The window to buy a new graphics card at MSRP has closed. Recent reports suggest ASUS paused production of certain NVIDIA models due to memory shortages, though both companies have disputed this. The AI boom has created market panic, sending prices for cards like the RTX 5070 Ti soaring. It's now nearly impossible to find any GPU at its recommended price.

For builders needing an upgrade now, the advice is to target cards with at least 12GB of VRAM, preferably 16GB. Models with 8GB of VRAM are becoming obsolete for modern gaming. The best current value is the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB, which offers strong performance for around $400, though still above its $350 MSRP.

If you must buy NVIDIA, the GeForce RTX 5070 is one of the few models that hasn't skyrocketed in price, though its 12GB of VRAM is a limitation. For better overall value, consider the AMD Radeon RX 9070 or RX 9070 XT. Until the market stabilizes, tools like PCPartPicker are essential for tracking real-time pricing across retailers.