The question is a discussion prompt, not a pricing investigation. Still, the data behind it is concrete enough to frame an answer. This piece sets out what the numbers show, what they don't show, and how to work out your own limit.
What the survey measured
TechSpot's survey covers 10 countries: the US, Australia, Germany, the UK, Canada, India, the Philippines, Brazil, Poland and the Netherlands. Its main data points are October and September prices. It also uses February 2026 prices to show how much costs have risen over the year.
The method matters for how you read the figures:
- These are not average prices. TechSpot records the single lowest price for an in-stock model in each region. It finds that price on local comparison sites and checks that the card can actually be bought.
- The cheapest listing is often a base model. It may be sold by only one retailer. TechSpot says you will likely pay more for a premium model such as an Asus ROG Strix than for a Gigabyte Windforce or PNY OC.
- Inflation is measured against a local MSRP. TechSpot converts the launch dollar MSRP into each country's currency, factoring in tax, then compares the retail price to that figure.
Read the numbers as a floor, not as a typical checkout price.
The headline numbers
The 35% figure comes from stacking monthly increases. According to TechSpot, GPUs became 7% more expensive in September and 15% more expensive in August, and prices rose 11% in October. Across the 10 countries, TechSpot puts GPU prices at 44% above MSRP on average. The report says they are as high as 58% above in Canada and the US.
The RTX 5070 is the card named in the prompt. In the US, TechSpot lists its lowest in-stock price at $900 in October. That compares with $840 in September, $550 in February and a $549 launch MSRP. That is 64% above MSRP in the US and about 48% above globally. NVIDIA's original announcement confirms the $549 launch price.
US lowest in-stock prices, October 2026
The table is TechSpot's data. These are not recommended prices.
| GPU | Launch MSRP | US lowest price | Above MSRP (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5050 | $249 | $420 | 69% |
| RTX 5060 | $299 | $450 | 51% |
| RTX 5060 Ti 8GB | $379 | $530 | 40% |
| RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | $429 | $790 | 84% |
| RTX 5070 | $549 | $900 | 64% |
| RTX 5070 Ti | $749 | $1,250 | 67% |
| RTX 5080 | $999 | $2,200 | 120% |
| RTX 5090 | $1,999 | $9,400 | 370% |
| RX 9060 XT 8GB | $299 | $500 | 67% |
| RX 9060 XT 16GB | $349 | $620 | 78% |
| RX 9070 | $549 | $700 | 28% |
| RX 9070 XT | $599 | $870 | 45% |
| Arc B570 | $219 | $290 | 32% |
| Arc B580 | $249 | $350 | 41% |
The spread is wide. A budget buyer faces a roughly 40–70% markup on the entry-level cards. At the top of the range, the RTX 5090 listing sits almost five times above launch price. TechSpot reports that Nvidia denies the card has been discontinued. It judges that the card has effectively vanished from the gaming market in practice.
Why prices are rising
TechSpot points to the memory crisis as one factor. Its evidence shows memory alone doesn't explain everything:
- The RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5060 Ti 16GB both carry 16GB of GDDR7. Yet TechSpot says the 5070 Ti has seen an additional $150 price increase, so not all of the hikes can be pinned on memory.
- On the RTX 5080, TechSpot says the 16GB of GDDR7 on this card has not become $700 more expensive. It suggests other factors, possibly including price gouging, AI demand and the scarcity of the RTX 5090.
- TechSpot notes that Newegg had no RTX 5080s sold directly by the retailer when it collected data. That left only expensive third-party listings.
- It also mentions an unconfirmed rumor that Nvidia will replace the 16GB RTX 5080 with a 24GB version in early 2027. It says nothing has been confirmed.
Treat the causes as informed hypotheses. TechSpot also cites retail-industry sources who expect further rises. That is a prediction, not a measurement.
Radeon and Arc
Radeon is not a clear refuge this time. TechSpot says Radeon GPUs rose more than GeForce this month, excluding the RTX 5090. The RX 9060 XT 16GB was hit hardest, up 17% on average month over month.
Value comparisons still favor AMD in TechSpot's analysis. The RX 9060 XT 16GB remains 20–40% cheaper than the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB in all regions it tracked. On average across the 10 regions, the RX 9070 XT costs about the same as an RTX 5070. TechSpot's 52-game benchmark found it 25% faster, with more VRAM. That is TechSpot's test, not a verdict for every game, workload or feature preference. Another outlet, WindowsForum's own earlier build coverage, repeats the same benchmark figure and reaches a similar value conclusion for 4K builds.
Intel's Arc B580 is 41% above MSRP in the US at $350. TechSpot notes it is up 10% month over month, with an especially high UK price that it attributes to supply issues.
So how much is too much?
There is no universal answer, and the source does not claim one. TechSpot's $300 and $500 reference points are framing, not a verified price-history analysis. These questions help set your own ceiling:
- Is the purchase a need or a want? Replacing a dead or inadequate card is a different decision from a discretionary upgrade.
- What will you run? Resolution, refresh rate and the VRAM your games or workloads need matter more than the model name. TechSpot's guide treats 16GB as the practical minimum above $400.
- How long will you keep it? A card used for several years amortizes the premium. One you will swap in 12 months does not.
- Which tradeoff will you accept? Options include waiting, buying used, dropping a tier or switching vendors. TechSpot's data shows the vendor choice alone can change the bill by a lot.
- What does your local market look like? The US and Canada are hit hardest in this survey. Brazil, the Philippines and Australia are doing better than average.
A rough rule: compare the card's cost per frame against the next tier down, not against the launch MSRP. TechSpot's own view is that little reason exists to expect relief. It says the days of buying at MSRP are becoming a distant memory.
Bottom line
The best-supported takeaway is narrow. In TechSpot's October 2026 survey, the cheapest verified in-stock US RTX 5070 was about $900. That is $351 over its $549 launch price. It sits against a 35% three-month rise across the tracked cards. Whether that price is too much depends on your budget, your games and your patience. Forum readers can weigh in on what they would pay and what they would skip.