The RTX 5090 is already out of reach for us mere PC gaming mortals, but board prices could make it a mythical beast
I'm going to level with you: I don't even react to RTX 5090 price increases these days. Yes, it might be the best graphics card out there in terms of sheer power, but that means nothing if the average PC player has a better chance of seeing Nessie than adding the card to their rig.
However, things could now get a lot worse for the RTX 5090 thanks to board price increases linked to GDDR7 costs. A Board Channels post highlighted by Videocardz signals that the boards used by the GPU are set to increase by $300, but Nvidia hasn't announced any MSRP changes as of yet.
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AI data centre demand and the whole "RAMageddon" situation really are stifling the gaming PC scene right now. Everything from DDR5 RAM to the aforementioned GPUs and even storage is rapidly ramping up in price, and honestly? There's very little you can do about that. The wisest move you can make is to keep specs sensible, which means looking at the GeForce RTX 5070 as a more realistic buy, and trying to reuse any parts you can.
It's instances like these RTX 5090 board price hikes, that have me treating 2026 like a gap year from PC building. That's not actually a bad thing if you're into the idea of mini PCs like the upcoming Steam Machine, as while it's also going through some price turmoil of its own, it could be a good time to explore whether you're actually into using compact rigs that act like consoles.
I'm not saying don't buy components for your gaming PC. Instead, I'm trying to suggest that, rather than dwelling on absurd pricing, you can just not give the currently ravenous industry your money, especially when costs are unjustifiably spiralling. If that means dragging back out some of the best retro consoles and games from yesteryear, then so be it, but the point is that no one needs horrifying RTX 5090 price thoughts spoiling their day.
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Phil is the Hardware Editor at GamesRadar+ who specializes in retro console setups, choosing the latest gaming handhelds, and navigating the choppy seas of using modern-day PC hardware. In the past, they have covered everything from retro gaming history to the latest gaming news, in-depth features, and tech advice for publications like TechRadar, The Daily Star, the BBC, PCGamesN, and Den of Geek. In their spare time, they pour hours into fixing old consoles, modding Game Boys, exploring ways to get the most out of the Steam Deck, and blasting old CRT TV visuals into their eye sockets.
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