Graphics Card Prices Surge as Market Tensions Rise

Rising Costs of Graphics Cards in Early 2026

Graphics cards have indeed become more expensive, a rise promised since late 2025 or the beginning of 2026. Checking European aggregators reveals prices have already increased for literally all current models. The GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, excluding a few singular offers, costs approximately from 520 EUR ($565). These same cards were priced at 480-490 EUR ($521-$531) as of late December.

The RTX 5070 now demands at least 580 EUR ($630), while just a couple of weeks ago, prices started at 550 EUR ($598). The RTX 5070 Ti will cost a minimum of 880 EUR ($956), nearly 100 USD more than three weeks ago. For the RTX 5080, prepare at least 1200-1250 EUR ($1304-$1359), although it was available for only 1000 EUR ($1087) at the end of December. The RTX 5090 saw an increase from about 2900 to 3500 EUR ($3152 to $3805).

As for AMD cards, the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB still remains the best choice among junior cards with large memory. It can be purchased for 400 EUR ($435), although prices were about 360 EUR ($391) just three weeks ago.

Prices for these cards have increased to $3500-$4500, allowing an entire ready-made PC with a GeForce RTX 5090 to be purchased for the cost of the card alone. The RX 9070 has risen from 550 to 600 EUR ($598 to $652), while the RX 9070 XT now starts at 670 EUR ($728) compared to 630 EUR ($685) a month earlier. As evident, prices for all cards have increased, and quite significantly. Speaking of AMD cards, the rise already exceeds what various rumors had promised, and it’s uncertain if the price hike will continue.

Market Trends and Technological Advancements

The surge in graphics card prices might be attributed to several factors, including the increasing demand for high-performance computing and gaming technologies. Experts suggest that global supply chain disruptions and heightened manufacturing costs are also playing significant roles.

NVIDIA has recently announced their new technology focusing on improved ray tracing capabilities, aiming to enhance real-time rendering for the most demanding game environments. Similarly, AMD has introduced advancements in RDNA architecture, promising even greater energy efficiency and performance boosts in their upcoming releases.

“We continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in graphical performance while striving to meet growing environmental standards,” an NVIDIA spokesperson commented.

This trend in technological enhancements, combined with rising demand, seems poised to drive prices higher unless stabilizing economic factors intervene.