The ongoing DRAM supply crisis PC The market could have an impact on Nvidia, as rumors suggest the graphics card giant could reduce RTX GPU production in early 2026 to about a third of what it was in early 2025. Nvidia hasn't said anything about its production plans, but PC makers looking to upgrade their graphics cards still have time to choose what they want.
The ongoing RAM crisis began after OpenAI placed an industry-wide order for DRAM and other components that will power AI-powered data centers and servers around the world. A few days later, DRAM manufacturers began reserving most of their DRAM allocations for orders from OpenAI, and later Micron said it was exiting the consumer RAM and SSD market to focus more on enterprise-level manufacturing. This makes Samsung and SK Hynix the two leading consumer RAM brands, with Samsung saying it will have to double the DRAM contract prices for DDR5 RAM brands like Corsair and G.Skill. The RAM shortage has had a major impact on consumer prices, with a 2x16GB DDR5 RAM kit skyrocketing from $90 in late summer to over $350 at the time of this writing.
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Nvidia may reduce RTX graphics card production in 2026
Rumors about Nvidia's plans should be taken with a grain of salt, but sources say the company may have to make some choices that could negatively impact consumers. According to sources on China's Board Channels forum, Nvidia may reduce gaming GPU supply and production by 30% to 40% in early 2026. This is a decrease compared to Nvidia's production in 2025. This change follows the ongoing RAM crisis, in which DRAM remains in short supply globally and prices continue to soar. The Board Channels forum stated that Nvidia could reduce production of the less profitable RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs, which use 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM and are cheaper to purchase than the high-end RTX 5080.
As of this writing, the cheapest versions of the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and RTX 5070 Ti are priced at $429 and $749 respectively, while the cheapest RTX 5080 will still set customers back at least $1,100 more. Given that the RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5070 Ti could be on the chopping block as Nvidia shifts to making more profitable cards, this will likely not hurt graphics cards with 8GB of VRAM, including the RTX 5060, due to their lower memory allocation. However, Nvidia has not mentioned any potential production plans for 2026. This means PC makers will have to wait for further information about the tech giant's next moves.
Nvidia's potential decision could impact PC and console gamers
However, buyers looking to upgrade their GPU to one with ample video memory still have time to make a decision. Currently, the RTX 5070 Ti and similar graphics cards are still in stock at retailers like Amazon and Newegg, with cards from MSI and Gigabyte available for an MSRP of $749. With features like Nvidia Filters, DLSS 4 upscaling, and multi-frame generation, the RTX 50 Series remains a popular choice for PC gamers looking to play the latest titles at the best possible settings. However, Nvidia's high-end graphics cards are still a target for scalpers, as the cheapest RTX 5090 card will still set users back at least $2,800.
Additionally, Nvidia's Tegra T239 system-on-a-chip (SOC) powers the Nintendo Switch 2, one of the best-selling devices of 2025. With the Switch 2 already facing a possible price increase due to the RAM crisis, it remains to be seen whether Nvidia's production cuts will still impact Nintendo and its customers in 2026.
Source: PC Gamer, OverClock3D
