GPU prices set to rise in 2026 — time to upgrade

AMD is preparing to raise graphics card prices due to a memory shortage, and the chances of good Black Friday deals are rapidly fading. Amid the artificial intelligence boom, memory is becoming more expensive — and with it, the graphics accelerators used by gamers.

This is reported by PC Gamer.

What to expect from the second wave of GPU price increases

According to a post on the Chinese platform Weibo, AMD has already raised prices on its GPUs for partners, but this change has so far hardly been reflected in retail price tags. Now the company, according to insiders, is preparing a second, significantly larger wave of price increases that will affect the cost of graphics cards for end users.

The first increase occurred back in October, but it was minor, so the GPU market barely felt it. Now, however, AMD’s internal communications allegedly indicate a substantial rise in the cost of graphics memory, and the next wave will include simultaneous price hikes for both the GPUs themselves and the memory used in them. The scale of these changes is expected to be larger, which will inevitably lead to rising retail prices for graphics cards.

The exact timing and percentage of the increase have not yet been disclosed. Specific models are not mentioned either, but it is assumed that the price hike will affect AMD’s entire lineup, including the new Radeon RX 9070.

This information aligns with unofficial comments from manufacturers and retailers, who are already warning about an upcoming surge in GPU prices. Essentially, "the puzzle has come together," and there is now little doubt that graphics cards will become more expensive in the near future.

Prices for standard PC memory kits have also risen significantly — a direct consequence of unprecedented demand from data centers and AI infrastructure. Although memory for data centers and memory used in gaming GPUs differ technically, the skewed demand forces manufacturers to reallocate production capacity toward more profitable segments.

At the same time, Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix are in no hurry to sharply increase production. Previous memory "bubbles" left them with enormous warehouses full of unsold memory that had to be cleared at discounted prices. Now, manufacturers want to avoid ending up in the same situation if the AI hype suddenly fades.

Despite the fact that the current leak refers specifically to AMD, it is logical to expect that the market will respond broadly. The rising cost of memory is highly likely to affect Nvidia GPU prices as well, making it unlikely that the industry will avoid an overall price increase.

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