Nvidia's Memory Supply Freeze Could Push Gaming GPU Prices Even Higher

A new wave of supply-side tension is emerging, and this time it could hit graphics cards just as prices were finally beginning to cool. According to new reports, Nvidia is preparing a major shift in how it supplies hardware to its add-in card partners (AICs), and the fallout could reshape the GPU market in the months ahead.

A reliable hardware leaker known as Golden Pig Upgrade Pack has claimed on Weibo that Nvidia will no longer bundle video memory (VRAM) with its GPU dies. The leak shows a bad future with an affordability crisis, especially for smaller vendors who depend on Nvidia's vertically integrated supply. While nothing has been officially confirmed, the rumour has already sparked concerns about the future of GPU pricing in an increasingly volatile memory market.

A Major Shift in Nvidia's Supply Strategy

For years, Nvidia followed a straightforward arrangement with its partners: it delivered both the GPU die and the VRAM package, leaving manufacturers to design their coolers, PCBs, and other custom features.

This ensured consistent performance across the ecosystem while simplifying logistics for brands that didn't maintain deep relationships with memory giants such as Samsung, Micron, or SK Hynix. That model may now be changing if the leak is true.

If Nvidia stops supplying VRAM directly, every AIC will need to procure memory independently. That shift transfers a tremendous amount of supply-chain risk to companies that traditionally relied on Nvidia to handle the most expensive and delicate components.

With memory pricing already unstable because of the demand from AI and data-centre infrastructure, board partners would be entering negotiations at the worst possible time.

For manufacturers with established volume and longstanding contracts, such as MSI, Asus, or Gigabyte, this transition is going to be just as impactful but survivable.

Smaller brands, however, could struggle to source enough chips at competitive prices, creating a divide in the GPU space that heavily favours the biggest names.

Why Memory Is Suddenly the Bottleneck

The effects of the current RAM crunch extend well beyond standard desktop DIMMs. The same supply pressure now applies to GDDR6 and GDDR7 VRAM. Memory manufacturers are prioritising data-centre orders, where margins are significantly higher and demand continues to spike due to the global AI arms race.

That means fewer wafers, fewer chips, and more competition among buyers, competition that smaller GPU vendors may simply be unable to win.

VRAM pricing has already been climbing, and industry insiders say it will continue rising into early 2026. Retailers have echoed this sentiment in recent weeks, warning that once existing GPU inventory sells through, restocked models will likely land at higher price points.

Whether Nvidia ends VRAM bundling or not, rising memory costs alone are enough to push the market toward pricier graphics cards.

For PC gamers, this rumoured change could result in two things: higher prices or widespread stock shortages. In a worst-case scenario, both could happen simultaneously.

If AICs must negotiate memory supply independently, their operating costs rise. Those costs almost always get passed down the line until they reach the customer, who is already navigating a post-pandemic market still rife with inflated prices.

Smaller brands might even disappear from the GPU market altogether if they can't secure enough VRAM to keep production running. This would reduce market diversity and further consolidate power within the handful of major manufacturers able to withstand the shift.

It's a situation where consumers have little control, and many observers are wondering whether a new wave of price spikes is now inevitable.