Nvidia RTX 5090 could cost $5000 soon, as GPU prices are rumored to skyrocket
The impact of AI may make PC gaming unaffordable
🚀 The Nvidia RTX 5090’s price is rumored to skyrocket up to $5,000 due to AI data center demand
🤖 The primary cause of the price increase is the unprecedented demand and resulting high cost of RAM, driven by the AI boom
😖 Both Nvidia and AMD are reportedly planning continuous monthly GPU price hikes across their entire product lineups, including consumer cards
📆 The situation is likely to worsen and could potentially affect the development and release timeline of the PS6 console
If you thought $1,999 was a lot to pay for the Nvidia RTX 5090, the flagship card could go for an eye-watering price of $5,000 in 2026. And it’s predominantly because of the demand created by AI data centers.
Because of the price of RAM, which has skyrocketed to unthinkable levels in the last few weeks, the cost of Nvidia and AMD GPUs will be affected imminently as a result, according to Insider Gaming.
AI-fed data centers have led to an unprecedented demand for RAM, and have led to companies such as Crucial ceasing to create consumer-based products as it focuses on profiting from the AI boom.
South Korean outlet Newsis believes we’re only on the cusp of price hikes, with more costs being passed down to consumers, with AMD following Nvidia’s lead.
“Both companies are reportedly planning to continue raising GPU prices every month going forward,” the article states. “It’s highly likely that the price increases will extend across their entire product lineup, encompassing not only consumer GPUs but also GPUs for AI data centers and servers.” An insider added that manufacturing costs have exceeded 80% on the memory alone.
The disappointing news comes as some GPUs have finally hit MSRP a few years after launch. It also adds more uncertainty after tariffs caused the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch to increase in price.
To make matters worse, the PS6 development – a console that was initially tipped for 2027 – may be affected, leading to a later release than Sony may have planned. Sadly, there’s a good chance that the situation will only get worse before it gets better.
Up next: LG is taking a shot at Samsung with the Gallery TV at CES 2026
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.