Hardware Sales: 8GB DDR4 for $34, GTX 970 for $300, R9 390 for $260

The heretofore unprecedented onslaught of simultaneous hardware architecture launches has prompted a wave of price cuts across GPUs. Mid-range gaming cards can now be had at $250-$300, a steep cut from launch prices that teetered nearing $400. The GTX 970 4GB and R9 390 8GB are among devices facing price cuts, and for users who'd rather not wait for (or spend extra on) the RX 480 and GTX 1070, the 390 and 970 are still worthy considerations.

8GB G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4-2400 ($34): RAM has finally fallen in price – and it's fallen lower than previous lows, for DDR4. G.Skill has its Ripjaws V memory in 2x4GB kits, operating at 2400MHz, priced for $34 on Newegg right now. The memory is most suitable for use in gaming machines that don't need a high overclock, particularly those which may be clock-limited by non-Z/X chipsets.

MSI GTX 970 4GD5T ($290): After $10 MIR and an instant discount, the most popular GPU of last generation is now priced at $290. MSI's GTX 970 Gaming 4GB card is pre-overclocked (slightly) to 1102MHz, uses a dual-fan Twin Frozr cooler, and is well-suited for users hoping to capitalize on the release of new hardware. The GTX 1070, of course, outperforms the 970 – but it's more expensive and more difficult to come by. Not everyone needs to play the newest games at the highest settings, and for those folks, taking advantage of last-gen price reductions may make more sense.

Gigabyte R9 390 8GB ($260): Dropped from $320 to $260 – and with a free copy of Total War: Warhammer – AMD's R9 390 8GB card remains competitive with nVidia's GTX 970. Both are following the trend of price-cuts in the face of a new generation, AMD's RX 480 just around the corner, but for those who can't wait or don't need the latest-and-greatest, the price-point on the 390 is a good one.

- Steve “Lelldorianx” Burke.