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| Nvidia's Blackwell architecture-based SoC. |
If you've been patiently waiting to build or upgrade your PC with a next-gen graphics card, you might want to brace yourself for more bad news. Despite official statements to the contrary, a storm of industry rumors suggests the GPU shortage is about to get worse, with impending price hikes and potentially delayed releases shaking the market.
The rumor mill, which has been buzzing for weeks about model discontinuations, is now pointing to a more systemic issue. According to a new leak, Nvidia is significantly cutting the supply of GPUs to its add-in-card (AIC) partners, the companies like ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte that make the actual graphics cards you buy.
The Leak: A 15-20% Supply Cut and a Barren 2026?
The latest bombshell comes from known leaker ‘MEGAsizeGPU’ on X (formerly Twitter), who claims that Nvidia has reduced GPU supply to its board partners by a substantial 15% to 20%. This isn't just about one model being phased out; this suggests an overall tightening of the valve.
The implications are severe: fewer chips for partners mean fewer cards on shelves. Basic economics then takes over—scarcer supply with undiminished demand leads to one thing: even higher prices for available stock. Perhaps most alarmingly, the leaker flatly states that "there will not be any new products in 2026," pushing the widely anticipated RTX 50 Super series into limbo.
This aligns with earlier reports from Taiwanese outlet Board Channels, which cited memory shortages as the reason the RTX 5070 Super, 5070 Super Ti, and 5080 Super won't be launching anytime soon. These cards, once speculated for a Q1 2025 reveal, now appear to be on ice.
The situation on the ground seems to confirm a pullback. As previously reported, ASUS has reportedly confirmed the discontinuation of the RTX 5070 Ti, with the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB next on the chopping block. Other Board Channels reports state Nvidia has already slashed shipments of the 16GB variants of the RTX 5060 Ti and 5070 Ti, refocusing on lower-VRAM models like the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti 8GB.
This pivot away from higher-memory consumer models is a telltale sign of where Nvidia's priorities—and constrained memory supply—lie.
Nvidia's Official Stance vs. Market Reality
In the face of these reports, Nvidia maintains a official line of stability. The company has stated it "will continue to ship all GeForce SKUs" and is "working closely with our suppliers to maximize memory availability."
However, the chasm between this reassurance and the flood of discontinuation and shortage reports from downstream partners is hard to ignore. It highlights the intense competition for resources.
NVDA GPU supply to AIC has been cut down 15%-20%. The good news is that Nvidia still bundles a GPU with memory. The bad news is that there will be no new product in 2026.
— MEGAsizeGPU (@Zed__Wang) January 15, 2026
The Root Cause: AI's Insatiable Appetite
What's driving this potential crisis? Look no further than the artificial intelligence boom. The same high-bandwidth memory (HBM and GDDR) used in gaming GPUs is the lifeblood of AI accelerators. Nvidia's data center division, which sells AI chips for enormous profits, is undoubtedly the company's top priority.
When there's a global shortage of memory components, it's a simple calculus: those chips will be allocated to the $40,000 AI processors, not the $800 gaming GPUs. This creates a trickle-down scarcity that hits the consumer market hardest.
What This Means for Gamers and Builders
For the average consumer, the outlook is challenging:
- Increased Prices: If the supply cut is real, current-gen and any new RTX 50 series cards that do launch will likely carry hefty premiums.
- Longer Wait Times: The dream of a readily available, reasonably priced RTX 5070 or 5080 Super is fading for 2025.
- Strategic Shifts: Nvidia's apparent focus on lower-VRAM models may force gamers to make compromises or consider the used market.
For now, the only certainty is uncertainty. While Nvidia publicly projects confidence, the consistent whispers from its supply chain and partners paint a picture of a market bracing for another period of scarcity. If you see a card you want at a price you can stomach, pulling the trigger might be the wiser move. The wait for the next big thing could be longer, and more expensive, than anyone anticipated.