If you were hoping the GeForce RTX 5090 would somehow become less brutal on the wallet, bad news bro: the opposite may be happening.
According to supply chain chatter from Chinese Board Channels, NVIDIA is reportedly getting ready to raise the price of its GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5090D V2 GPUs for add-in card partners. The reported increase is around US$300, or roughly 2,000 RMB, for NVIDIA’s board partners who buy the GPU packages from NVIDIA before turning them into retail graphics cards.
For Malaysian PC gamers, that US$300 jump is already around RM1,400 before we even talk about SST, distributor margins, retailer markups, forex movement, and the usual “new flagship GPU tax”. In other words, if this cost makes its way down the chain, local RTX 5090 cards could become even more ridiculous at retail.
Why the price hike is happening
The key issue here is GDDR7 memory.
The RTX 5090 uses NVIDIA’s GB202 GPU and high-end GDDR7 memory, and the report claims memory pricing has risen sharply. NVIDIA had apparently been absorbing that extra cost for a while, but may now be passing it on to AIC partners instead.
That matters because graphics card brands do not simply buy the GPU die alone. NVIDIA reportedly provides partners with a full “GPU kit”, which includes the GPU itself plus the required GDDR7 memory. This setup is actually important: if every board partner had to hunt for GDDR7 on its own, card production would likely become slower, messier, and even more expensive.
NVIDIA’s scale usually gives it better leverage when buying memory in volume. But when supply gets tight enough, even big-volume buyers can kena. The report says demand has drained available GDDR7 stock across the supply chain, with lead times now stretching into weeks.
SEA gamers may feel this harder
For US buyers, a US$300 increase is painful. For Malaysia and Southeast Asia, the impact can snowball.
High-end GPUs already arrive here with extra layers of cost: import logistics, local warranty support, currency conversion, distributor pricing, and retailer margins. When the base component cost rises, the final shelf price rarely increases by the exact same amount. Sometimes it climbs more.
That means Malaysian buyers eyeing an RTX 5090 for 4K gaming, AI workloads, 3D rendering, or creator work may need to budget even higher than expected. And let’s be real, RTX 5090-class cards were never “normal gamer” pricing to begin with. This is the kind of GPU aimed at enthusiasts, studios, heavy creators, and people building no-compromise rigs.
The more interesting knock-on effect could be on the rest of the GPU market. If RTX 5090 pricing rises, used high-end cards may hold value longer. RTX 5080 and RTX 4090 listings could also look more attractive to buyers who want performance without paying ultra-flagship tax. In Malaysia, that usually means more people hunting Carousell, Facebook Marketplace, and local PC shops for better deals.
Should you buy now or wait?
If you genuinely need RTX 5090 performance for work, waiting may not help much if this report plays out and pricing moves upward. But if your goal is mainly gaming, it is worth asking whether you really need the absolute top card.
For most Malaysian gamers, the smarter move may still be to target better value tiers, especially if you are gaming at 1440p or ultrawide. The RTX 5090 is monster hardware, but if GDDR7 shortages keep pushing prices up, the value story gets harder to defend.
For now, treat this as a reported supply chain move rather than an official NVIDIA announcement. But with memory demand rising and high-end GPU supply already sensitive, this is definitely one to watch.
Source: TechPowerUp