GPU Prices Going Up? Yes, 35% in 3 Months, and 2027 Looks Tight

Last updated: November 9, 2026

How much GPU prices have gone up

These are the lowest in-stock US prices TechSpot found for each card. Fancier models from the same family cost more.

Source: TechSpot Q4 2026 GPU pricing update (US lowest prices).

Two patterns stand out:

• Cards with 16GB of memory rose the most. The RTX 5060 Ti 16GB costs $260 more than the 8GB version now, even though the launch gap was $50.
• The high end is broken. The RTX 5080 jumped 39% in one month to $2,200, partly because Newegg itself had none in stock. The RTX 5090 sells for $9,400 at the cheapest.

Retail prices had already been climbing over the summer. Tom's Hardware's Newegg tracking, reported by Club386, showed the median RTX 5070 going from $659.99 in June to $899.99 in August.

Why GPU prices keep going up

1. Graphics memory costs much more

Every graphics card carries video memory (GDDR6 or GDDR7), and that memory comes from the same companies racing to supply AI servers. In its fourth-quarter outlook from September 30, TrendForce said suppliers are scaling back GDDR6 and gradually exiting that market, while GDDR7 output stays limited because advanced factory capacity goes to server memory. It expects graphics DRAM prices to keep rising.

The jump is large. Chinese site MyDrivers, cited by TrendForce News in July, said consumer GDDR6 spot prices tripled from about $2.50 to $7.50 per gigabyte since autumn 2025. For GDDR7, ZDNet Korea reported, citing TrendForce, that the 2GB chips used on RTX 50 cards had risen to $20 each. A 16GB card uses eight of them.

2. NVIDIA and AMD raised what card makers pay

NVIDIA and AMD sell the graphics chip and the memory together as a "kit" to brands like ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte and Sapphire. Neither company has changed its official list prices, but card makers say kit prices keep going up, and they pass that on. Here's the reported timeline:

A kit price rise doesn't always reach store shelves one-for-one, because the kit is only part of what a finished card costs. But the timing matters. Hardware Busters noted that German site PCGH saw the August round reach retail in about three weeks. A November increase would land in December, during holiday shopping.

3. The RTX 5090 has all but vanished

Reports say NVIDIA stopped making the RTX 5090 for gamers. NVIDIA has denied it, but TechSpot found the card has effectively disappeared from retail, and the cheapest one in the US costs $9,400. That left the RTX 5080 as NVIDIA's top gaming option, and its price followed. TechSpot points out that the 16GB of memory on an RTX 5080 has not become $700 more expensive. It names other likely factors: price gouging, AI demand and the missing RTX 5090.

Will GPU prices go down?

Not soon. Every signal from the companies that make the memory points to tight supply next year:

For prices to fall, AI server spending would have to slow, or memory makers would have to add a lot of new capacity. New factories take years, and the big three memory makers (Samsung, SK hynix and Micron) are putting new output into AI chips first. The same squeeze is behind rising RAM prices and SSD prices this year.

One thing to watch: rumors say NVIDIA may replace the RTX 5080 16GB with a 24GB version in early 2027. With 8GB more GDDR7, it would likely cost more, not less. NVIDIA has not announced it.

What to do if you need a graphics card now

• If your current card still runs your games, keep it. Prices have gone up almost every month this year, and nothing points to a drop before 2027.
• If you must buy, look at the cards closest to their launch price. In October, the RX 9070 was 28% above launch price at $700, and the Arc B580 sat at $350. The RTX 5070 launched at the same $549 and now costs $900.
• Think hard before paying for 16GB. The 8GB versions cost far less now. 8GB is fine for 1080p gaming in many games, but newer titles at high settings can run short.
• Buy before December if you want a Radeon. If AMD's reported November kit increase goes through, it would reach stores about three weeks later.
• Skip the RTX 5090 at $9,000+. That's more than four times its $1,999 launch price, and it has effectively left the gaming market.

Sources

• TechSpot: GPU Prices Are Spiraling Out of Control, Q4 2026 Update
• TrendForce: AI Server Demand Sustains Memory Contract Price Increases in 4Q26 (Sept. 30, 2026)
• TrendForce News: VRAM Shortage Drives NVIDIA's RTX 50 Price Hikes (Jan. 20, 2026)
• TrendForce News: AMD Reportedly Raises GPU-GDDR Kit Prices by ~10% (July 3, 2026)
• The Korea Herald: Samsung, SK hynix eye gains as GDDR7 prices rise (Aug. 3, 2026)
• Tom's Hardware: RTX 50 series prices jump up to 30% in South Korea
• Club386: RTX 50 prices rise by up to 39% over two months (Aug. 11, 2026)
• Club386: AMD reportedly bumps up GDDR6 costs (Oct. 12, 2026)
• Hardware Busters: AMD reportedly plans another Radeon price increase for November (Nov. 1, 2026)
• Samsung: Third Quarter 2026 Results
• SK hynix: 3Q26 Financial Results
• NVIDIA: GeForce RTX 50 Series launch prices

Prices and forecasts are as of November 9, 2026 and change month to month.