The AI ​​Boom can send GPU prices soaring, so now is a good time to buy one

When someone asks me for gadget buying advice, I usually tell them to stick with their current device. In 2025, most new tech products aren’t a useful improvement over even something released a few years ago – and with the price of everything going up, that new iPhone can wait. But things are not normal now.

On December 3, The Wall Street Journal The reported memory manufacturer Ficron was going to drop in an important event, the business of the consumer, to focus on elements of the field of AI. The PC I am writing this article with SSD and RAM from important. Overnight, Micron decided to end a business that spent decades building, and from a certain point of view, I think it makes sense. In recent months, accai has signed infrastructure deals worth more than $1.4 trillion for infrastructure, creating an unplanned demand for Server-grade hard storage.

Meeting the moment, manufacturers have been allocating their manufacturing capabilities and wafers to high-end retail customers. For consumers, the result has been skyrocketing prices for Skikroking, and some DDR5 Kits cost two or three times as much as they did a few months ago. A recent analysis from Trendforce shows the price of some consumer SSDs rose between 20 to 60 percent in November for the same reason. Then there is LPDDR5X memory, which is used in both Smartphones and Nvidia Grace Blackwell and Vera Rubin Platforms. In 2026, it is expected to increase in price. The demand for AI infrastructure is such that all consumer electronics will become more expensive in the coming months.

That gets me to the point of this article. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading to a new graphics card, I’d recommend buying one soon. The AI ​​Boom came first, and there are already signs that GPU prices will come next. A recent report suggests that AMD is considering increasing the MSRP of its 8GB models by $20 and 16GB models by $40 due to the price of GDDR6 memory. Nvidia, meanwhile, is rumored to have recently told its board partners that they will no longer offer vram with their cards.

And Nvidia or AMD responded to requests for comments from ENGADGET asking them to share how they plan to work with their board partners to ensure GPU prices remain stable. Nvidia also did not comment on reports that the company will stop supplying vram to its board partners.

Apart from the lack of memory, either nvidia or AMD is expected to release a new GPU soon. According to the latest rumors, the main rental of the Blackwell Lave line could come sometime between 2026 – not in the 206 post cards as the company is relying on there too, because vram tends to offer better performance in high-end cards. With the 50-Series Super GPUS, it may not be the case that Nvidia announces the same MSRP as their top rivals, which was the case with the 40-series.

As for AMD, the company released its 4 RDNAs earlier this year. We know that it is already working on RDNA 5, and if the recent interview with Nony Cernyny is anything to show, the new build will be a big change of pace for AMD. However, currently rumors indicate that the first RDNA 5 could arrive sometime in 2027.

In other words, despite the high innovation and power of the existing prices may increase, there may be a short window in which you can get a new GPU at a reasonable price. It is impossible to predict the future, but if you need an upgrade and have the means to buy, it may not be the best opportunity before the end of 2026.

To praise

The recommendations in Engedget Revell’s latest GPU Guide are still as valid today as they were a few months ago. Once again, the best advice I can give is to buy a card with at least 12GB of vram, and maybe 16GB if your budget allows it. Unless you really plan on playing older games on a 1080p monitor, it’s not worth considering a model with 8GB of Vram – it won’t last long enough to justify the purchase price.

Our recommendations are arranged from cheapest to most expensive. Where possible, I tried to find options from NeteGG and Amazon. You won’t find any high end options like the RTX 5080 since if you can afford that card, this guide isn’t for you.

Intel arc b580

For those on a tight budget, I would start and end my search with the Intel Arc B580. NeweGG has models from ASROCK and Onix at or under $250 msrp. I can’t speak to the quality of the onix cards, but the asrock looks great. Over on Amazon, you can get the B580 for $300. With Intel cards you sometimes need to put unusual constraints on the driver, but as far as budget options go, the B580 offers a value that’s hard to beat. One thing about budget cards like the B580 is that they may face a lot of pressure from the memory because of the small margins manufacturers are making on them.

Nvidia RTX 5060 ti 16GB

If you have more than $250 to spend on a GPU, the RTX 5060 TI is the GPU to buy. Skip the 8GB model and head straight for the 16GB variant. Nvidia announced the 5060 TI at an MSRP of $429, and luckily as of this writing, you can still find one around that price.

NeweGG, for example, sells a black version of the MSI Ventus and a card for $ 440. Amazon has a silver version of this same gpu currently listed at $ 460. The retailer also has models from Gigabyte and Zotac in that deal as well.

If I had to choose between the 5060 TI and the 5070, Nvidia only offers 12GB of Vram, I would choose the former. The 5060 TI is a safe bet, and offers detailed performance, especially in games that include Ray Trace sequences as an option.

AMD Radeon Rx 9070 and Rx 9070 xT

For a mid-range option, the Radeon Rx 9070 and 9070 XT offer excellent value. Of the two cards, the 9070 is the better buy for most people because of its redundant requirements, but if you can find a PSU that can handle the 9070 XT, go for it.

Currently, NeweGG has several 9070 models from ASROCK and Sapphire under the 549 MSRP card. A friend of mine recently purchased the sapphire card linked above, and he had nothing but good things to say about it. You will pay more with Amazon, but the company has several options around $ 600 from xfx and gigabyte.

When it comes to the 9070 XT, Newegg has an Asrock model that fits right into the 599 card slot. Many other options from Sapphire and XFX unfortunately have prices between $650 and $700. The same is true on Amazon, where the cheapest model I could find was $630.

Nvidia RTX 5070 TI

For our final recommendation, consider the RTX 5070 TI. It’s a great option if you want to play games in 4K for less than the more expensive 5080 and 5090. NeweGG has the MSI and ZoTac models on sale for $750, the card’s recommended retail price. There are also several options from ASUS and Gigabyte for more than $ 800. Amazon, meanwhile, sells a separate gigabyte for $ 749.