PC Partner, a major graphics card manufacturer behind consumer brands like Zotac, Inno3D, and Manli, has warned that GPUGPU. Graphics Processing Unit — the chip that renders the game's visuals; the main driver of framerate and image quality. supply will tighten significantly through the second half of this year. The shortages are expected to hit entry-level cards hardest, driving up prices at the affordable end of the market.
What changed: GPU supply is shrinking quarter-over-quarter, with year-end worse than Q3. Why it matters: Entry-level Nvidia and AMD cards face severe shortages and price hikes. Who should care: Budget-conscious PC builders and anyone planning a GPU purchase soon.
Supply Trajectory
| Period | Supply Trend | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 (current baseline) | Reference point | — |
| Q3 | Below Q2 | GPU and memory constraints |
| Year-end | Lower than Q3 | Extended lead times across components |
Component Constraints
The supply crunch extends beyond GPUs and memory. According to Benchlife, other critical parts of the manufacturing process are also affected:
- PCBs — longer lead times versus last year
- Power componentry — extended wait periods
- GPU silicon — data centre demand competing for allocation
Benchlife independently confirmed that Nvidia’s RTX Blackwell GPU supply follows the declining trajectory PC Partner outlined: Q3 is already below Q2, and year-end supply will drop further still.
Market Impact
The timing is particularly rough for the budget segment. Higher-end cards like the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and RTX 5070 have already climbed to around $800. If entry-level options such as the RTX 5050 absorb similar pricing pressure, the accessible end of the GPU market could see substantial price inflation—raising the floor for what constitutes an affordable graphics card.
This isn’t a single-bottleneck problem. With PCBs, power components, and GPU silicon all experiencing stretched lead times, manufacturers face compounding constraints that limit how quickly supply can recover even if one bottleneck eases.
Expect GPU availability to contract further through Q4, with price pressure mounting fastest on entry-level models. Builders targeting budget upgrades should monitor pricing closely over the coming weeks, as the window for reasonable deals may close before year-end.