Back to 8 GB: NVIDIA Scales Down Production of High-End GPUs Amid Memory Crisis

A critical shortage and rapid price surge in video memory (DRAM) have forced NVIDIA to prioritize the production of models with minimal VRAM capacity. This is very bad news for gamers, for whom 8 GB is no longer sufficient for a modern gaming experience.

Goodbye, 16 GB

According to reports from Board Channels, shipments of graphics cards with larger memory capacities are being significantly reduced. For example, production volumes of the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB are being cut sharply, while the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 are already considered scarce and are disappearing entirely from store shelves.

The market is expected to be filled with base versions of the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti with 8 GB of memory — models that gamers previously tried to boycott due to their inability to meet modern game requirements.

Why Is 8 GB the New Standard?

The reasons behind 8 GB becoming the new standard are quite pragmatic: DRAM prices are currently hitting record highs, making the production of high-memory cards simply unprofitable and too expensive. Promoting 8 GB models allows NVIDIA to:

• Maintain sales in the mass-market segment.
• Reduce production costs.
• Allocate limited memory chip supplies more efficiently.

What’s Next: Forecast for 2026

Experts warn that this is only the beginning. The shortage is expected to worsen further in the second quarter of 2026. Against this backdrop, the price of the flagship RTX 5090 could soar to $5,000.

This could turn gaming into a niche for the chosen few, while the majority will be forced to settle for minimal texture settings constrained by 8 GB of memory.