How much did GPU prices actually increase?

Reports put the range at 10% to as much as 40%, depending on the model. The clearest local example: the ASUS GeForce RTX 5050 went from ₱20,995 to ₱24,600 — roughly 17% in a single adjustment. And this was not the first one. There were 10% to 15% increases in January and May 2026, so the August round is the third this year.

Will GPU prices go back down?

Not this year, and most likely not in 2027 either. The shortage is driven by memory supply, and building new memory capacity takes years, hindi buwan. The first real relief is expected around the last quarter of 2027. If you are waiting for a drop before buying, that wait will probably cost you more than buying today.

Should I buy a GPU now or wait?

Buy now if you genuinely need one now. Waiting only works when prices are falling, and that is not what is happening. But do not panic-buy a higher tier than you need either. The smart move in this market is simple: get the card that matches your monitor and the games you play, hindi iyong para sa 2029.

What is the best value GPU in the Philippines right now?

The Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC 8GB at ₱20,499 — this is the cleanest answer for 1080p gaming, and we have plenty in stock. If your budget is tighter, the Colorful RTX 3050 6GB at ₱17,000 still handles 1080p competitive games. And at the very bottom, the BIOSTAR RX580 8GB at ₱8,140 still works — surprisingly, it remains the cheapest way into 1080p gaming.

Is it still worth buying a last-gen GPU like the RTX 4060 Ti?

Yes, and in this market it is often the smarter buy. The MSI RTX 4060 Ti Ventus 8GB OC 2X is ₱26,200 and we still have plenty of it. Last-gen cards sitting in local inventory were bought at the old cost, kaya hindi pa sila buong tinamaan ng bagong price. While stock lasts, they give you more performance per peso than the equivalent new card.

How much VRAM do I need in 2026?

For 1080p gaming, 8GB is still enough for almost every game. For 1440p, or if you keep textures on high, 16GB is the safer buy — that is where the Gigabyte RX 9060 XT 16GB Gaming OC ICE at ₱32,499 comes in. One thing to remember: VRAM is the exact part getting expensive right now, so a 16GB card will not get cheaper any time soon. Kung kaya ng budget mo ngayon, kunin mo na.

Are laptop and prebuilt PC prices affected too?

Yes, but the effect is slower. Laptop and prebuilt makers buy in bulk, so they have earlier stock locked in at the old cost. As that runs out, the price of each new batch creeps up. That means a gaming laptop on the shelf today is usually cheaper than the one replacing it — one of the few places where waiting actively hurts you.

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GPU Prices Philippines 2026: Why They Went Up 40% and What to Buy Now

By Unicorp Team•September 8, 2026

GPU prices rose 10% to as much as 40% in 2026 — and this is already the third increase this year. Same AI memory shortage that hit RAM and SSD. Here is why it happened, the real numbers, at ang mga card na may stock pa sa lumang price, from the RX 580 at ₱8,140 up to the RX 9070 XT.

Key Takeaways

GPU prices went up 10% to as much as 40% in 2026 — and this is already the third increase this year.
Same cause as the RAM and SSD hike: AI datacenter demand is eating the memory supply. Every GPU carries GDDR, kaya kasama silang nadamay.
It will not come down in 2027. Building new memory capacity takes years, hindi buwan — so waiting does not help you.
Best value right now: RX 7600 8GB at ₱20,499 for 1080p, and RX 9060 XT 16GB at ₱32,499 if you are on 1440p.

If you priced a graphics card last month and got a shock this month, hindi ka nag-iisa, Bossing. The numbers moved again — and this is now the third increase of 2026. We know why, and more importantly, we know what is still worth buying while it lasts.

This is the companion piece to our RAM and SSD price guide — same shortage, same reason, ibang parte lang ng PC. We will show you how much it actually went up, why it happened, and which cards still have stock at the old price.

The Damage

Gaano Ba Kalaki ang Tinaas?

+40%

Biggest jump on some models

+17%

RTX 5050, in one adjustment

Price increases this year

This was not one big increase — it was three, back to back. There was a 10% to 15% jump in January, another one in May, and the biggest one landed in August 2026. So if the last time you checked was a year ago, you missed two or three steps along the way.

