GPU prices are spiralling: what UK buyers should do now

As an Amazon Associate, TrueNorth Tech X earns from qualifying purchases. Read our affiliate disclosure.

If you’ve tried to buy a graphics card lately, you’ll know it’s grim. According to TechSpot’s Q4 2026 GPU pricing update, graphics card prices rose another 11% in October, and they’re now around 35% higher than three months ago. High-end Nvidia cards have been hit hardest. Here’s what’s happening, why, and what UK buyers can do about it.

What’s happening to GPU prices?

TechSpot tracks the single cheapest in-stock price for each current gaming GPU in 10 countries, including the UK, using price comparison sites. On that basis, it says graphics cards rose 15% in August, 7% in September and 11% in October, roughly 35% over three months. It puts cards at an average of 44% above their launch prices (MSRP).

Here are TechSpot’s cheapest in-stock UK prices for September and October 2026. These are TechSpot’s figures, collected for its 2 November report, not prices we checked today, and you’ll often pay more for a specific brand or model.

Source: TechSpot, cheapest in-stock UK price found for each card, September and October 2026.

Why are graphics cards getting so expensive?

The biggest factor is the memory crunch. TweakTown points to soaring AI demand for memory, both system RAM and the video memory (VRAM) on graphics cards, which is pulling supply away from consumer products. TechSpot’s figures back that up in part: cards with 16GB of VRAM have risen by hundreds of dollars.

But TechSpot says memory isn’t the whole story. It argues the RTX 5080’s rise can’t be explained by memory costs alone, and suggests other factors may be at play, potentially including price gouging, demand for AI workloads and the lack of RTX 5090s. We covered the wider memory shortage in our RAM shortage explainer.

What about the RTX 5090?

Reports have claimed the RTX 5090 has been discontinued. TechRadar says Nvidia has firmly denied this, and that Nvidia Germany told overclocker Der8auer the same. Even so, supply looks very tight. TechRadar reports that laptop maker XMG has warned of “substantial price increases for upcoming GPU shipments” and increasingly constrained availability for the RTX 5090 laptop GPU, and that an unnamed board partner told Der8auer it can’t currently buy the chip and memory package for that laptop card.

Will prices go up again?

Possibly. TechSpot says retail industry sources told it the wholesale cost of RTX 5080s has risen significantly in recent weeks and that prices are set to rise further. Treat that as a report rather than a confirmed price rise. TechSpot also cites rumours, not confirmed by Nvidia, that a 24GB RTX 5080 could replace the current 16GB model in early 2027.

Should you buy now or wait?

TechSpot’s view is bleak: it expects prices to stay high for a long time and doesn’t think they’ll return to launch levels this generation. So waiting for a big drop is a gamble. Our advice:

• If your current card still works: wait if you can, and keep an eye on deals.
• If you need a card now: buy a mid-range card at a price you’re comfortable with rather than stretching for the high end.
• If you’re shopping in the sales: compare prices carefully. Our Black Friday 2026 UK guide explains how to spot a genuine deal.

Budget swaps: smarter options right now

TechSpot’s data shows Radeon cards holding value better than equivalent GeForce models. It says the RX 9060 XT 16GB remains the cheapest way to get 16GB of VRAM on a current-generation card, typically 20% to 40% cheaper than the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB. It also found the RX 9070 XT costs about the same as the RTX 5070 on average, while being 25% faster in its 52-game benchmark, with more VRAM.

Prices change often. Tap Check price on Amazon for today’s price.

Keep your current card for longer

If your card still runs your games, the cheapest upgrade is no upgrade. Dropping a few settings, or turning on upscaling such as AMD FSR or Nvidia DLSS where your card supports it, can buy you months. See our AMD FSR 4.1 coverage for more on upscaling.

Upgrade other parts, carefully

Sometimes a slow PC is held back by something else. But be warned: memory is affected by the same shortage, so RAM and some SSDs have also become more expensive. Price-check before you assume they’re the cheaper fix. If you do buy a bigger card, make sure your power supply can handle it; our RX 9070 XT PSU guide explains what to look for, and our RX 9060 XT vs RX 9070 XT comparison helps you pick between the two Radeons.

Verdict

GPU prices are still climbing, and the sources we’ve checked don’t point to relief soon. If you can wait, wait. If you can’t, mid-range Radeon cards currently offer the best value in TechSpot’s data, and there’s no shame in skipping the high end this generation. We haven’t tested these cards ourselves; this guide uses TechSpot’s pricing data and Amazon UK prices checked on 3 November 2026. See how we test and choose products.

FAQ

Featured image: Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT, photo by Chaddy via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.