AMD and NVIDIA are reportedly preparing a new round of graphics card price increases, set to begin in early 2026, according to fresh reports from industry supply chain watchers. The hikes come as rising memory costs and tightening component availability begin to ripple through the global GPU market, threatening to push already expensive graphics cards even further out of reach for consumers.
According to Board Channels, AMD is expected to initiate price increases for its graphics cards as soon as January 2026, with NVIDIA following a month later in February. The increases are said to affect add-in board (AIB) partners first, with further monthly adjustments likely throughout the first half of the year.
AMD price increases to begin in January
The report suggests that AMD will be the first to move, raising prices on GPUs supplied to board partners beginning in January. Although pricing for AMD’s latest RDNA 4 lineup had recently stabilized close to official MSRPs, that balance may be short-lived.
AMD’s current graphics portfolio is relatively narrow, with many previous-generation GPUs already reaching the end of their life. This limited supply, combined with sharply rising memory costs, is expected to place immediate pressure on pricing. Board Channels claims that some AMD AIB partners may implement increases immediately, while others may stagger adjustments over several months.
NVIDIA is expected to follow in February
NVIDIA is reportedly set to introduce its own price increases in February 2026. While some NVIDIA board partners quietly raised prices on select models in December, broader hikes are expected once new inventory is purchased at higher component costs.
The timing and scale of increases will ultimately depend on individual AIC vendors, but the underlying cost pressures appear unavoidable. As VRAM prices rise, board partners are left with little flexibility to absorb the increases without passing them on to buyers.
Memory costs are driving the surge
At the heart of the issue is the pricing of memory. Industry estimates suggest that the GPU and VRAM combination can account for up to 80% of a graphics card’s total manufacturing cost by the time it reaches an AIB partner. With DDR5 and other DRAM prices reportedly having tripled—or even quadrupled—in recent months, GPU production costs have surged dramatically.
If current trends continue, some analysts warn that retail GPU prices could climb to nearly double their original MSRPs over time. High-end models are expected to be hit hardest, especially those featuring large VRAM configurations, which are becoming increasingly difficult to source.
Monthly increases could follow
The most concerning detail from the report is the suggestion that these will not be one-time adjustments. Board Channels claims that both AMD and NVIDIA could implement incremental price increases month after month as component costs continue to rise and inventories tighten.
Some board partners have already been accused of testing the market with heavily marked-up premium editions, particularly in NVIDIA’s flagship segment. If supply constraints worsen, such pricing strategies could become more common rather than the exception.
A challenging 2026 for PC gamers
For consumers, the outlook is grim. With GPUs already commanding premium prices in many regions, further increases could make upgrades unrealistic for a large segment of PC gamers. Combined with broader inflation in PC hardware and memory, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most expensive years for building or upgrading a gaming PC.
Unless memory pricing stabilizes or manufacturers find alternative supply solutions, the GPU market may remain under sustained pressure well into the year—leaving buyers with fewer choices and significantly higher costs.
