After months of surprising stability in graphics card prices, apparently Nvidia is now raising the cost of its GPU kits for AIB partners

It seems we can’t catch a break lately when it comes to PC gaming hardware. All thanks to the global memory shortage, of course. Now, according to information Benchlife claims to have received, Nvidia is raising prices for its GDDR6 as well as GDDR7 GPU kits.

That means the RTX 5050 and some RTX 40-series cards (using GDDR6) might not be safe from the hikes, in addition to the rest of the RTX 50-series (using GDDR7). Though there’s no mention over whether any pricing changes would hit all regions.

Benchlife says prices were already raised for the RTX 5090 (and its China variant) in May, which fits with what we heard at the time. This recent adjustment is for other GeForce products.

Lowest price per GPU

Lowest pricing (Price, $)

Week

Lowest pricing Data
Timestamp (Week)	Nvidia RTX 5080 (Price, $)	Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti (Price, $)	AMD RX 9070 XT (Price, $)	AMD RX 9070 (Price, $)	Nvidia RTX 5070 (Price, $)	Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB (Price, $)	Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB (Price, $)	AMD RX 9060 XT 16 GB (Price, $)	AMD RX 9060 XT 8 GB (Price, $)	Nvidia RTX 5060 (Price, $)	Nvidia RTX 5050 (Price, $)	Intel Arc B580 (Price, $)	Intel Arc B570 (Price, $)	AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (Price, $)
1	1100	780	700	600	550	430	368	370	280	300	250	260	230	N/A
2	1099	750	700	600	550	430	340	370	270	300	250	260	230	N/A
3	1000	750	700	550	524	430	370	370	280	291	250	250	230	N/A
4	1000	750	695	550	546	430	345	370	280	296	250	250	230	N/A
5	1000	749	670	600	481	430	340	350	270	300	250	250	230	N/A
6	929	749	670	600	499	379	340	350	270	289	240	250	230	N/A
7	999	750	650	550	520	430	350	350	270	299	240	250	230	N/A
8	980	749	650	550	500	430	342	350	270	299	250	250	200	N/A
9	999	750	650	560	500	430	323	350	270	299	250	250	220	N/A
10	989	730	600	550	480	430	340	360	270	299	250	250	210	N/A
11	990	699	600	550	489	400	320	340	250	280	230	250	200	N/A
12	989	730	600	530	500	400	320	350	275	279	220	250	200	N/A
13	1000	750	600	530	527	420	342	350	280	279	220	250	200	N/A
14	1000	750	600	530	540	420	313	370	280	279	220	250	202	N/A
15	1000	749	600	530	499	430	350	380	288	279	200	240	202	N/A
16	1100	750	620	530	499	430	350	380	288	270	200	240	202	N/A
17	1230	750	660	580	549	430	330	390	310	260	235	250	200	N/A
18	1268	829	700	580	540	450	330	390	310	290	240	250	200	N/A
19	1380	899	720	580	549	450	330	400	310	299	240	260	200	N/A
20	1350	1000	720	600	620	520	330	440	310	299	240	290	200	N/A
21	1365	950	730	590	620	520	351	440	350	299	260	290	250	N/A
22	1365	950	730	630	620	520	360	400	346	299	260	300	250	N/A
23	1290	950	730	630	630	520	360	440	346	340	260	300	250	N/A
24	1290	950	730	620	625	520	360	440	346	340	260	300	250	N/A
25	1250	950	730	610	630	550	360	440	346	349	260	300	250	N/A
26	1260	950	730	610	604	550	360	440	340	349	290	300	250	N/A
27	1290	950	730	630	640	570	360	440	340	349	290	300	250	N/A
28	1250	900	720	620	630	515	390	440	346	349	290	290	250	N/A
29	1290	990	710	620	636	500	390	449	350	349	290	290	250	N/A
30	1290	990	710	620	630	500	390	440	350	330	290	290	260	N/A
31	1290	990	670	620	599	500	380	440	350	330	290	290	260	N/A
32	1290	990	710	620	599	515	380	430	360	310	290	290	260	N/A
33	1290	980	710	600	599	490	400	430	360	349	290	290	260	N/A
34	1270	980	710	620	599	550	380	440	360	349	290	290	260	N/A
35	1290	900	700	600	599	550	380	430	360	350	290	304	260	N/A
36	1250	980	700	600	599	550	370	440	360	340	290	300	260	550
37	1250	980	700	600	599	570	370	440	350	340	290	304	250	550
38	1250	980	700	600	599	570	370	440	350	340	290	304	250	550
39	1250	920	700	600	599	570	330	400	360	340	290	298	250	500
40	1250	955	700	600	599	565	330	430	360	340	290	291	260	500
41	1250	900	700	600	560	560	330	430	360	339	290	290	250	500

As with much in this interrelated industry, it’s difficult to say when things like price increases for AIBs will start to show in the consumer market. These AIBs might have some back-stock to get through and they might be able to eat some of the price increase themselves to keep stocks low.

Although it’s worth noting that might not be possible, given warnings we’ve already heard AIBs give about slim margins—such is the reason EVGA gave for it leaving the GPU market, and that was way before the memory crisis.

It’s often not smart to have too much back-stock, anyway, as the market tends towards being very ‘lean’ with ‘just-in-time’ manufacturing and sales. If you sit on too much stock it could end up going to waste and then you’ve lost money. Having a lean inventory of stock is how even big memory makers operate, according to a supply chain expert I interviewed back in May.

A PNY RTX 5070 Ti OC graphics card on a desk with a desk mat and pink light.

(Image credit: Future)

For companies more towards the end of the supply chain like AIB partners, this means they’ll likely have to raise prices for their customers (us) before long too. We’ve just seen Framework, for instance, say that it’s going to have to do just this because one of its suppliers has raised its prices for memory “far beyond anything we had predicted”.

Nvidia will probably have a better time of it, of course, with much bigger contracts and more ability to weather the storm. But if the GPU kit price increase info is correct, it seems that storm might be taking a toll.