Same boat, watching this

Basically, are you planning to put the whole PC together yourself or are you looking at those pro turn-key sim companies? That definately affects how you should shop for deals. If you're going the DIY route to save some money for that motion platform, here's what I'd keep an eye on: * **The Micro Center "Open Box" trick:** Since you're on the East Coast, see if there's one nearby. They have a "service" where you can check open-box inventory online. You can often snag a high-end card for like 15-20% off just because the box was opened.
* **Self-Service Alerts:** Use something like Trackalacker or discord stock bots. Don't wait for the actual holiday sales; sometimes the best "DIY" prices pop up when a retailer overstocks a month early.
* **Avoiding the "Pro" Markup:** Don't buy hardware through sim-specific retailers. They always charge a premium for the convenience. Tbh $800 for a 5080 sounds a bit optimistic given how prices have been going lately, but if you're willing to do the legwork yourself, you might get close. Anyway, let us know if you're building it yourself!

Hey man, I totally get the future-proofing itch! I went through the same thing before building my sim rig. Honestly, trying to predict Black Friday GPU prices that far out is tough. But here's what I did: I tracked prices on the RTX 3080 (used) for about 6 months leading up to Black Friday a couple years ago. Saw them dip to around $550-$600 on eBay a few times. That gave me a baseline. Then, I watched Newegg and Amazon like a hawk during the actual Black Friday week. Ended up snagging a Zotac 3080 for $620. My advice? Focus on tracking the USED market for the 4080 in late 2025. It'll give you a good idea of the *floor*. Good luck, and feel free to hit me up if you have more questions!

Hey, that's ambitious planning! While predicting 2025 is tough, I might want to consider focusing on the *entire* upgrade, not just the GPU. A beefy CPU could also seriously impact your sim performance, especially with VR. Be careful about bottlenecking! I would suggest researching CPU/GPU pairings closer to your purchase date. Also, make sure to check power supply requirements; a 5080 will likely need a robust PSU. I had to upgrade mine (Corsair RM850x, around $150) when I went from a 1070 to a 3070. Good luck with the rig build! Hit me up if you have any questions.

Hey, planning *that* far ahead is ambitious, but smart! Instead of just fixating on the 5080, I'd suggest looking at the *brand* more than the specific model number for Black Friday deals. For example, I've noticed that EVGA (RIP) used to have killer closeout deals. Now, I'd watch Asus and MSI. Specifically, Asus's ROG Strix line is great, but I've snagged some really deep discounts on their TUF Gaming cards in the past. They're built well, perform great, but don't have the ROG tax. I grabbed a TUF 3070 for $480 two years ago, which was a steal. MSI's Ventus line also seems to get discounted more heavily than their Gaming X Trio. Check out their regular prices now, then mentally subtract 20%. That's probably closer to what you'll see on sale. I use MSI Afterburner to tune my 6700XT with no complaints. Happy to share more details if you have questions!

Hey, I get the sim racing bug – it's addictive! Everyone's talking future-proofing, but let's be real about those 5080 prices. While aiming for Black Friday 2025 is smart, don't get tunnel visioned.

Instead of *only* chasing the top-end card, keep an eye on the used market leading up to then. You might snag a used 4080 (or even a 4090 if you're lucky) for around $600-$800 as people upgrade. I grabbed a used 3080 Ti last year for a steal because someone was impatient for the 40 series release. Works perfectly!

Honestly, a slightly older high-end card will still crush your 2070 Super and give you killer performance for iRacing without breaking the bank. Plus, you can use the savings for that motion platform! Just make sure to thoroughly test any used card before committing. Good luck!