GPU News

The GPU landscape in early 2026 is currently defined by a “memory crisis” that has shifted the focus from exciting new hardware to soaring prices and supply constraints. While the NVIDIA RTX 50-series and AMD RX 9000-series are out, the market is feeling the squeeze from the AI boom.

The Headlines: Price Hikes and Shortages

• The “RAMpocalypse”: High demand for AI data center components has caused a global shortage of VRAM (specifically GDDR7 and GDDR6). Reports indicate memory now accounts for nearly 80% of a GPU’s manufacturing cost.
• Phased Price Increases: Both NVIDIA and AMD are expected to implement monthly price hikes throughout Q1 2026. High-end cards like the RTX 5090 are already seeing street prices climb toward $3,000–$5,000.
• Supply Cuts: NVIDIA has reportedly cut production of mid-range cards like the RTX 5070 and 5060 Ti by up to 40% to prioritize the more profitable AI enterprise chips.

Manufacturer Updates

NVIDIA (Blackwell)

NVIDIA skipped new GPU announcements at CES 2026 for the first time in years.

• RTX 50-series SUPER: Currently delayed or indefinitely postponed. Rumors suggest NVIDIA won’t refresh the Blackwell lineup until AMD poses a greater threat in the high-end market.
• Current Flagship: The RTX 5090 (32GB GDDR7) remains the performance king, but availability is extremely limited.
• Feature Focus: The focus has shifted to DLSS 4.5, which brings further refinements to neural rendering and frame generation.

AMD (RDNA 4)

AMD’s Radeon RX 9000-series (formerly rumored as RX 8000) is the current alternative, focusing on value and rasterization.

• RX 9070 XT & 9060 XT: These are the primary current-gen offerings. AMD has managed to stay slightly more price-competitive by sticking with GDDR6 memory rather than the scarcer GDDR7.
• VRAM Strategy: AMD is reportedly prioritizing 8GB models of their mid-range cards to keep prices closer to MSRP while memory costs remain high.

Intel (Battlemage)

• Arc B770 Cancelled: In a disappointing turn for budget builders, the high-end “Big Battlemage” (B770) was reportedly shelved due to financial viability.
• Workstation Shift: The BMG-G31 die intended for the B770 is being repurposed into the Arc Pro B70, a workstation card with 32GB of VRAM launching this quarter.
• Mainstream Success: The Arc B580 remains one of the few “best value” cards under $300 currently available.