AMD says it’s doing its best to keep graphics card prices under control, though the pressure of memory shortages is obviously going to make that difficult. In a recent interview, AMD exec David McAfee admits its “tough math to put together” when building graphics cards with its GPU partners.

Back in December, a representative from PowerColor, one of AMD’s most popular GPU partners, confirmed Radeon GPU prices will “kick up” next year (meaning 2026). Now that we’re more than two weeks into the new year, this is evidently the case – most models of AMD’s flagship RX 9070 XT listed online will set you back at least $700, which is $100 over its original MSRP.

AMD is working with board partners to keep prices down

“We have very strategic partnerships over many, many years with all the DRAM manufacturers to make sure that both the amount of supply that we need and the economics of what we’re able to buy from them are what we can support in our graphics business,”

David McAfee, Corporate VP and General Manager, Client Channel Business at AMD

In an interview with Gizmodo, McAfee discussed the ongoing issue of memory shortages. He admits he cannot predict the future, but notes AMD is continuing to work with manufacturers to attempt to maintain prices close to MSRP. “Without the memory at the right price, building graphics cards with our add-in-board partners that hit the right price and market, that’s tough math to put together,” he says, which suggests the situation is unlikely to improve very soon. Nevertheless, McAfee assures consumers that managing the memory ecosystem as closely as possible is “a core part of what we do”.

The clearest example of memory shortages affecting consumers is the massive jump in RAM prices, which is said to disrupt the PC gaming sector for several years. As for graphics cards, higher productions costs have made finding Radeon GPUs for MSRP unlikely – there have even been reports of Nvidia discontinuing GPUs, though ASUS recently put these claims to rest.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.