Nvidia stages a rare sale of Founders Edition Blackwell graphics cards at QuakeCon, offering a limited window to purchase at official prices as global GPU costs surge due to rising memory and manufacturing expenses.
Nvidia is using QuakeCon in Texas to stage a rare sale of its Founders Edition Blackwell graphics cards at the official list price, but the offer is likely to be brief. According to TechRadar, the company is making RTX 5070, RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 cards available through its GeForce booth under a “Verified Priority Access” scheme, with stock expected to vanish quickly.
That backdrop matters because graphics card prices are climbing again across the supply chain. Reporting from Tom’s Hardware says Nvidia’s RTX 50 series has already risen by as much as 30% in South Korea, with higher TSMC wafer costs and pricier GDDR7 memory among the main pressures. The publication said the flagship RTX 5090 has seen the sharpest increase, while distributors and local manufacturers have begun passing those costs to buyers.
The same trend is showing up in China, where TechSpot reported that MSI and other board partners have raised prices sharply on several models. Its reporting showed some RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti cards moving well beyond their suggested prices, with certain premium variants now far above launch MSRPs. Tom’s Hardware also reported that Japanese distributor CFD Sales has warned of 20% to 40% price increases on Gigabyte cards, while other reports suggest MSI, Gigabyte and Colorful are all facing similar cost pressure.
The common driver appears to be memory. Multiple reports point to rising prices for both GDDR6 and GDDR7, alongside more expensive wafers, boards, cooling hardware and packaging. In China, one analysis from Xenospectrum argued that some of the increases reflect wholesalers and retailers lifting quoted prices ahead of restocking, rather than a wholesale rewrite of official launch prices. Even so, the direction is clear: if current conditions persist, buyers outside Asia may soon face higher prices too, making Nvidia’s brief QuakeCon sale one of the few chances to buy at MSRP.
Disclaimer: This content is intended for informational purposes only. Readers are advised to exercise their own judgement, conduct due diligence, or consult a qualified expert before acting on any information provided.
