The best way to discover an inexpensive GPU through the nice RAMageddon of 2026

For those who’re enthusiastic about upgrading to a brand new graphics card this yr, your window for doing so at MSRP has closed. After I first reported on this at the beginning of December, issues had been trying bleak however you could possibly nonetheless discover GPUs from each AMD and NVIDIA at near their beneficial costs. That modified final week when YouTube channel {Hardware} Unboxed reported that ASUS had stopped producing the RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB attributable to ongoing reminiscence shortages.

After Engadget printed the information, NVIDIA disputed the report. “Demand for GeForce RTX GPUs is robust, and reminiscence provide is constrained. We proceed to ship all GeForce SKUs and are working intently with our suppliers to maximise reminiscence availability,” an organization spokesperson informed us.

The following day, ASUS walked back its previous statements. After “explicitly” telling {Hardware} Unboxed it had positioned the 5060 Ti 16GB and 5070 Ti into “end-of-life standing,” the corporate stated “sure media could have acquired incomplete data from an ASUS PR consultant concerning these merchandise,” including it had “no plans to cease promoting these fashions.”

Whether or not or not the 5060 Ti 16GB and 5070 Ti stay in manufacturing, one factor is definite: the AI increase has created quite a lot of uncertainty within the GPU market. After the information, panic shopping for despatched the value of the 5070 Ti via the roof. Proper now, it is not possible to seek out that mannequin priced at its MSRP of $749. As of the writing of this text, essentially the most inexpensive model of the 5070 Ti I may discover on Newegg was $1,199.

The larger downside is that the 5070 Ti is not the one GPU promoting for excess of MSRP. Tom’s Hardware has been monitoring GPU costs for months, and there is not a single mannequin you should buy at both AMD or NVIDIA’s beneficial value. That places PC builders in a troublesome spot. What do you do if you wish to improve to a brand new graphics card this yr?

For those who’re sitting on an older GPU, one of the best recommendation I can provide is to stay together with your present {hardware}. For those who’re fantastic with the efficiency of your video card proper now, it is best to attend a yr or two for the market to cool down.

However, in case your present GPU is less than the duty of working the video games you wish to play, attempt to purchase a card with not less than 12GB of VRAM — ideally 16GB in case your finances permits for it. Until you propose to play largely older video games on a 1080p monitor, it isn’t value contemplating a mannequin with 8GB of VRAM — it will not final you lengthy sufficient to warrant the acquisition value.

For essentially the most half, the suggestions in Engadget’s recent GPU guide are nonetheless as related at present as they had been a number of months in the past. The suggestions I present listed here are pulled from that information and are grouped from most inexpensive to most costly. The place doable, I’ve tried to seek out choices from each Newegg and Amazon. As you go about on the lookout for a brand new GPU, your greatest buddy is a web site like PCPartPicker the place you possibly can observe pricing throughout a number of retailers.

Suggestions

AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

Sadly in case you’re on a decent finances, there aren’t many nice choices underneath $400. For that motive, I might steer you to the Radeon RX 9060 XT as one of the best “entry-level” possibility. AMD affords two completely different variations of this GPU: one with 8GB of VRAM and the opposite with 16GB. Of the 2, the latter is the higher buy, but when it is exterior your finances, the extra inexpensive mannequin might be one of the best 8GB GPU available on the market proper now.

Whereas I could not discover the 16GB variant at its beneficial value of $350, I did discover a number of fashions that weren’t far off. Newegg has choices from ASRock and Sapphire priced at $400 and $450. At Amazon, in the meantime, you’ll find fashions from PowerColor for $400 and $430.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

I am considerably hesitant to advocate the RTX 5070. Do not get me flawed, it is a decent enough card, however with solely 12GB of VRAM, it’s possible you’ll find yourself changing it earlier than you assume. That stated, it is one of many few NVIDIA GPUs that hasn’t shot up massively in value, and I think that is as a result of individuals have been passing it over in favor of different 50-series fashions. For those who worth NVIDIA’s characteristic set over uncooked frames, then the 5070 is about the one GPU that is smart to purchase from the corporate proper now.

On Newegg, I discovered a 5070 mannequin from Gigabyte for $650. The retailer additionally has a handful of different MSI variants priced at $630. Amazon has fewer choices, however it does have one 5070 from Gigabyte for $585, which is the closest to the cardboard’s $549 MSRP.

AMD Radeon RX 9070

For a card that provides higher price-to-performance than the 5070, the Radeon RX 9070 is your greatest guess. AMD’s tackle NVIDIA options like DLSS aren’t as polished, however the RX 9070 affords extra VRAM and wonderful efficiency throughout the newest AAA video games.

It is unlikely you will discover one at its MSRP of $550, which was at all times extra of an aspirational value, however I discovered a number of fashions priced between $590 and $640. Each Newegg and Amazon have a PowerColor mannequin for $590. The 2 even have a Gigabyte mannequin priced at $600 after $40 rebate with coupon.

AMD Radeon RX 9070XT

For these with extra to spend, the RX 9070 XT might be the place I might cap issues. Past that, you are GPUs just like the 5080 that price excess of MSRP. On Newegg, I discovered a mannequin from ASRock selling for $730. Amazon, in the meantime, has choices from Gigabyte and ASUS for $720. None of these are nice offers, however that is to be anticipated with a card that is on the prime of the stack.