[REVISION HISTORY]

GPU and memory volatility driven by AI demand

Updated 47 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-25 13:40 UTC → 2026-10-26 23:52 UTC · added ~~removed~~

By late October 2026, the semiconductor market remains under extreme pressure as AI data center demand drives price surges across GPUs, DRAM, and SSDs. Manufacturers continue to prioritize high-performance server products, diverting capacity away from consumer-grade components. In the GPU sector, NVIDIA has officially denied rumors that it is discontinuing the GeForce RTX 5090, with Senior Vice President Jeff Fisher stating the company will continue to ship units despite “significant constraints” caused by GB202 chip demand for AI. However, ~~hardware leakers~~ retail indicators suggest a potential ~~strategic shift where production may be halted to prioritize the professional~~ phase-out; major US retailer Micro Center has reportedly listed several RTX ~~Pro line,~~ 5090 models as ~~enterprise silicon offers higher profit margins.~~ ‘Not Carried’ or ‘No Longer Carried,’ a status typically indicating a product is being removed from an active catalog. This has fueled ~~rumors~~ speculation that NVIDIA is prioritizing the professional RTX ~~5090 could be replaced by~~ Pro line and AI accelerators due to higher profit margins. Analysts suggest a potential replacement, an ~~updated~~ RTX 5080 with 24 GB of ~~VRAM in~~ VRAM, could arrive as early as 2027. Retail volatility is extreme. In the US, RTX 5090 prices have reached $5,000 to $10,000, while in Germany, prices have surged to between 5,999 and 9,990 euros. In China, the RTX 5090 has reportedly climbed from 16,000 yuan to as high as 60,000 yuan in the Huaqiangbei market. Scarcity is ~~further~~ exacerbated by GDDR7 memory ~~shortages and~~ shortages, as manufacturers prioritize HBM chips for AI accelerators. Furthermore, leaked footage shows industrial-scale operations in China where ~~cards~~ technicians are ~~being dismantled~~ desoldering GB202 dies and GDDR7 memory from consumer cards to repurpose ~~components~~ them for high-density AI ~~servers.~~ server racks. Additionally, a shipment valued at $470,000 was recently stolen at Brazil’s Guarulhos Airport. Memory costs are also spiking; DDR5 RAM prices have reportedly increased by over 500 percent in the past year. ~~In Japan, RTX 50 series prices remain up to 30% higher than US retail rates due to exchange rates and local market trends.~~

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.