Tension in the DRAM market is returning, and this time it could have direct effects on consumer GPU prices. According to Chinese board-channel forums, the costs of sourcing graphics memory are increasing significantly.
So far, NVIDIA and AMD have not announced any immediate price increases, but they have already informed partners that GDDR prices are expected to rise in the coming months.
Rising DRAM Prices Impacting GDDR Memory
The shortage affects the entire sector—not just DDR5 modules for home PCs, which in recent months have seen increases of more than 90%. This pressure is now shifting to GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory, used respectively by AMD and Intel on one hand, and NVIDIA for the RTX 50 series on the other. With such rapidly rising memory chip costs, GPU manufacturers face an inevitable choice: absorb the extra expense or pass it on to consumers.
According to rumours, price increases could arrive in the first quarter of 2026. Some sources suggest it might happen as early as December or January, especially if the supply-chain situation worsens. Interestingly, this possible increase comes at a time when many NVIDIA and AMD models had started selling below MSRP—a condition that may not last if memory costs continue to climb.
The Impact of GDDR7 and the Risk to Gaming
The new generation of memory, GDDR7—offering speeds up to 32 Gbps and over 1.5 TB/s of bandwidth—is further raising production costs for top-end GPUs. It is an advanced and more expensive technology to build, and its impact on video-card pricing could become even more obvious if DRAM supply continues to shrink. Analysts suggest that manufacturers might decide to prioritise workstation and professional segments, which are more profitable than gaming models.
At present there is no official confirmation on when any price rises will take place, but all indications point to an inevitable increase. NVIDIA and AMD have hinted that memory-chip costs will rise, although they have not provided exact timing. With the DRAM market already under strain and a strong increase in demand expected for 2026, the risk of a new cycle of more expensive GPUs is real.
