The gaming community should prepare for a significant shift in the pricing of GPUs. Both NVIDIA and AMD are gearing up for substantial price hikes in the near future, with forecasts suggesting that the flagship RTX 5090 could soar to an astonishing $5000. This surge in prices is poised to impact the DIY gaming PC landscape profoundly.
High Costs Loom for Gamers
Reports have emerged that AMD and NVIDIA are set to increase GPU prices soon. The anticipated price increases, slated for early 2026, threaten to further complicate the consumer GPU market. Analysts indicate that rising DRAM prices are a driving force behind these hikes, affecting not only consumer GPUs but also Data Center GPUs by both giants. Sources indicate that AMD is planning to implement these price changes as soon as January 2026, with NVIDIA following in February.
The upcoming price increments will affect current-generation offerings such as NVIDIA’s RTX 50 “Blackwell” and AMD’s Radeon RX 9000 “RDNA 4” series. These increases are expected to continue monthly throughout 2026, reshaping the market dynamics. While GPUs briefly dipped below MSRP thanks to holiday deals, the GeForce RTX 5090 is likely to climb to $5000, marking a significant jump from its $2000 launch price. The GeForce RTX 5090, initially launched at $2000 US, is expected to witness a staggering 2.5x price increase.
Supply Challenges and Market Dynamics
An industry source revealed that manufacturing costs have surged by 80% due to memory prices alone, affecting GPU production. Meanwhile, there are reports of NVIDIA scaling down production of the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti and 5070 models. However, the actual chip supply remains unaffected, with many units being redirected to AI applications in Asian markets. This shift has resulted in a plethora of custom blower-style GPUs available from third-party sellers.
NVIDIA’s RTX 4080 and RTX 5080 GPUs have also seen the rise of modded 32GB AI variants, targeting AI market demands. As the year 2026 approaches, it’s projected to be challenging for gamers and PC enthusiasts looking to upgrade their systems amidst these financial and market shifts.