amazon... it seems like every German shop that actually ships directly to the US and offers a decent price turns out to be some kind of scam site... ☕
Benjamin Sanders76 Benjamin Sanders76 Member
37 messages
joined Dec 2022
#5546 ·
wanderingbison9 said:It’s a different situation for you, isn't it? Since you're living in Canada, being in the US feels a lot like being in Germany—it's all about the logistics. Whether you're actually based in Canada or just there on a temporary visa, you still face the same hurdle: you either have to ship everything back or physically drive yourself down to the retailer or the service center. Either way, it's an extra step you don't need. 🤷

To be honest, I tend to avoid ordering from overseas unless it's through Amazon. They seem to be the only reliable option that ships directly to the US without any hassle. Every time I find a German retailer offering a great price, it inevitably turns out to be some shady scam site.☕

When you actually sit down and look at the numbers here in the States, it’s pretty eye-opening. We’re seeing an RTX 4090 sitting at around $20,000 and an RTX 4080 hovering near $18,000. It really puts things into perspective. 🤦
If I had the capital, I’d buy ten of them right now just to flip them here.☕
Since I'm right by the border, everything is easy for me. I can be in Miami in about an hour. 😁
Alexander Moore67 Alexander Moore67 Active Member
137 messages
joined Jun 2013
#5547 ·
Benjamin Sanders76 said:When you actually sit down and look at the prices here in the States, it's wild—$20k for a 4090 and $18k for a 4080. 🤦
If I had the cash, I’d buy ten of them right now just to flip them here.☕
Since I'm right by the border, everything is easy for me—I can be in Miami in just an hour. 😁

Don't even think about trying to claim a VAT refund through that channel. $2000 Or maybe $800! You have to factor in customs, and once you cross into Canada, you're looking at an extra 17% sales tax on top of the import duties—meaning you'll end up paying about 35% total. At that point, it’s really only worth ordering if the total stays under $800.
Benjamin Sanders76 Benjamin Sanders76 Member
37 messages
joined Dec 2022
#5548 ·
Alexander Moore67 said:Don't even think about trying to claim a VAT refund if you're going through $2000 or spending over 800 dollars. Customs fees are tied in, and once you cross into Canada, you'll end up paying a 17% sales tax plus customs duties—bringing the total hit to roughly 35%. It simply isn't worth it for anything over 800 dollars; it only makes sense for smaller amounts.

I'm not sure why, but I've never run into any issues. I actually successfully claimed a tax refund on a laptop $2667 I bought, and the whole process went smoothly without any trouble at all...
wanderingbison9 wanderingbison9 Active Member
159 messages
joined Jan 2018
#5549 ·
Well, what can I really say? I had every intention of ordering a graphics card from one of those German online shops, and I actually found a pretty great price over at NBB. I spent a good two hours meticulously checking customer reviews and struggling to format my shipping and mailbox address just right because their system kept rejecting it. Eventually, I managed to get through, paid with my Mastercard, passed the PUSH authentication, and received an email confirming the order was placed. Then, just twenty minutes later, I get a notification from my bank saying the payment was reversed, and the shop's website itself simply says "canceled." No follow-up email, nothing. I’ve ordered plenty of things from the US and the UK, mostly from Amazon—even the German branch—but I’ve also dealt with obscure sites and stuff from China. I once accidentally bought something expensive on AliExpress; they charged me immediately, but when I canceled, the refund was instant. But these Germans? Honestly, they seem like a very strange bunch when it comes to doing business... isn't that right? It practically feels like trying to order anything from Germany is an impossible task, with hurdles popping up at every single turn. ☕ Forgive me if I sound a bit worked up, but as far as I'm concerned, that’s my final word on trying to order from mythical Germany and the supposedly seamless EU; there seemed to be far fewer headaches before we joined the fray. I can't help but wonder, what would have happened if I had tried to order a massive TV instead?

P.S. I just had someone on the chat tell me that they couldn't accept a mailboxde.com address because it was flagged for too many scams. ☕
velvetlynx3 velvetlynx3 Active Member
55 messages
joined Aug 2019
#5550 ·
wanderingbison9 said:Look, I really wanted to make it work—tried ordering a GPU from those German sites—found a decent deal over at NBB, checked out the reviews, and then spent two agonizing hours just fighting with their checkout to get my address and Mailboxde info to actually stick.

