Entry-level GPUs face “even more severe shortages” over the next 12 months, says Zotac owner
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The GPU market could be heading toward another difficult period, and this time, budget buyers may feel the impact the most. PC Partner Group, the company behind graphics card brands including Zotac, Inno3D, Manli and Sapphire, has warned that entry-level graphics cards could face much tighter supply during the second half of 2026.
The company expects graphics card availability to decline further as memory costs continue to rise. This could put additional pressure on manufacturers and eventually push retail prices higher. What makes the warning particularly concerning is that PC Partner Group expects entry-level GPUs to face “even more severe shortages”.
With fewer cards available, their average selling prices could increase further. Budget graphics cards have so far been less affected than higher-end models because they generally use less graphics memory, but that advantage may not last much longer.
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Current state of the GPU market
The wider GPU market is already dealing with significant price increases. Rising memory costs have pushed manufacturers to adjust their pricing multiple times, while demand for AI hardware continues to put pressure on the memory supply chain.
PC Partner Group’s own sales figures also show that higher prices are affecting demand. Its brands, including Zotac, Inno3D and Manli, saw unit shipments fall 18.4% during the first half of 2026, even though their average selling price increased by 10.7% year over year.
Interestingly, industry analyst Jon Peddie has a different view of the broader market. According to his data, 11.82 million add-in-board graphics cards were sold in Q1 2026, compared with 9.25 million during the same quarter in 2025. That’s a 28% increase in units. However, the amount customers are spending has also increased sharply. AIB sales rose from $6.18 billion to $10.85 billion during the same period, representing a 76% increase.
For PC builders on a tight budget, the situation could become particularly frustrating. Entry-level GPUs have traditionally provided an affordable way to build a gaming PC, but another round of price increases and supply problems could make these cards considerably harder to find at reasonable prices.
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