Graphics cards, an essential piece of hardware for gamers and content creators, are heading toward a sharp price increase next year, based on early industry signals. Supply chain sources in Asia indicate that both AMD and Nvidia are planning price hikes across their consumer and data-center GPU portfolios starting in early 2026, a move that could push next-generation flagships such as the RTX 5090 to unprecedented price levels.
Early warnings surfaced last week on the Chinese forum Board Channels, where a user alleged that AMD had begun alerting its board partners to price increases set to take effect in January. The post also claimed Nvidia would roll out similar hikes shortly afterward. Those claims have since been echoed by South Korean outlet Newsis, which cites unnamed industry sources confirming price increases from both companies in the first quarter of 2026.
Although Intel’s Arc GPUs were not specifically cited, analysts believe Team Blue is likely to follow the broader market trend and implement price increases in 2026.
Reports suggest that rising GDDR7 memory costs are not the primary factor behind the expected price increases. Memory contracts were finalized ahead of recent market changes, leaving manufacturers to blame a broader, AI-driven strain on the component supply chain.
ASUS has begun notifying retail partners of planned price adjustments, offering an early indication of broader changes ahead. In an email sent earlier this week, the company attributed the move to “AI-driven price volatility” in DRAM, NAND, and SSD components, as well as supplier capacity shifts and higher investment costs for advanced manufacturing nodes.
The real problem is a supply squeeze across the entire industry. AI data centers are snapping up huge amounts of high-bandwidth memory, pushing DRAM prices through the roof. Things have gotten so out of hand that some top-tier server memory kits allegedly cost more than luxury SUVs, and now those price pressures are starting to hit consumer components too.
“The surging demand for high-bandwidth memory from AI data centers has pushed up DRAM prices to astronomical levels,” one industry observer noted, warning that the ripple effects will extend beyond GPUs to laptops and smartphones in 2026.
While the precise timing and scale of the increases are still unknown, reports suggest AMD could issue an official announcement as early as next month, with Nvidia expected to follow in February. The price hikes are said to target current-generation products, including AMD’s forthcoming Radeon RX 9000 “RDNA 4” series and Nvidia’s RTX 50 “Blackwell” lineup. Older-generation GPUs may, for now, offer a more affordable option for cost-conscious buyers.
The AI boom driving today’s tech shift is also pushing PC hardware prices higher, making top-tier graphics cards harder to justify than ever. A $5,000 flagship gaming GPU may soon stop sounding like a joke.
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