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If you're waiting for GPU prices to drop so you can finally finish building your gaming PC, know that this may be the wrong decision. Nvidia may be scrapping the launch of new graphics cards for consumers in 2026, a first for the company in 30 years, as part of broader worrying GPU trends that have not been seen before. The cause lies in the global shortage of GDDR7 memory and in the company's decision to prioritize Artificial Intelligence over games.

According to Tom's Guide, Nvidia canceled the "kicker" project, which would have been the Super line of the RTX 50 series. These updates usually bring improved hardware, so the lines get an upgrade between one generation and the next, but even with the designs already finalized, the company decided that the launch is not viable. The worst part is that anyone who expected to skip the RTX 50 generation and start preparing for the RTX 60 launch will also need to wait a bit longer. The delay in the 2026 refresh has pushed mass production of the next-generation cards to 2028. That means a gap of almost three years between the main GPUs, so buyers looking for cheaper GPUs instead of RTX 50 cards may actually be better off buying sooner than later, as the price of even the RTX 5070 and 5060 Ti can rise above MSRP.

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If you have already built your gaming PC and are waiting for the perfect chance to upgrade your GPU to a newer model, the other parts in your desktop are losing value in the meantime. CPUs, motherboards, and even RAM have a faster market cycle, especially when you have not moved to DDR5 and remain on DDR4. So, a platform that people may consider excellent today can become outdated soon. There is also the issue related to your product warranties.

If you have already bought some parts for your PC, the support period from suppliers is already running during this time. So, if any of these components have a problem, the repair window or the replacement window may have ended before you even get the chance to enjoy your PC. Additionally, because of these investments in the AI market, those data centers are already driving up the prices of everyday items, and the number of GPU units through retailers will shrink even more as a result. With no prospect of improvement in the coming months, buying a GPU now is the safer choice.