GPU Price Hikes Continue
AMD to Increase Radeon GPU Kit Prices by 10% Amid Memory Shortage and Nvidia's Moves
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Key Points
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AMD previously raised GPU and memory kit prices by about 10% in July, and the August 10% rise is part of a broader 10–15% pricing plan for the second half of 2026. The company reportedly delayed the August rollout to wait for Nvidia's move, then proceeded after Nvidia acted.
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Nvidia has already raised GeForce kit prices for its board partners multiple times this year, and observers expect a third round of price increases in the 20–30% range across the GeForce lineup.
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The pricing moves are being driven by a memory shortage and broader supply constraints, with Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron redirecting manufacturing capacity toward AI-related memory needs, squeezing the overall memory supply.
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Real-world pricing context shows the pressure: AMD’s RX 9050 launched at $279 and the RX 9060 XT has been seen trading around $400–$550, illustrating how kit-level price changes can translate into higher street prices.
AMD has confirmed it will raise the price of Radeon GPU and memory kits by at least 10% starting in August, according to The Next Web and TechTimes. The move follows Nvidia's own recent price hikes and means both major GPU makers are now pushing higher costs down to the companies that build graphics cards.
The kit price covers the GPU chip and GDDR6 memory bundled together for add-in-board partners — the manufacturers who build the final cards sold at retail. A 10% kit hike does not guarantee a clean 10% jump at the store, but analysts expect street prices to climb as the costs work through the supply chain.
AMD Waited for Nvidia to Move First
AMD originally finalized this pricing plan last month but held off on rolling it out, DL Compare reported. The company cited weak demand and high existing inventory as reasons to wait. Once Nvidia acted, AMD followed within days.
The August hike is part of a larger 10–15% pricing plan AMD has mapped out for the second half of 2026, according to TechTimes. AMD had already raised kit prices by about 10% in July, meaning board partners are absorbing back-to-back increases in quick succession.
Nvidia Already Raised Prices Multiple Times This Year
Nvidia moved first and moved harder. The company has already raised GeForce kit prices for board partners multiple times in 2025. Observers now expect a third round of Nvidia increases in the 20–30% range across the GeForce lineup, according to Head Topics.
The two companies are now aligned on direction, if not on scale. That convergence matters for buyers. AMD has long held a value edge over Nvidia — offering competitive performance at lower prices. If Radeon prices climb toward GeForce levels, that advantage shrinks fast.
A Memory Shortage Is Driving Costs Higher
The root cause is a squeeze on memory supply. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have shifted factory capacity toward AI-related memory products. That leaves less supply for the GDDR6 memory used in consumer graphics cards, pushing costs up for everyone in the chain, DL Compare reported.
The pressure is also showing up in the broader GPU market. Trividi Digital noted that Nvidia had already raised the GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 by $429 and $1,400 respectively before AMD acted. Both companies are responding to the same upstream supply crunch.
Real Street Prices Already Reflect the Pressure
The numbers on shelves tell the story. AMD's RX 9050 launched at $279 — a reasonable entry point. But the newer RX 9060 XT has been spotted trading between $400 and $550 at retail, according to TechTimes. That kind of gap between launch price and street price shows how kit-level increases ripple outward.
For everyday buyers, the takeaway is simple: graphics cards are getting more expensive, and relief is not on the horizon. With both AMD and Nvidia raising costs at the kit level, board partners have little room to absorb the difference. The higher prices are almost certain to land on consumers.
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