Prices for graphics processors from AMD and NVIDIA will increase significantly in the first months of 2026. This is due to a sharp increase in the price of DRAM memory (GDDR6 and GDDR7), which accounts for up to 80% of the cost of a video card. This information appeared on Board Channels, and was later confirmed by VideoCardz, Wccftech and TweakTown.
AMD plans to start raising prices from January 2026. The RDNA 4 (RX 9000 series) lineup is limited to only a few models, and most of the previous generation has already reached the end of its life cycle. The flagship RX 9070 XT has only recently approached the suggested retail price (MSRP), but now risks rising in price again. AMD partners (AIB manufacturers) may see the first increases as early as January, with several waves in the following months.
NVIDIA will follow its competitor in February 2026. Some brands have already made small price adjustments in December 2025, but the main wave is expected in February. The decision on the exact timing of the increase for each brand remains with the board manufacturers.
The increases will not be one-time: both companies may adjust prices monthly for several months in 2026. The exact amount of the increase is unknown, but due to the three- to four-fold increase in the cost of DRAM, some analysts predict that retail prices for video cards may eventually double in comparison. This will be especially hard on the top-end RTX 50 series models, where the flagship RTX 5090 is already sold in premium versions at inflated prices, and may approach the $5,000 mark in the future.