Graphics card prices in China rose by up to 20% in a single week. Some models now sell for nearly 60% above their official suggested retail prices. The increases stem from rising memory costs and supply chain pressures, affecting both Nvidia and AMD products. Consumers now face higher prices just as the market seemed to be stabilizing.
Prices surge across flagship models
Distributor lists from manufacturers like MSI and Colorful show sharp increases in recent days. MSI raised the price of its RTX 5080 Shadow 3X OC and Ventus models from 9,999 yuan ($1,477) to 11,999 yuan ($1,773). That marks a 20% jump in seven days. The RTX 5070 Ti Shadow 3X OC climbed 19.5%, while the RTX 5090D V2 saw a 13% increase. These adjustments followed earlier markups above official prices.
Comparing the new figures with Nvidia’s Chinese MSRPs highlights the severity of the situation. MSI’s RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio OC is now 54% above the base MSRP, while the RTX 5080 Gaming Trio models are around 57% higher. Colorful’s RTX 5080 Vulcan W OC now costs 13,199 yuan ($1,949), a 59% premium over its suggested retail price. The RTX 5070 Ti Vulcan W OC carries a similar 58.7% markup. Even older models are affected: the RTX 3050 has reportedly climbed above $350 in China, while the decade-old GT 1030 nears $100.
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AMD’s Radeon cards have also seen double-digit increases. Earlier this month, the company told partners like Asus, XFX, and Sapphire that its GPU-and-memory bundles would become 10% more expensive. A market snapshot showed RX 9000 series models rising across Chinese retailers.
Memory costs and stockpiling fuel the spike
The price hikes result from rising costs for GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory, along with more expensive PCBs, coolers, and packaging. Nvidia supplies its board partners with GPU and memory kits, so higher VRAM costs are passed directly to manufacturers. Reports claim the latest adjustment adds around 600 yuan ($89) to 8GB cards, 900 yuan ($133) to 12GB models, and 1,200 yuan ($177) to 16GB products.
Some distributors and smaller shops are hoarding cards or pulling them from sale, expecting even higher prices later. This behavior risks worsening shortages and accelerating retail price increases. Analysts warn that RAM prices could rise another 40% to 50% in the third quarter, followed by a further 30% to 40% in the fourth quarter.
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The situation may not stay isolated to China. Distributor pricing changes often spread through global supply chains. Rumors suggest worldwide increases of up to 40% could follow. PC gamers who had hoped for relief now face a worsening trend.
Nvidia recently reintroduced the RTX 3060 12GB at its original $329 MSRP. The move illustrated how distorted the GPU market has become.
For now, the increases remain most pronounced in China. The global market has a history of following such patterns. If the trend continues, consumers elsewhere may soon face similar price hikes.
