NVIDIA and AMD Graphics Card Prices Surge in China as GDDR Costs Continue to Rise

Graphics card prices have increased sharply across China as higher GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory costs reach products from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.

The changes affect nearly every part of the market, from flagship RTX 5090 models to older cards such as the RTX 3050 and GT 1030. Some retailers and distributors are also reportedly withholding stock because they expect further increases later in 2026.

Memory suppliers have raised prices during a wider DRAM shortage driven partly by demand from AI servers. Graphics card manufacturers initially absorbed some of those costs, but board partners and retailers are now passing a larger share to customers.

The impact varies by model and seller. Some products have risen by around 10%, while selected premium cards are listed 40% to 60% above their original Chinese prices.

Graphics card	Reported daily low	China MSRP	Selected retailer increase
RTX 5090D	$4,575	$2,435	Up to 22.5%
RTX 5080	$1,476	$1,225	Up to 4.8%
RTX 5070 Ti	$1,151	$930	Up to 21.8%
RTX 5070	$812	$679	Up to 16.2%
RTX 5060 Ti 16GB	$679	$531	Up to 15.1%
RTX 5060	$397	$369	Up to 15.1%
RX 9070 XT	$708	$738	Up to 16.6%
RX 9060 XT 16GB	$412	$428	Up to 28.8%
Intel Arc B580	$271	$302	Up to 3.3%

NVIDIA RTX 50 series cards face large retail premiums

The most expensive RTX 50 series cards have experienced some of the sharpest changes.

The RTX 5090D 32GB is reportedly selling for more than twice its official Chinese price in some listings. The reduced RTX 5090D V2 with 24GB of memory has also moved beyond $3,500 at the lower end, with selected MSI models approaching $4,000.

RTX 5080 cards are commonly listed above $1,500, while premium versions can cost considerably more.

Colorful’s distributor pricing shows some RTX 5080 models between 26% and 59% above the Chinese MSRP. Its RTX 5080 Vulcan W OC 16GB is listed near $1,948 compared with an official price of approximately $1,225.

The RTX 5070 series is also moving well beyond its intended position. Selected RTX 5070 Ti cards now exceed $1,300, while premium models carry increases of close to 60% against the original price.

Even mainstream products are no longer protected. RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti models have risen rapidly, with several 16GB RTX 5060 Ti cards listed between $700 and $780.

This follows an earlier isolated increase involving a Gigabyte RTX 5060. The latest data suggests the issue now extends across more brands, capacities and product tiers.

AMD Radeon cards are affected by the same memory pressure

The price increase is not limited to NVIDIA.

AMD Radeon RX 9000 series graphics cards have also moved higher across Chinese retailers. The RX 9070 XT is reportedly selling between approximately $708 and $826, depending on the store.

RX 9070 models have risen by as much as 18.1% in some listings, while the RX 9070 GRE has increased by around 14.3%.

The largest reported jump among the tracked AMD models applies to the RX 9060 XT 16GB, which is listed up to 28.8% higher at one retailer.

Its 8GB counterpart has also moved up by more than 22% in selected listings.

These increases show that the problem comes from the wider graphics memory supply chain rather than one GPU manufacturer’s individual pricing decision.

AMD board partners rely on GDDR6 for current Radeon cards, while NVIDIA’s RTX 50 series primarily uses GDDR7. Both memory categories are facing higher costs.

Memory package increases can add more than $100 to retail prices

The supplied report claims that GDDR6 and GDDR7 chip prices have increased by an average of around $19 to $20 per memory component.

For an 8GB graphics card, the additional memory cost is estimated at around $75 before local taxes and retail margins.

China applies 13% value-added tax, which can push the final difference closer to $100.

Reported price notifications sent to Chinese manufacturers suggest increases based on total memory capacity:

VRAM capacity	Reported package increase
8GB	Around 600 yuan, or $90
12GB	Around 900 yuan, or $130
16GB	Around 1,200 yuan, or $175

Those figures help explain why cards with larger memory capacities are seeing particularly high increases.

A 16GB graphics card carries more memory cost than an 8GB model, and premium cooling systems or factory overclocks can add further margins.

However, component costs alone may not explain every retail change. Some sellers appear to be raising prices beyond the direct increase imposed by suppliers.

