Graphics card prices skyrocket, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti disappears
Graphics card memory shortage. Prices of all high-end models are rising. Models with little RAM are coming into focus.
(Image: Andreas Wodrich / heise medien)
All desktop graphics cards with more than 8 GByte of memory have become more expensive in recent weeks. Nvidia's top model, the GeForce RTX 5090, is hit the hardest, and is now only occasionally available for under 3500 Euros. Prices have risen by more than 50 percent since the summer of 2025.
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The second fastest model, the GeForce RTX 5080, now costs at least 1180 Euros instead of just over 1000. For the closely related RTX 5070 Ti, the price increases are not yet quite as significant, but that is likely only a matter of time: card manufacturers told the renowned YouTube channel Hardware Unboxed that Nvidia intends to discontinue the RTX 5070 Ti. In the coming weeks, only remaining stock would be sold off.
From Nvidia's perspective, the decision appears understandable: the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti uses the same GPU as the RTX 5080, albeit in a cut-down form. However, yields at chip contract manufacturer TSMC should now be so high that partial deactivation is rarely necessary, and Nvidia prefers to sell the more expensive RTX 5080 version.
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8 GByte should be great again
In general, AMD and Nvidia apparently want to focus on entry-level and mid-range graphics cards with 8 GByte of memory. We have had this claim from Hardware Unboxed confirmed by German retailers.
Fittingly, the GeForce RTX 5060 is defying the price trend – prices have even fallen recently (starting from 310 €). The RTX 5060 Ti with 8 GByte remains stable. The 16-GByte versions have recently increased and are expected to disappear from the market soon, like the RTX 5070 Ti.
The GeForce RTX 5070 with 12 GByte of memory is in a difficult position. It is expected to remain available, but its price is likely to increase more than that of the 8-GByte graphics cards.
Disdained in 2023
The focus on 8-GByte models raises eyebrows, especially at AMD. As early as 2023, the company promoted the advantage of its own 16-GByte graphics cards over Nvidia's competitors with 8 and 10 GByte.
In a blog post about building a high-end PC, AMD wrote: “For this enthusiast PC, we recommend graphics cards with at least 16 GByte of video memory for ultimate gaming in 1440p and 4K. For mid-range graphics cards targeting 1440p, AMD offers Radeon GPUs with 12 GByte, which are excellent for QHD displays.”
The blog post has been deleted, but can still be found archived.
Meanwhile, AMD's prices are rising across the board. A Radeon RX 9070 XT costs at least 650 instead of just under 600 Euros. The RX 9070 is rising even more sharply, from around 520 to 600 Euros. An RX 9060 XT is no longer available for under 300 Euros.
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(mma)
