Anyone planning to buy a new graphics card in 2026 should expect significantly higher prices: According to a report by Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, Nvidia is once again raising prices for its GeForce RTX GPUs by 20 to 30 percent. This is already the third price increase this year—and unlike previous increases, this time it affects the entire product lineup, not just the expensive top-of-the-line models.
Third Price Increase in 2026—and the Most Widespread
The price hike applies to the so-called GPU packages that Nvidia sells to its board partners. Each package contains both the graphics chip and the corresponding graphics memory. The bottom line is that manufacturers like ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI are now paying nearly a third more than before. To put this in context: In January, the markup was around 10 to 15 percent; in May, a further increase affected only the RTX 5090. Now, the new markup applies to all GeForce RTX cards.
This trend has long been evident in retail prices. The cheapest RTX 5080 currently costs around 1,200 euros—in the winter, the same model was still available for about 950 euros.
| Nvidia Price Increases in 2026 | Scope | Affected Models |
|---|---|---|
| January | approx. 10–15% | Several models |
| May | Surcharge | RTX 5090 only |
| July | 20–30% | Entire GeForce RTX series |
The reason: the DRAM crisis affecting graphics memory
The main cause is the rising cost of graphics memory. Samsung is raising DRAM prices by about 20 percent for the third quarter of 2026, affecting both GDDR6 in older cards and GDDR7 in the current Blackwell generation. A 3-GB GDDR7 module now costs between $60 and $70—about three times as much as a 2-GB module. Because cards with large amounts of memory are becoming disproportionately more expensive as a result, board partners are passing on the costs—at the latest once current inventory is depleted.
There is no quick end in sight. According to market observers, the DRAM crisis is likely to last at least until 2028. Prices are not expected to fall again until additional production capacity eases the supply situation.
AMD, Intel, and Consoles Are Also Affected
Nvidia isn’t alone in facing this problem. AMD and Intel have also raised their GPU and memory prices this year. And the impact is being felt even outside the PC market: price hikes have already been implemented for the PlayStation 5, the Steam Deck, and the Nintendo Switch 2.
What does this mean for buyers?
In short: If you need a new graphics card anyway, you’re often better off buying one from existing inventory right now rather than waiting. Current RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 models are still listed at the old prices, such as the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 or the Gigabyte RTX 5080 WINDFORCE OC. In the high-end segment, options include the ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5090 and the Gigabyte RTX 5090 Gaming OC. If you want to save a little on your budget, you should keep the rest of your system in mind—you’ll find tips on this in our guide to choosing gaming PC components.
Conclusion
The third price hike of the year makes it clear that high graphics card prices from Nvidia will become the norm for the time being. As long as the DRAM crisis persists, saving money will remain difficult—it’s better to buy sooner rather than later, at least while retailers are still clearing out old inventory.
Sources: Economic Daily News,
