Asus raises RTX 5090 and RX 9070 prices, making graphics cards even more expensive

[midian182]

A hot potato: Hard as it is to believe, new graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD are becoming more expensive. Asus is the latest third-party manufacturer to hike the prices of its RTX 5090 and RX 9070 models, with the former card starting at $2,759 and the latter at $719.

The current graphics card situation is a repeat of what happened during the pandemic-induced chip crisis a few years ago. Buying a new GPU is almost impossible without resorting to eBay, and retailers' prices make a mockery of MSRPs.

Asus, for example, has increased the price of its GeForce RTX 5090 Astral OC recently. It was already a whopping $3,079 at the start of February. Now, it's $3,359, a $280 increase. Nvidia's MSRP for the RTX 5090, remember, is $1,999. And while high-end cards like this are more expensive, the Astral OC was supposed to be $2,800.

Even less premium models further down the product stack are shockingly pricey – and getting more expensive. The TUF OC card is $3,000, and even the non-overclocked version of the card is $2,759 after Asus increased the price by $250 recently.

Also see: GPU Pricing Update Q1 2025 – Fake MSRPs?

It's not just Team Green's cards, either. Asus' cheapest Radeon RX 9070 XT, which has a $599 MSRP, is $719 (Prime XT OC model). If you want the TUF XT OC version, be prepared to pay $800.

Asus' cheapest RX 9070, which has a $549 MSRP, is $659, while the TUF OC model is $710.

A significant video from our founder/CEO on the RTX 5090 pricing. pic.twitter.com/6GEvYFkD9K

– PowerGPU (@PowerGPU) March 13, 2025

It's not just consumers being forced to endure high prices and virtually no availability. Last week, Jese Martinez, CEO of custom PC builder PowerGPU, said it took two to three weeks for his company to receive the first batch of RTX 5090 cards following the flagship's launch.

Martinez said PowerGPU is being offered RTX 5090s anywhere between $3,050 and $3,100 for its systems. And that isn't even for the high-end models like the Asus ROG Astral; it's the price for low- to mid-range models. He says that while some clients complain they are getting scalped by PowerGPU, it's the system builder that is "getting scalped, literally."

In what could be a glimmer of hope for gamers, AMD said a few days ago that restocking the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT cards, and at prices that consumers expect, is "priority number one."

h/t: VideoCards

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Asus raises RTX 5090 and RX 9070 prices, making graphics cards even more expensive

 

[Eldrach]

Did get my Astral OC at 2800 usd including taxes - was prepared to pay a premium to then see the prices drop ( you know, FOMO and all) - stupid market atm. We’re used to paying a bit more than the usual msrp here in Norway as Founders editions aren’t available
But in terms of the US - I don’t know. 2800 USD + 20% tariff is 3360 - is that taken into account? Seems to me that this isn’t a the board partners but governmental decisions? Maybe not «only» tariffs but that would make up for a huge part of it

 

[brunocasarini]

In the end, it all comes down to high demand and low availability. If people simply stop buying new GPUs and let them sit on shelves, prices will inevitably come down.

 

[candle86]

There's always really simple solution refuse to play their game but people are always unwilling to do it so you get what you're willing to have. Will anybody spending this kind of money for a video card simply proves the old adage some people have more money than sense congratulations.

 

[noel24]

It's a supply and demand problem. It's a bloody hobby. Just find another one for a time and vote with Your wallet, till They undersand. You cannot? Well, in that case pay and stop wining. Billions of people in Asia and Africa live off few dollars a day and never heard of PC gaming.

 

[scoffer]

Apart from the fact that Asus shove out garbage products ( 2 laptops failed with same fault within 6 months), they can keep their scalping prices, and stick them where the sun doesn't shine. Actually, that goes for all the other card makers too. I knew that, despite the "aggressive" pricing promised by the AMD lackey, we would end up getting shafted. So, I'll just keep going with my trusty RX 6750 XT. When that eventually fails, I'll just slide back to my old faithful 2060Super, which is gathering dust in my cupboard.(What a brilliant card THAT was!!) Just about had enough of this corporate greed. I've been gaming for decades -and I've never been so disgusted at the way things have evolved. I'm not much for cheering on China -but I would REALLY love to see them bring out some quality gpu to rival Nvidia et al. Probably will not happen im my lifetime -but I bet they will get there eventually!

