Graphics Card Market in Turmoil: Price Hikes, Supply Cuts, and Production Shifts

The graphics card market is experiencing significant price increases and supply chain adjustments across multiple manufacturers and product lines. These changes are being attributed primarily to rising costs and constrained availability of memory components, driven by high demand from the AI data center industry.

Price Increases on Radeon RX 9070 XT Models

ASUS has raised prices for specific Radeon RX 9070 XT models in the United States. The company has attributed these adjustments to price increases from AMD and an ongoing memory crisis affecting the industry.

The ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Edition's price increased from $799.99 to $939.99, a 17.5% jump.

The ASUS TUF GAMING Radeon RX 9070 XT saw its price rise from $849.99 to $989.99, a 16.5% adjustment. This new price for the TUF GAMING variant is approximately 65% higher than the initial $599 suggested retail price for some Radeon RX 9070 XT models at launch.

These updated prices are reflected on the official ASUS store and some retailers, including Amazon and B&H. However, some outlets continue to offer these cards at previous prices, likely due to existing stock. As of the latest reports, the ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Edition remained available for $799.99 on Amazon and Newegg. Other Radeon RX 9070 XT cards available at lower price points include the SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 9070 XT for $769.99 and the ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070 XT for $709.99.

Broader AMD and Nvidia Price Hikes

According to Board Channels, most AMD brand manufacturers raised their cost prices for the majority of Radeon GPU models by approximately 5-10% in January 2026. This prompted downstream distributors to build up inventory. Further price increases from AMD are anticipated starting in February or March 2026, with the specific magnitude undisclosed. The reported reason is the rising cost of memory, as well as a potential strategy to align Radeon GPU prices more closely with equivalent Nvidia models.

ASUS and Gigabyte are reportedly planning price increases for both RX 9000 and RTX 50-series graphics cards by up to 15% by the end of January 2026, according to a report from Taiwan. The report suggests the extent of the increase depends on VRAM capacity, with models featuring 16GB or more potentially seeing a full 15% increase and 8GB models a 10% increase. MSI has already implemented price increases on its latest-generation GPU models. These reports indicate that major GPU manufacturers may be using board partners to implement price increases.

Production Adjustments and Discontinuations for Nvidia RTX 50 Series

Nvidia is reportedly adjusting its production strategy for the RTX 50 series in response to high memory chip prices and constrained supply. The company plans to reduce shipments of higher-VRAM models, specifically the RTX 5070 Ti (16GB) and RTX 5060 Ti 16GB. Production is being focused on the entry-level RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and RTX 5060 8GB models, which require fewer GDDR7 memory modules and are therefore more cost-effective to produce. The RTX 5060 is expected to be the most widely available GPU in the RTX 50 lineup.

The Australian YouTube channel Hardware Unboxed reported that ASUS has placed the RTX 5070 Ti into "end of life" status due to supply shortages, with no future production planned. ASUS reportedly also indicated it would no longer produce the 5060 Ti 16GB. Australian retailers reported the 5070 Ti is currently unavailable from partners and distributors, a situation expected to continue through at least Q1.

Nvidia did not confirm or deny these discontinuations. In a statement to multiple outlets, Nvidia said:

"Demand for GeForce RTX GPUs is strong, and memory supply is constrained. We continue to ship all GeForce SKUs and are working closely with our suppliers to maximize memory availability."

Industry reports indicate that further cost increases for GPUs cannot be ruled out in the coming quarters.

Current market observations show significant price increases for existing Nvidia RTX 50 series models, with the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti selling above their Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) at retailers like Newegg and Amazon. The RTX 5090 has been observed selling for over $3,500, with some high-end models reaching up to $5,000-$8,000.

Nvidia RTX 5090 Price Increase

Nvidia has reportedly notified board partners of a price increase for the GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5090 D V2 (China variant) due to higher VRAM procurement costs. According to Board Channels, the hike to partners is expected to be around $300. The RTX 5090 launched at a suggested retail price of $1999. Nvidia has not officially announced new retail pricing.

Reported Delays and Rumored Product Launches

Nvidia is reportedly exploring options to increase production of older GPUs, such as the RTX 3060 12GB.

According to hardware leaker Zed__Wang (MEGAsizeGPU), a rumored Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 9GB graphics card has been delayed, and its launch is now uncertain. The leaker stated Nvidia has not officially canceled the card but appears hesitant about its release. Instead, Nvidia is reportedly planning to re-release the RTX 3060 12GB, with an estimated launch timeframe of June 2026. The leaker did not provide a reason for the delay, but current DRAM pricing was suggested as a possible factor. The RTX 3060 lacks support for newer features like DLSS 4.5 frame generation.

Separate reports indicate that Nvidia has resumed selling the RTX 3060 12GB. According to Tom's Hardware, the card is now available at some online retailers including Newegg at a price of $339.99. The card is manufactured using a mature and cost-effective process, and mass production is expected in July. Reports suggest most new chips will go to partners such as Colorful, ASUS, MSI, and Galax, with overall supply potentially limited.

Nvidia Mobile GPU Variant

Nvidia has announced a new 12GB version of the mobile GeForce RTX 5070, in addition to the existing 8GB version. Both configurations share the same core specifications: a GB206 chip based on the Blackwell architecture with 4,608 CUDA cores. The 12GB variant uses 3GB GDDR7 memory chips, increasing VRAM by 50%. Laptops with the 12GB RTX 5070 are expected to ship starting in June 2025. Nvidia stated the expansion aims to maximize memory availability and offer partners a broader range of laptops in response to strong demand and constrained memory supply.

Impact on Market and General Price Trends

Zotac Korea has informed customers that both memory and GPU availability are expected to decline.

The company stated that memory supply will not be sufficient, GPU shipments will be reduced, and some graphics card models may become unavailable for extended periods. Zotac confirmed a reduction of reward points for new GPU purchases to 0%, a measure it stated aims to mitigate price increases driven by current market conditions. The cost of silicon supplied to board partners has also increased.

General price increases for various products, including GPUs and SSDs, are anticipated to continue through 2026.