AMD is expected to increase prices of its graphics cards as global memory shortages intensify, according to reports circulating on Chinese social media. The move is likely to impact retail pricing in the coming weeks and reduce the chances of significant Black Friday discounts on GPUs.
A post on Weibo claims AMD has already introduced a modest price rise for industry partners, though this has not yet translated into noticeable retail increases. A second, larger adjustment is reportedly planned, driven by a marked surge in graphics memory costs. The report suggests that both GPUs and memory components are set to become more expensive, which may push end-market prices higher across AMD’s product range, including the recently launched Radeon RX 9070 series.
These claims align with comments from manufacturers and retailers who have warned informally of an upcoming rise in GPU prices. The ongoing memory shortage, fuelled largely by the demand for AI and data-centre hardware, has already affected PC RAM kits and is now extending to GDDR used in graphics cards. While data-centre memory differs from GPU memory, demand imbalances mean production resources are expected to shift toward higher-margin segments.
Memory suppliers such as Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix are also reluctant to ramp up output significantly, citing previous market cycles where sudden demand drops left them with excess stock that had to be sold at reduced prices. This caution is contributing to tight supply conditions across the industry.
Although the latest reports focus on AMD, analysts expect the impact to be felt throughout the GPU market, increasing the likelihood that NVIDIA cards will also see price rises. As a result, prospects for major Black Friday graphics card deals appear limited, with retailers unlikely to offer deep discounts while component costs trend upward.
The timing and scale of AMD’s expected price adjustments remain unclear. Retailers are advising buyers that if reasonable deals appear during the current sales period, they may be worth securing promptly, as further increases are anticipated. |
