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Could this be the end of the road for some manufacturers?
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- Rumor suggests Nvidia could stop supplying partners with video RAM
- Normally, VRAM is bundled with the chip when sold to card makers
- If true, Nvidia would leave the sourcing of VRAM to the individual makers – and that could be a real problem for smaller firms
Nvidia might stop providing video RAM (VRAM) alongside its GPU chips when supplying the third-party graphics card makers that it works with.
VideoCardz noticed that over on Weibo, Golden Pig Upgrade, a regular leaker of all things GPU-related, claims that Nvidia is only going to supply the chip itself, and not the video memory, to its partners like Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and so on.
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The standard practice in the world of PC graphics cards is for the chip makers AMD, Intel and Nvidia to manufacture the actual GPU chip (of course) and then bundle that with the required quantity (and spec) of VRAM in a package sent to the card maker – which then sources everything else (the printed circuit board and other components) and puts it all together.
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If Nvidia changes tack as suggested, this means those partners will need to separately source and buy the correct spec video RAM to go with every model they produce.
This may not be true – add plenty of skepticism with any rumor, naturally – but it does make some sense, and it would be very bad news for some graphics card makers if it is genuinely what Nvidia's planning, as I'll discuss next.
Analysis: going the way of EVGA?
Let's tackle those points in order, first considering why this rumor fits with the current picture of PC components. As you've surely noticed, the price of RAM has shot through the roof recently – it's been a steep, near-vertical rise over the past month or so – and this also affects video RAM (and SSDs as a side note).
With RAM modules becoming scarcer for everyone, and pricier as a result, Nvidia may be looking to prioritize its AI GPUs more in terms of memory allocations, as this is the booming area – the AI gold rush is a big part of the reason for all these RAM woes in the first place – and where the really lucrative profits lie.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.That seems entirely plausible, or inevitable even – profit is, of course, the paramount concern – but this focus on AI GPUs could make it more difficult for Nvidia to fulfil obligations on the consumer side of the equation in terms of bundled VRAM for GeForce graphics card makers.
Now, onto why this is bad news if Nvidia really is pursuing this policy and simply ditching bundled memory and letting board makers fend for themselves. This is going to be problematic for smaller card manufacturers who don't have connections in the industry and are likely to be ignored by RAM suppliers as small fry. Those kinds of outfits may not be able to procure the necessary VRAM, so this could be the end of the road for their Nvidia GPU ambitions (which reminds me of EVGA quitting from Team Green's stable a few years back).
For PC gamers, this could ultimately mean fewer Nvidia graphics cards on the shelves and less choice. At the same time, those bigger board makers who can source their own VRAM are going to pay more for it – they aren't going to be able to negotiate the kind of volume purchasing discounts Nvidia can doubtless muscle through – and so the cost of making graphics cards will increase. This would be on top of the hikes that are already being driven by those RAM price rises (if they continue, and the prediction is they will throughout 2026).
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So, in short, there'll be fewer choices and more costly GPUs if Nvidia goes down this road. Furthermore, remember that AMD is rumored to be instigating a 10% price hike across all its Radeon graphics cards.
It's not a pretty picture overall, is it? But Team Green's purported VRAM plan may not happen with any luck, and it could be mere errant gossip from the grapevine, or an idea Nvidia is currently mulling, but eventually decides against.
It is, however, another piece of evidence in the growing pile of assertions that if you want to get a good price on a graphics card, the current Black Friday GPU deals might be your last port of call to grab a bargain. (And that's also true for a full PC, for that matter).
The best graphics cards for all budgetsOur top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons➡️ Read our full guide to the best graphics card1. Best overall: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT2. Best budget: Intel Arc B5803. Best Nvidia:Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti4. Best AMD:AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
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TOPICS Nvidia Darren AllanDarren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).
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