PowerColor posted a message on its official subreddit saying that holiday discounts will begin in 2025 while also warning that GPU prices are expected to rise in 2026. The representative urged gamers to buy before the projected increase. The company message could be read as a marketing prompt, but it adds to a growing number of warnings from partners across the graphics card supply chain.
Those warnings have a concrete basis in memory market dynamics. DRAM prices have risen 171.8 percent year over year, driving costs to new levels for a component used in every GPU, smartphone, PC, and console. South Korean memory manufacturers such as Samsung and SK Hynix are reported to be unable to fulfill all orders, completing roughly 70 percent of requested shipments. Smaller original equipment manufacturers and channel distributors have been told to expect only 35 to 40 percent fulfillment through the first quarter of 2026.
The shortfall has direct implications for add-in board partners. Larger AIBs, including PowerColor, may face DRAM shortages that could leave some GPUs without installed memory modules. That outcome would delay planned product rollouts and could jeopardize expected revenue if it persists. Manufacturers are left with two unpleasant choices: purchase DRAM on the spot market at a substantial markup, or leave production lines idle. Either path would likely push the street price of shipped GPUs higher, since they would contain a scarcer and more expensive DRAM component.