₱20,995

ASUS RTX 5050 — old price

₱24,600

ASUS RTX 5050 — new price

Same card, ₱3,605 apart

That is one adjustment, not one year. Nothing about the card changed — same silicon, same VRAM, same box. What changed is the cost of the memory attached to it. This is the clearest example of what is happening across the whole market.

Here is what dealers are projecting for the higher tiers. Hindi pa ito lahat naka-lock, but this is the direction things are moving:

Projected Range

Implied Increase

RTX 5070 Ti

₱80,000 – ₱95,000

~25%

RTX 5070

₱55,000 – ₱65,000

~14% – 26%

RTX 5060 Ti 16GB

₱40,000 – ₱50,000

~6% – 18%

It is not just us

Japan got the same increases on July 28, and South Korea followed. This is a global adjustment, hindi local markup ng mga tindahan dito. If you still find a card below the new pricing, that is old stock — at hindi iyon tatagal.

The Cause

Why GPUs Got Dragged Into a Memory Shortage

The usual question: bakit tumaas ang GPU kung RAM naman ang kulang? Simple lang ang sagot — every graphics card carries its own memory. The GDDR soldered onto your card comes from the same factories making the DDR5 and the HBM that AI datacenters are buying. Isang pila lang iyon, and we are not at the front of it.

Every GPU carries VRAM

An 8GB card carries 8GB of GDDR. When memory gets expensive, the cost of every card rises with it — at mas malaki ang tama sa 16GB models kaysa sa 8GB.

AI is first in line

Datacenter memory earns far more per wafer than the GDDR that goes into a gaming card. That is where manufacturers are sending their capacity — pure business decision iyon.

Wafers got expensive too

TSMC advanced-node pricing is the second factor. Hindi lang memory ang nagmahal — the cost of manufacturing the GPU chip itself went up as well.

This takes years to fix

Building a new memory fab takes years. Ang unang senyales ng paggaan ay nasa huling quarter pa ng 2027 — hindi ngayong taon.

GPU price increases in 2026

Jan

First hike

10% – 15%

May

Second hike

10% – 15%

Aug

Third hike

Up to 40%

What to Buy

Ang May Stock Pa sa Lumang Price

Everything on this list has stock with us as of writing, Bossing. This is not a ranking of the most powerful cards — ranking ito ng pinaka-sulit kada piso in a market like this one.

Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC 8GB

#1 Pick8GB GDDR61080pPlenty in stock

₱20,499 · The cleanest answer for 1080p

This is still the best value card in our catalog, and it has not been hit as hard by the new pricing. Solid 1080p performance across every modern game, and 8GB is plenty at that resolution. Kung isang card lang ang bibilhin mo ngayong taon and you are on a 1080p monitor, dito ka na huminto.

9.1/ 10

MSI RTX 4060 Ti Ventus 8GB OC 2X

8GB GDDR6DLSS 3Biggest stock we have

₱26,200 · Last-gen, and that is exactly the point

This is our largest GPU stock, and there is a good reason for it: it was bought at the old cost, kaya hindi pa siya buong tinamaan ng bagong price. You also get DLSS 3 with Frame Generation, which the AMD cards at this price do not have. While stock lasts, this is one of the smartest buys on the whole list.

8.8/ 10

Gigabyte Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB Gaming OC ICE

16GB GDDR61440pPlenty in stock

₱32,499 · If you are on 1440p

Go here if you have a 1440p monitor, or if you do not want to think about VRAM for the next three years. 16GB ito — and remember, VRAM is the exact part that is getting expensive, so a 16GB card will not get cheaper any time soon. Kung kaya ng budget ngayon, kunin mo na.

8.6/ 10

BIOSTAR RX580 8GB

8GB GDDR5Competitive gamesPlenty in stock

₱8,140 · The floor

It is old, we will admit that — but at ₱8,140, this is still the cheapest way into 1080p gaming. Valorant, CS2, Dota 2 and League all run fine. Kung kulang ang budget ngayon and you do not want to wait a year, this is the honest answer.

