Summary

  • Nvidia might cut discrete GPU production up to 40% in Q1 2026 due to the ongoing memory shortage.
  • Production could shift to the more profitable RTX Pro and higher-bandwidth, lower-VRAM cards (e.g. RTX 5080).
  • The memory crunch could hike GPU and laptop prices.

It's another day, and surprise, just like clockwork, a new hardware shortage report has appeared. This time, though, the report is focused on Nvidia potentially cutting GPU production by up to 40% in 2026.

The report, which was first posted on the China-based Board Channels Forum (via Benchlife, Overclock3D), states that Nvidia is reportedly planning to pull back on discrete GPU production in the first half of 2026, implying that the ongoing memory shortage is affecting GPUs (likely due to increased NAND and DRAM costs). This, in turn, impacts PC prices and sales, which are expected to be down next year.

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Nvidia will likely focus production on its more profitable GPUs

The memory crisis is starting to hit other PC hardware components

In an interesting twist, the report doesn't mention GeForce RTX Pro series GPUs, the tech giant's professional-grade graphics processors designed for workstations, AI, design, engineering, and enterprise workloads, so it's possible that, if GDDR7 memory supply is limited, Nvidia will allocate its resources towards its profitable RTX Pro GPU series. With that in mind, it's likely the tech giant will adjust its GPU production to focus on its most profitable cards, like the RTX 5080, for example, while pulling away from GPUs that sell less, like the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and RTX 5070 Ti.

...depending on what GPU models Nvidia focuses on, this shift in production could drive up the cost of at least some of Nvidia's GPUs.

As the ongoing memory crisis continues, it's not surprising to see it begin to impact the GPU market, forcing Nvidia to focus its graphics card production on units with lower memory and higher bandwidth. On the other hand, this isn't exactly great news if you're a gamer looking for a high-end GPU with ample VRAM -- this definitely isn't the time to be building a new PC. It's also worth considering that, depending on what GPU models Nvidia focuses on, this shift in production strategy could drive up the cost of at least some of Nvidia's GPUs, particularly lower-end models historically don't sell as well.

In other hardware shortage news, Samsung is reportedly doubling its DDR5 RAM prices, and mid-range laptops are expected to mostly feature only 8GB of RAM (and cost more) in 2026.