There was like fifteen years where you couldn't get the card direct from Nvidia/AMD because they didn't want to be in the business of making boards, just chips.

There was like fifteen years where you couldn't get the card direct from Nvidia/AMD because they didn't want to be in the business of making boards, just chips. Also right now you can't buy direct from Nvidia outside select markets and specific retailers, who spent much of 2021 charging for that privilege.