Some GPUs are reportedly facing price hikes, raising concerns that a crypto-like pricing cycle could re-emerge, driven in part by rising DRAM costs.
NVIDIA RTX 5070 Series is Seeing Rapid Price Hikes in Japan; RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 Both Increased by $50-$100 in Price this Month
If you are worried about DDR5 price hikes, then it appears that GPUs may be next. While the GPU prices appear to be stable in most regions, some regions are seeing a rapid increase in prices this month. It's expected since the DRAM shortage and price hikes affect everything that depends on it, and with GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory shortages reported by multiple sources, the impact is now beginning to surface in retail listing prices
Gazlog reports that the GeForce RTX 5070 series is getting a sharp rise in price this month, which usually sells below MSRP in Japan. The NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti was launched at 148,800 Yen, but started to sell at 126,000 Yen after a few months. At 126,000 Yen, it's still more expensive compared to the MSRP of the GPU in the NA region. Similarly, the RTX 5070 dropped to just 82,000 Yen after its launch, while it officially hit the retail stores for 108,800 Yen.
According to the latest listings on various retailers, the lowest price for the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is currently 141,980 Yen, which is around a 15,000 Yen jump in price in just a week. This is equivalent to US$97, and the Palit RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Pro-S is the only GPU that is selling at this price. Other RTX 5070 Ti editions start at 148,800 Yen or US$959.
The GeForce RTX 5070 also saw some price increase, although it wasn't as sharp as the RTX 5070 Ti. The cheapest listing for the RTX 5070 is 94,980 Yen or US$612. This is still below the official MSRP in Japan, but the prices are gradually increasing every week. Currently, the RTX 5070 is available below MSRP in many NA retailers such as Amazon, which is selling the GIGABYTE RTX 5070 WINDFORCE OC SFF edition for $539. However, getting the RTX 5070 Ti below MSRP is somewhat difficult right now. Hopefully, this situation doesn’t turn into a crypto-era–style nightmare, but the chances appear increasingly high.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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