If you've been putting off buying a graphics card in hopes of better deals, recent reports suggest that GPU prices could soon rise significantly. According to Korean Tech, NewsIndustry sources say NVIDIA and AMD are planning price increases for their graphics card lines starting in early 2026, potentially changing the PC gaming hardware market and cutting into the budgets of gamers and creators alike.
Most of the conversations focus on GeForce RTX 5090NVIDIA's current flagship GPU. Originally released with a suggested retail price of around $2,000, some reports are now claiming that prices for this top-tier card could rise to around $5,000 by next year if the trend continues. This would make it one of the most expensive consumer graphics cards ever, roughly 2.5 times the original launch price.
Why GPU prices may rise
At the heart of this pressure is the global decline in the supply of memory components. especially DRAM and high-speed video memory used in modern GPUs. Analysts say memory now makes up a much larger share of GPU manufacturing costs, and shortages or rising prices are affecting the rest of the materials bill. This is not a one-time forecast; Multiple reports indicate that price increases will occur gradually throughout January and February and may continue in the following months.
For gamers and PC builders, the implications are clear but ambiguous. On the other hand, buying new GPUs can become significantly more expensive, especially if you're aiming for high performance. Component shortages and price inflation could mean longer waits for better deals or adjustments in expectations about which GPUs represent the best value. On the other hand, if the price increase does happen, it could increase the value of current-generation cards that are already in use or in the pipeline. Deals priced below MSRP today may look especially attractive in retrospect.
Neither NVIDIA nor AMD have officially confirmed the massive price increase, so there is still some uncertainty regarding the exact timing and scope. However, previous reports mentioned that AMD has already informed its graphics card partners that it will increase prices by at least 10% across its entire line of Radeon GPUs due to the sharp increase in memory module costs. Given pressure on memory prices and changing global demand patterns, 2026 could be the year when graphics cards become noticeably more expensive for many buyers.
