Graphics card prices are in the news again.
On October 23, 2026, Wccftech and Club386 reported that spot prices for the Nvidia RTX 5080 16GB rose by about 2,000 yuan (roughly $300) in China, and the RTX 5070 Ti by about 600 yuan (roughly $90 to $100). Both outlets also said Nvidia has reportedly stopped making the 16GB RTX 5080. Black Friday is on November 27.
Here is what we know, what is only a rumor, and what to do if you want a new GPU.
Key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| January 30, 2025 | RTX 5090 ($1,999) and RTX 5080 ($999) go on sale, per Nvidia |
| March 6, 2025 | Radeon RX 9070 XT ($599) goes on sale, per AMD |
| Early to mid October 2026 | Chinese spot prices for the RTX 5080 keep rising, per Club386 |
| October 23, 2026 | Wccftech and Club386 report the price jump and the reported RTX 5080 16GB end of production |
| November 27, 2026 | Black Friday |
Launch prices and what was reported
| RTX 5080 | RTX 5070 Ti | RTX 5070 | RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | RX 9070 XT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory | 16GB | 16GB | 12GB | 16GB | 16GB |
| Launch price (US) | $999 | $749 | $549 | $429 | $599 |
| Reported October 2026 move | Up about 2,000 yuan (about $300) in China | Up about 600 yuan (about $90 to $100) in China | Not covered | Not covered | AMD cards up 100 to 350 yuan (about $20 to $50) in China |
Launch prices and memory come from Nvidia and AMD announcements. The Oct 2026 numbers are China spot prices reported by Wccftech and Club386, not US shelf prices. Outlets convert yuan to dollars differently, so the dollar figures vary a little.
What is happening
The price jump is real, but it is from China. Wccftech says RTX 5080 16GB cards moved from 12,700-13,500 yuan to 14,500-15,000 yuan. The RTX 5070 Ti moved from 9,000-9,150 yuan to 9,650-9,850 yuan. These are spot prices, which are what sellers charge each other. They are not what you pay at a US store.
The RTX 5080 16GB is reportedly discontinued. Club386 says this comes from posts on the Chinese forum Board Channels. Nvidia has not confirmed it. The same reports say a 24GB RTX 5080 (some call it a Super) could replace it, with a rumored price near 19,999 yuan, or about $3,000. That is a rumor too.
Why prices rise. Wccftech points to memory. GDDR7, the memory these cards use, is getting more expensive and harder to buy because memory makers are putting more effort into chips for AI data centers. Wccftech also says old inventory is running out. The same pressure is hitting other parts, which we covered in our SSD guide (linked below).
Will US prices follow? Wccftech expects price rises to reach other regions "in a week or two", but that is its prediction, not a fact. Earlier reports this year, including TweakTown and Notebookcheck headlines, already described US prices for the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and RTX 5070 Ti sitting well above launch prices. Check the live price yourself before you buy.
Where each card wins
Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB. AMD launched it at $599 with 16GB of memory. It had the smallest reported rise in China (about $20 to $50). Good for 1440p and some 4K gaming.
GeForce RTX 5070 12GB. Launched at $549. Pick it if you want Nvidia features like DLSS 4. The 12GB of memory is its limit in the newest games at high settings.
GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB. Launched at $429. The cheapest card here with 16GB. A good fit for 1080p and 1440p gaming on a budget.
GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. A strong card, but it saw a price rise in the reports. Buy it only if you find it near its $749 launch price.
GeForce RTX 5080 16GB. Its supply is in doubt and its price rose the most. We would not pay extra for it now.
Which should you buy?
- Need a card now? Buy now. Memory costs are rising and nothing suggests a fast fall.
- Best all-round value: the Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB, if the price is near what you saw a few weeks ago.
- Tight budget: the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB.
- Want Nvidia: the RTX 5070 12GB, or the RTX 5070 Ti if you can find it near $749.
- Eyeing the RTX 5080: skip it for now. Wait to see if Nvidia confirms a 24GB model. Do not expect it to be cheap.
- Wait option: if your current card still runs your games well, wait until after November 27 and compare. Sales may help, but treat any discount as a bonus. Do not bet on prices going back to 2025 levels.
Check ASUS Prime RX 9070 XT price on Amazon
Smart habit: whatever card you pick, compare the price with its launch price. If it is far above, wait a week or two and check again.
Memory prices are also hitting storage. See our guide on SSD prices going up: buy now or wait before Black Friday. We also cover system memory in should I buy RAM now or wait.
Other tech news this week
- Meta's $95 billion plan. Meta said it plans to raise up to $95 billion through stock offerings to fund its AI work. These are planned deals, not finished ones. (Tech Startups, October 26)
- SpaceX data-center lease. SpaceX disclosed a deal of about $40 billion to lease data-center equipment, including AI chips, from a fund managed by Apollo. (Tech Startups, October 26)
- Nvidia Minerva. Nvidia launched Minerva, a tool that watches GPUs, networks and storage in AI data centers to spot problems early. (Tech Startups, October 26)
Big AI spending is the same trend behind tight memory supply.
Sources
- Wccftech, October 23, 2026: https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5080-rtx-5070-ti-16-gb-huge-price-increase-24-gb-5080-inbound/
- Club386, October 23, 2026: https://www.club386.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5080-16gb-reportedly-discontinued-24gb-card-2999/
- Nvidia RTX 50 series launch (RTX 5090, 5080, 5070 Ti, 5070 prices): https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-blackwell-geforce-rtx-50-series-opens-new-world-of-ai-computer-graphics
- Nvidia RTX 5060 family announcement (RTX 5060 Ti prices): https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-blackwell-geforce-rtx-arrives-for-every-gamer-starting-at-299
- AMD RDNA 4 and Radeon RX 9000 launch release: https://www.amd.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-2-28-amd-unveils-next-generation-amd-rdna-4-architectu.html
- TweakTown: https://www.tweaktown.com/news/113088/geforce-rtx-5060-ti-16gb-pricing-hits-800-in-the-us-as-memory-crisis-takes-hold/index.html
- Notebookcheck: https://www.notebookcheck.net/RTX-5070-Ti-supply-crunch-pushes-price-by-25-to-1-000-in-US-while-RX-9070-XT-also-suffers-21-price-hike.1227511.0.html
- Tech Startups, October 26, 2026: https://techstartups.com/2026/10/26/tech-news-today-october-26-2026-nvidia-metas-95b-ai-funding-plan-spacexs-40b-chip-deal-and-anthropic-security-breach/
Image: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 series press image, courtesy of NVIDIA.