 

[Neatfeatguy]

Glad I'm not in the market for a new GPU.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

It's a supply and demand problem. It's a bloody hobby. Just find another one for a time and vote with Your wallet, till They undersand. You cannot? Well, in that case pay and stop wining. Billions of people in Asia and Africa live off few dollars a day and never heard of PC gaming.

People are allowed to complain that their hobby is becoming too expensive. A red herring about people living on a few dollars a day doesnt change that.

In the end, it all comes down to high demand and low availability. If people simply stop buying new GPUs and let them sit on shelves, prices will inevitably come down.

That's the benefit of a Capitalist system, consumers have the power to change things. If nobody buys prices WILL come down. Thing is consumers really think they have no choice but to buy no matter what. The FOMO drug is real.

 

[Str8Shot]

As the famous economist/market analyst Rick Rule says: “the cure for high prices, is high prices.”

 

[Dreadcthulhu]

In the end, it all comes down to high demand and low availability. If people simply stop buying new GPUs and let them sit on shelves, prices will inevitably come down.

That might not work in this case; if Nvidia & AMD were to see video cards just sitting on the shelves they may take that as a sign that they should just give up on those products entirely & devote even more wafers to AI & datacenter products.

 

[Thrackerzod]

The most expensive video card I've ever bought was $300 and I would never pay more than that. Right now I'm still using an RTX 3050 that I gave $185 for and it plays every game I own just fine. Is there a game in existence that really needs these ridiculous overpriced cards?

 

[CBTex]

I'm content to sit out this generation. Just not worth it to me to sink that kind of money into a gaming.

 

[Impudicus]

When every single release is like this you wonder if it's intentional.

 

[fadingfool]

Looks like 9070 prices have stabilised a bit in the UK - got a couple of models at £569.99 available. XT's though are a little harder to find.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

When every single release is like this you wonder if it's intentional.

When everyone relies on one fab to make everything, you know this is gonna happen.

Something something doing the same thing over and over expecting different results...

The most expensive video card I've ever bought was $300 and I would never pay more than that. Right now I'm still using an RTX 3050 that I gave $185 for and it plays every game I own just fine. Is there a game in existence that really needs these ridiculous overpriced cards?

If you play at over 1080p, yes. At 1440p I can easily bring a 6800xt to its knees, I'm talking sub 30 FPS dips that make the game terrible to play, without RT even! With RT you can bring down even high end cards at 1080p.

I guess if you only own games from 2006 the 3050 would be just fine, but anyone who had a 1070 had more power then a 3050 a decade ago. If you only play games at 720p30, then the 3050 might suffice for modern games, but a casual glance at TPU's game testing shows the 3050 struggling to get anywhere close to 60 at 1080p, usually low to mid 40s. That would be absolutely unacceptable to me. If I wanted to get 30 FPS at 1080 I'd buy a playstation.

That might not work in this case; if Nvidia & AMD were to see video cards just sitting on the shelves they may take that as a sign that they should just give up on those products entirely & devote even more wafers to AI & datacenter products.

No company with a shred of intelligence is going to abandon a market and reduce their focus to a single market. eggs, baskets, and all that.

The geforce division brought in $17 BILLION last year. All of datacenter (not just AI)brought in $40 billion. Sure gaming is smaller but nvidia isnt going to walk away from $17 billion in sales.

 

[daffy duck]

Asucks harder and harder every day. I won't play their silly games and had already vowed to never buy their garbage products ever again several years ago.

 

[Johnnyblaze1957]

Asus doing Asus stuff my 3080ti will do me fine.