Memory Shortage Drives GPU Rationing: Retailers Limit High-End Graphics Card Sales Amid AI Infrastructure Demands

German retailers are rationing high-end graphics cards while scalpers sell RAM for over $2,000—AI’s insatiable appetite for memory is reshaping the PC hardware market.

European PC retailer u/Gb2753 reports supplier restrictions limiting RTX 5070 orders to 5 units per customer.

RTX 5070 Ti and higher models are "completely unavailable." A supplier cited "due to the current market situation" in an email, confirming allocation controls.

DDR5 16GB chip spot prices surged 450% in Q4 2025, while NAND chip prices rose 246% year-over-year per Kingston representative. Scalper prices for DDR5 kits now exceed $2,000, reflecting extreme supply constraints.

Japanese retailer Tsukumo eX. enforces a 1 GPU limit per purchase, with PC orders paused until 2026 due to component shortages.

Nvidia ceased VRAM supply to board partners in late November 2025, directly impacting high-end GPUs requiring 16GB+ GDDR7 memory.