Gamers looking to build or upgrade their PCs may face further price increases for graphics cards, as both Nvidia and AMD are reportedly preparing to raise their prices.
The trend has already seen Nvidia increase the prices it charges its manufacturing partners, such as MSI and Asus, by up to 30 percent. This significant jump could translate to higher costs for consumers, exacerbating an already challenging market. The situation is compounded by ongoing supply chain issues and the burgeoning demand for GPUs driven by the artificial intelligence industry.
Following Nvidia's move, AMD is now also rumored to be planning a price adjustment. Hardware leaker Harukaze5719 suggests AMD will increase its partner prices by approximately 10 percent. This strategic timing, with AMD reportedly waiting for Nvidia to announce its price hikes first, indicates a coordinated market response.
Evidence of rising costs is already visible in the retail market. The Radeon RX 9070 XT, which initially launched with a suggested retail price of $600, is now being sold on platforms like Newegg for between $700 and $750. This is still considerably less than Nvidia's comparable GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, which has a current Newegg price of around $1,000, despite its initial MSRP of $750.
These anticipated price increases are occurring against a backdrop of concerning hardware developments. The resurgence of 4GB graphics cards, such as the AMD RX 9050 aimed at specific regions and priced at $280, has raised alarms. Digital Foundry noted that many modern games struggle to perform adequately on systems with low VRAM, making the inclusion of only 4GB even on budget-oriented cards, intended for 1080p or lower resolutions, a worrying sign for future game performance. This situation suggests that even entry-level graphics cards may soon carry prices comparable to those previously associated with higher-end models.