Retailers are reportedly holding inventory for future price rises

Distributors and smaller shops are said to be stockpiling graphics cards rather than selling existing inventory immediately.

The reasoning is simple: if replacement stock will cost more next month, a retailer may prefer to hold cards and sell them later at a higher price.

This behaviour can create an artificial shortage even when products still exist within the distribution chain.

Some online messages reportedly instructed businesses to suspend graphics card sales and warn customers about immediate VRAM-related price increases.

Other shops removed products from listings or raised prices soon after upstream warehouses changed their terms.

The report includes accusations that certain sellers doubled their increases or used NVIDIA’s adjustment as justification for adding extra margins.

Those claims have not been independently confirmed for every retailer. Regional pricing can also be influenced by low stock, seller size, model availability and short-term demand.

Still, inventory withholding can amplify a real supply problem and make prices move much faster than the underlying component cost.

Colorful and MSI distributor lists show different levels of inflation

Official distributor data from Colorful and MSI illustrates how pricing varies between manufacturers.

Colorful’s premium RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti models show some of the largest differences against MSRP.

Several Colorful RTX 5070 cards are listed between 39% and 57% above their original price. Its 16GB RTX 5060 Ti models are around 42% to 47% higher in selected configurations.

MSI’s increases are generally smaller when compared with prices from one week earlier, but they remain substantial.

Its RTX 5080 models rose by approximately 18% to 20%, while RTX 5070 Ti cards increased by around 18% to 19.5%.

MSI RTX 5060 models climbed by roughly 14% to 15%, and several RTX 5060 Ti products rose by close to 9%.

These figures use different comparison points. Colorful’s table compares current pricing with MSRP, while MSI’s data compares current distributor prices with those from one week earlier.

They should therefore not be read as direct evidence that one company has raised prices more aggressively in every case.

Older graphics cards are no longer safe from the shortage

The price pressure has also reached older and lower-end models.

The RTX 3050 is reportedly selling for at least 2,199 yuan, with average prices closer to 2,500 or 2,600 yuan. That places some versions above $350 despite the card’s age and entry-level performance.

The GeForce GT 1030, previously available for less than $50 in some cases, is now listed around 629 yuan, or close to $100.

Older cards can rise when buyers search for alternatives to current-generation products.

They also use memory chips affected by the same broad DRAM shortage, even if they rely on earlier standards.

This reduces the usefulness of buying previous-generation hardware as a way to avoid the latest price increases.

Intel Arc cards have also moved higher, although the changes appear smaller in some listings. The Arc B580 has risen from the low $200 range towards $280, while certain Arc B570 listings show increases above 18%.

Analysts expect further DRAM increases in late 2026

The current changes may not represent the peak.

The supplied report cites forecasts of a possible 50% increase in DRAM pricing during the third quarter of 2026, followed by another increase of around 40% in the fourth quarter.

These projections are not guarantees, and actual pricing will depend on production, demand and long-term supply agreements.

Memory manufacturers may expand output or reallocate capacity if consumer hardware demand weakens enough.

However, advanced AI systems continue to consume large amounts of HBM and server DRAM, giving suppliers a strong financial reason to prioritise those products.

Graphics cards compete indirectly for manufacturing investment, materials and packaging resources.

If memory prices continue to rise, GPU companies may reduce production, revise official pricing or change memory configurations on future models.

Buyers face a difficult market with uneven pricing

The Chinese graphics card market currently shows large differences between retailers, brands and individual models.

Some cards remain available near their recent daily lows, while others are listed far above MSRP.

Buyers should compare several authorised stores and avoid assuming that the highest listing represents the standard market price.

It is also important to consider whether a premium factory-overclocked model offers enough value compared with a basic version using the same GPU.

The current shortage makes high-memory cards especially expensive, but selecting an 8GB model solely to save money can create limitations in newer games and demanding applications.

Waiting may allow supply to improve, but the reported forecasts suggest prices could rise further before stabilising.

The broader issue now extends well beyond one RTX 5060 listing. NVIDIA, AMD and Intel graphics cards across several generations are being affected as memory costs, retailer behaviour and inventory concerns combine to reshape GPU pricing in China.