Which card?
wanderingbison9 wanderingbison9 Active Member
159 messages
joined Jan 2018
#5551 ·
velvetlynx3 said:Which GPU are we talking about?

Well, I was looking at the Sapphire puls RX 6700 for about $400.
Lawrence Phillips Lawrence Phillips Member
12 messages
joined Oct 2020
#5552 ·
wanderingbison9 said:Man, that Sapphire Pulse RX 6700 is about $400.

That's a solid deal.
If you ask me—and I might be wrong here—the RX 6600 is still probably the best bang-for-your-buck option if you're just doing decent 1080p gaming right now. It's sitting at around $325. The next step up, like a 6650 XT, is maybe $100 more...
Honestly, those extra few frames probably aren't even worth the extra cash.

The 6600 XTs are likely just old stock hanging around, probably going for $480 or something.
wanderingbison9 wanderingbison9 Active Member
159 messages
joined Jan 2018
#5553 ·
@Lawrence Phillips/">@@Lawrence Phillips: I don't really have any use for it when it comes to gaming 😉
Alexander Moore67 Alexander Moore67 Active Member
137 messages
joined Jun 2013
#5554 ·
Benjamin Sanders76 said:It used to happen, but I never ran into any trouble. I even filed for a sales tax refund on my laptop $2667 after paying for it, and everything went through without a hitch...

That's in the past now. It doesn't work anymore....
Benjamin Sanders76 Benjamin Sanders76 Member
37 messages
joined Dec 2022
#5555 ·
Alexander Moore67 said:It happened once, but it's over now. There isn't any more....

That isn't true; people are constantly bringing them back...
Maybe you just got burned once and that's why you're saying this, or perhaps you work for Customs now.😵
wanderingbison9 wanderingbison9 Active Member
159 messages
joined Jan 2018
#5556 ·
wanderingbison9 said:Well, the Sapphire puls RX 6700 was sitting at $395.

I ended up pulling the trigger yesterday and ordered it from Amazon.com since the price had taken such a sudden dip—it was about $430 total—but then this morning it dropped by another couple of bucks, only to jump right back up to over $450 once you factor in the sales tax and shipping fees from the seller... talk about last-minute jitters! Isn't it strange how Amazon works? It feels like watching waves during a storm, where the prices just surge and recede without warning. Oops, I just checked again and in the last ten minutes, it already climbed to $455. 😵
velvetlynx3 velvetlynx3 Active Member
55 messages
joined Aug 2019
#5557 ·
wanderingbison9 said:So, I finally pulled the trigger on Amazon.com yesterday—it was sold and shipped directly—because the price took a sudden dip to $430. Then this morning, it dropped by a couple bucks, only to jump right back up to $450 plus tax and shipping from the seller... talk about bad timing. Amazon's pricing is wild—it's like watching waves hit the coast during a storm... oops, just checked again and it spiked to $455 within ten minutes. 😵

Hura!

Just grabbed a 6800XT myself—Friday the 13th, clearly. 😉

https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Ca...ING-OC-16GD#kf
wanderingbison9 wanderingbison9 Active Member
159 messages
joined Jan 2018
#5558 ·
velvetlynx3 said:Hura!

I just picked up a 6800XT myself, and of course, it's Friday the 13th. 😉

https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Ca...ING-OC-16GD#kf

They haven't even dispatched the card yet, and the weekend is already creeping up on us...☕

On a side note, my Kindle finally arrived, though I think I'll wait until tomorrow to go pick it up since today is Friday the 13th and I'm a bit superstitious about those things...

As for you, it sounds like you're heading into a weekend of being told, "Honey, could you just put that sandwich on the table?" 😁
Alexander Moore67 Alexander Moore67 Active Member
137 messages
joined Jun 2013
#5559 ·
Benjamin Sanders76 said:If they don't have it, people just keep coming back for it...
Did you get burned once, or do you work at Customs now? 😵

I actually know someone working for US Customs who mentioned that they’re reporting all VAT refunds over $2000/ $800 to the authorities. Apparently, that's a new rule from early 2023 following the shift in regulations. Just a thought...
Nancy Booth Nancy Booth Newcomer
5 messages
joined Nov 2012
#5560 ·
Picked this up yesterday.

Fingers crossed I didn't totally screw myself here. Any experts out there want to weigh in—did I actually snag a decent card? 🙏

Total damage: $1249
$540.00

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