The global shortage of RAM and semiconductors does not appear to be easing any time soon. In order to fuel the growth of data centers dedicated to AI, manufacturers are favoring the production of HBM (High Bandwidth Memory), with a high profit margin, to the detriment of standard RAM and video memory (VRAM). The result is an “AI tax” that drives up consumer prices and delays GPU launch schedules. According to Japanese news and technology site Gazlog, AMD is expected to increase the price of its GPUs by 10-15% in the second half of the year, i.e. from July.
Currently, the official MSRP for AMD’s flagship Radeon RX 9070 If purchase prices increase by 10-15%, product prices could increase by approximately $90-105, with the impact being greater for models with higher VRAM capacities. As for NVIDIA, current prices for the RTX 5090 are well above the MSRP of $1,999, with most “in-stock” units priced nearly 100% or more above the MSRP of around $4,000. The marked difference between the high-end models from AMD and NVIDIA is explained by the fact that the latter uses the more expensive GDDR7, unlike the GDDR6 used by the former.
Of course, Gazlog also specifies that this information remains to be confirmed; it should therefore be considered as a credible forecast rather than as a certainty. However, given how reliably similar alerts about price hikes have come to fruition in recent months, it’s difficult to downplay the significance of this one. Finally, some predict that the global shortage of memory chips could extend until 2028; Consumers hoping for lower Radeon card prices should therefore think twice.
