AMD has reportedly increased the prices of GDDR6 memory supplied to its graphics card partners, a move that is likely to translate to higher costs for consumers. According to reports from Chinese forum Boardchannels, this price adjustment took effect on October 1.
This development follows a similar action by Nvidia in July, when it reportedly raised prices for its GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory. Following Nvidia's adjustments, rumors suggested that prices for Nvidia graphics cards could increase by as much as 30%. This latest report indicates that AMD graphics cards may also see price hikes.
The rising cost of memory is part of a broader trend affecting the graphics card market. In August, advice was issued to avoid Nvidia cards with more than 8GB of VRAM due to price increases. Beyond memory, other factors are contributing to the strain on GPU availability and pricing. Components like printed circuit boards (PCBs) have seen price increases, partly attributed to the conflict in Iran.
Furthermore, reports suggest Nvidia has halted production of its GeForce RTX 5090, reportedly prioritizing AI data center and professional GPUs. This decision, coupled with general supply constraints, has made high-end GPUs like the RTX 5090 particularly difficult to find in stock at US retailers. These compounding issues create a challenging environment for PC gamers seeking to upgrade their hardware at reasonable prices.