8.1/ 10

Cash Price

What it is for

Availability

BIOSTAR RX580 8GB (Black)

₱8,140

1080p competitive games — the cheapest way in

Plenty ✓

SIMORCHIP GTX 1660S 6GB

₱11,000

A step up from the RX 580

Plenty

ASUS Dual RTX 3050 6GB

₱12,499

Entry NVIDIA — may DLSS

Plenty

COLORFUL RTX 3050 6GB V4-V

₱17,000

Stronger 1080p, quieter cooler

Plenty ✓

Gigabyte RX 7600 Gaming OC 8GB

₱20,499

The sweet spot for 1080p

Plenty ✓

Gigabyte RTX 5060 Windforce MAX OC 8GB

₱22,999

Newest NVIDIA on the list

Limited

MSI RTX 4060 Ti Ventus 8GB OC 2X

₱26,200

Last-gen bargain — DLSS 3 Frame Gen

Plenty ✓

Gigabyte RX 9060 XT 16GB Gaming OC ICE

₱32,499

1440p and 16GB of VRAM

Plenty ✓

Gigabyte RX 9070 XT 16GB Gaming OC

₱52,499

High-end 1440p up to 4K

Plenty ✓

Prices move fast in 2026

These numbers were correct when this was written, pero tatlong beses nang nagbago ang market ngayong taon lang. Check the branch or the 3D PC Builder for live pricing and stock bago ka bumili.

The Advice

Four Rules While the Market Is Like This

Do not wait for a price drop

This is the hard part to accept, Bossing: hindi bababa ang price sa mga susunod na buwan. The first real relief is expected in the last quarter of 2027. Kung kailangan mo ngayon, bilhin mo ngayon.

Buy for your monitor, not for 2029

On a 1080p monitor, an 8GB card is the correct buy — hindi iyong 16GB na kinain ang budget ng CPU mo. Panic-buying a higher tier than you need is the most common way people waste money right now.

Look at last-gen while stock lasts

Cards that have been sitting in inventory were bought at the old cost. That is why the RTX 4060 Ti at ₱26,200 is better value today than some newer cards. Habang may stock lang ito.

Check your PSU before you buy

Sayang ang biyahe if your power supply cannot handle the new card. Read our PSU guide first — a correct PSU is much cheaper than a dead GPU.

1080p Starter

₱8,140BIOSTAR RX580 8GB

Competitive games at 1080p, at the lowest price you can get today.

8GB GDDR5
Valorant, CS2, Dota 2
Plenty in stock

1080p Sweet SpotRecommended

₱20,499Gigabyte RX 7600 8GB

This is what we recommend to most people. Every modern game at 1080p.

8GB GDDR6
Solid 1080p high settings
Not hit as hard by the hike
Plenty in stock

1440p and VRAM Headroom

₱32,499Gigabyte RX 9060 XT 16GB

For a 1440p monitor, or if you do not want to worry about VRAM for a few years.

16GB GDDR6
1440p high settings
Plenty in stock

The Bottom Line

There is no clever way to beat a global shortage, Bossing — but there is a smart way to keep it from hurting you. Ganito ang tamang pag-iisip ngayong 2026: buy the card that matches your monitor, now, while there is stock. The old advice — "mag-ipon ka muna, baka bumaba" — was written back when prices actually fell. Today, waiting is the most expensive decision you can make: three increases in one year, at wala pang senyales ng pagbaba hanggang 2027. If you are on 1080p, the RX 7600 at ₱20,499 is the answer and you do not need to think harder than that. On 1440p, the RX 9060 XT 16GB. And if the budget is genuinely tight, there is nothing wrong with the RX 580 at ₱8,140 — gumagana pa rin siya, and it is better to be gaming today than waiting a year for a card that costs even more.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Same root cause as the RAM and SSD hike: AI datacenter demand. Every modern graphics card carries GDDR memory, and memory makers are prioritising the AI chips that earn them far more per wafer. When VRAM supply tightens, the cost of every card rises with it. TSMC wafer pricing for advanced nodes is a second factor. Hindi ito local markup — this is worldwide, and Japan and South Korea got the same increases in July and August 2026.

Live pricing and branch stock

See the real price before you buy

In a market like this, you want to see the running total right away. Pick your parts in the 3D PC Builder and you will see live pricing and which branch has stock — bago ka pa umalis ng bahay.

Open the 3D PC Builder

Kaugnay na basahin: RAM and SSD Prices 2026 for the other half of the shortage, PC Parts Price Guide for the full component list, RTX 4060 vs RX 7600 kung nag-aalangan ka sa dalawa, and PSU Buying Guide before you swap your card. Nasa pricelist ang buong listahan.