Best Graphics Cards of 2025: What to Expect in 2026

Graphics card prices reach yearly lows while upcoming VRAM shortages and AI-driven demand threaten near-future GPU affordability.

Hardware by Masaru Hoshino on Jan 01, 2026

This is the lowest time of year for graphics card prices, but the GPU market is about to become very unstable due to huge price jumps in VRAM. Due to rising demand for AI, production costs are rising, putting significant strain on supplies of RAM, SSDs, and VRAM.

A lot of the cards you can buy right now were made months ago, when VRAM was inexpensive. This means prices are unusually low right now compared to what we expect in 2026.

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AMD GPU Pricing Overview

RX 9070 XT 16GB stayed close to its $599 MSRP, and a few versions, including the Powerol Reaper and ASRock Challenger, were priced at or around that cost. The Powerol Hellhound and Red Devil, which are higher-end models, cost between $629 and $649, although many have already sold out.

RX 9070 16GB price has fallen far below its $549 MSRP, reaching $519 on several popular variants, such as the Sapphire Pulse and XFX OC.

Some Asus Dual variants of the RX 9060 XT 16GB sold for $339, which is slightly below the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). Premium models cost between $359 and $369.

The RX 9060 XT 8GB dropped to $260 for a short time before returning to $275. The RX 7600 8GB stayed at $249.

NVIDIA GPU Pricing Overview

RTX 50 series got some big, unexpected discounts, likely because Nvidia wanted to clear out old stock before releasing the RTX 50 Super series in early 2026. But the latest rumors say such launches might be delayed for a long time.

The price of the RTX 5090 rose significantly to $2,850 due to limited availability, especially of the best liquid-cooled variants.

On Black Friday, the RTX 5080 went on sale for $950, but most units priced at the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) sold out immediately, leaving the remaining machines at around $1,100.

RTX 5070 Ti dropped to $699 during the first Black Friday sales, but then returned to its $749 MSRP.

RTX 5070 dropped significantly, down to the $479–$499 range. This was probably part of a scheduled inventory clearance.

The price of the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB fell to $399 on Black Friday, but it didn't go as low as it did earlier in October. Lower-tier cards only had small, brief price drops.

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Intel GPU Pricing Overview

Intel dropped prices a lot. The ARC B580 12GB went down to $229 on Black Friday and is now $249.

ARC B570 10GB costs $199, which is the same as the inferior A750 8GB. But Intel discreetly took away the game bundle that was guaranteed through the end of the year.

2026 GPU News and VRAM Market Impact

The fast growth of the AI industry has caused a serious shortage of RAM and SSDs. In less than 60 days, the price of VRAM has quadrupled, causing problems for prospective GPU releases.

There are rumors that AMD and Nvidia are changing their product lines and pricing plans for all of their 2026 products.

NVIDIA's Possible RTX 50 Super Delay

Reports indicate that Nvidia's RTX 50 Super models, initially thought to include the RTX 5080 Super 24GB, RTX 5070 Ti Super 24GB, and RTX 5070 18GB, could be delayed until late Q3 2026. Others say they might even be canceled.

Super line may just have faster clock speeds, not more VRAM, if it does come out. It is also said that Nvidia is no longer including GDDR7 VRAM with chips for board partners. This means AIBs have to buy VRAM at substantially higher prices on their own. This is likely to significantly raise GPU prices in stores.

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AMD's Mid-Range Challenges

AMD might not release the RX 9070 GRE 16GB because VRAM costs are rising. RX 9060 XT 16GB and RTX 5060 Ti 16GB are mid-range 16GB cards that may also be in short supply or cost more. This is because VRAM accounts for a substantial portion of their manufacturing costs.

On December 10, AMD will show off FSR Redstone. It promises big improvements to ray reconstruction and upscaling for RX 9000 series cards. Improvements for RX 7000 series GPUs (FSR4 deployment) remain uncertain.

Should You Buy Now or Wait?

Massive price increases are expected soon. VRAM produced under older, cheaper contracts is nearly exhausted, and new batches will reflect today's inflated costs.

Even if the AI market corrects, it could take several months for pricing to stabilize. If you want to upgrade your GPU in the next year or two, the best time to buy is now. If you wait, prices will probably go up a lot, or the item will be harder to find.

Best GPUs Under $200–$250

ARC B570 10GB for $199 is the best deal. It can run 1440p at medium settings; however, it works best with at least a Ryzen 5600 or an i5-12400 due to CPU overhead.

If the B580 12GB returns to $229, it becomes a clear upgrade option with slightly better performance and more VRAM.

Other options in this category are weaker, but the RTX 5050 8GB can be considered if you prefer Nvidia.

Best GPUs Under $300

This tier includes the RTX 5050, RTX 5060 8GB, RX 9060 XT 8GB, and RTX 3060 12GB. None of these feels like a great value compared to the B580 12GB unless you have specific preferences.

The RX 9060 XT 8GB is ideal for older systems thanks to PCIe Gen3 friendliness and low CPU overhead.

Between Nvidia choices, the RTX 5060 8GB works well for esports at 1080p, while the RTX 3060 12GB is better for 1440p high settings.

However, most buyers should save $50 and move up a tier.

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Best GPUs Under $400

The RX 9060 XT 16GB and RTX 5060 Ti 16GB are the clear winners. Both are great for playing games at 1440p on high or ultra settings.

They each have enough VRAM for recent games and enable powerful upscalers like FSR 4 and DLSS 4.

The RX 9060 X T 16GB is still the greatest value, even with the current rise in component prices. The RTX option is also good.

Best GPUs Under $500

At this level, you gain access to the RTX 5070 12GB and RX 9070 16GB.

The RTX 5070 suffers from limited VRAM and can already hit VRAM limits in ray-traced titles, but its discounted pricing helps justify it.

The RX 907016GB offers superior VRAM capacity and potentially better upscaling performance once FSR Redstone arrives. This makes it the preferred pick.

Best GPUs Under $600

The RX 9070 XT 16GB is priced at $599 and delivers a substantial performance uplift over both the RX 9070 and RTX 5070.

The additional 18% performance for roughly 15% more money creates strong value, assuming your budget allows it.

For tighter budgets, the RX 9070 still makes sense, especially with rising RAM and SSD costs.

Best GPUs Under $800

With no $700 Nvidia offerings, the comparison centers around the RTX 5070 Ti 16GB versus the RX 9070 XT 16GB.

Given the $150 price gap and very similar performance, the RX 9070 XT 16GB is the dramatically better value unless a significant discount returns for the 5070 Ti.

DLSS 4 offers broader support, but unless ray tracing is your top priority, it isn't enough to justify the extra cost.

Best GPUs at Any Budget

RTX 5080 provides roughly 15% more performance than the RX 9070 XT for nearly $400 more, making it a poor value—but it is the only real step up before the ultra-premium category.

RTX 5090, priced around $2,850, shows no signs of dropping and may rise even higher due to limited supply. Buyers seeking flagship performance should expect to pay a premium if they purchase now.

Also, check our other NVIDIA articles below: