Paul’s Hardware

How Bad Is It? GPU / RAM / SSD Price Watch - June

Paul's Hardware’s June price‑watch video examines the lingering component shortage, focusing on U.S. retail listings from PCPartPicker. The host explains his methodology—averaging the ten lowest verified prices and flagging outliers—to provide a realistic snapshot of what consumers can actually buy. GPU pricing remains stubbornly high. While a few Nvidia models (e.g., RTX 5060 and RTX 5070) saw modest price reductions, premium cards with 16 GB or more VRAM still trade 25‑30% above MSRP, and the RTX 5090 tops $4,000, more than double its $2,000 launch price. AMD’s Radeon 9070 XT dropped $60, but most high‑end Radeon 9000 series cards sit near or above their MSRP, offering limited relief. Memory costs tell a harsher story. DDR5 32 GB kits have jumped to $385‑$390, a near‑500% increase from pre‑crisis levels, while 64 GB kits now approach $600‑$800. DDR4 remains the only affordable alternative, holding steady around $180 for comparable capacities. Intel’s Arc line struggles with availability and pricing, with entry‑level B580/B570 cards now $300, making Nvidia’s RTX 5050 a more attractive option. The data underscores that building a modern PC—especially for AI or high‑resolution gaming—has become significantly more expensive. Buyers must weigh legacy DDR4 platforms or lower‑VRAM GPUs against inflated premium components, while manufacturers face pressure to stabilize supply and pricing.