Rumor mill: Analysts and other sources anticipate that memory shortages stemming from the AI boom could disrupt supplies of numerous hardware products beginning next year. AMD is expected to introduce modest GPU price hikes, while Nvidia may significantly reduce production of certain graphics card models.

According to unconfirmed reports from Board Channels, Nvidia is considering cutting production of RTX 50 series GPUs by 30 to 40% during the first half of 2026. The decision is likely driven by memory shortages, which could make some cards nearly as difficult to find as they were at launch.

Another outlet, Benchlife, partially corroborated this information. Although it did not specify the scale of the adjustments, its sources claim the cuts would target the RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti. It's also worth noting that both rumors originate from Asian sources, which may not necessarily reflect global market conditions and could be limited primarily to mainland China.

If accurate, these reports would align with earlier rumors that AMD and Nvidia might discontinue some budget and mid-range graphics cards due to VRAM shortages. Memory accounts for a large portion of the bill of materials for lower-priced GPUs, and both the RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti are 16GB cards.

Nvidia's decision to use cutting-edge GDDR7 memory for the RTX 50 series contributed to supply constraints and inflated prices at launch in early 2025. Although the GPUs are currently available at relatively low prices, availability is expected to worsen next year – making this holiday season a good time to upgrade.

Driven by AI demand, planned data centers have absorbed most of the backlogged DRAM and NAND from manufacturers such as Samsung and SK Hynix, with shortages projected to last through 2027 or 2028. As a result, upcoming smartphones and laptops may ship with less RAM than previous models, the Nintendo Switch 2 could see a price increase, and Micron/Crucial has exited the consumer RAM business after three decades.

In the graphics card market, AMD is expected to pass higher memory costs on to consumers, possibly beginning in January. Additionally, Nvidia may delay or even cancel the RTX 50 Super series, which was expected to launch in 2026 with 18GB of VRAM for the RTX 5070 and 24GB for the 5070 Ti and 5080.