Buying An AMD GPU Used To Be Wildly Cheaper In 2006 Vs. 2026

Comparing pricing on AMD graphics cards to 2026 prices is a fascinating look back to the time just as AMD was entering the graphics card market. At the time, ATI was producing the Radeon brand, which had effectively become Nvidia's only real competitor on the market. Older brands and GPUs like 3dfx had fallen by the wayside, as the pace picked up with the HD era on the horizon. Since being purchased, the ATI brand has been phased out, but AMD has kept the Radeon branding around.

In 2006, ATI had the X1000 series, including the cards launched post-AMD acquisition such as the X1300 XT and X1650 Pro, priced at $89 and $99 MSRP respectively, on the budget end. Expanding to the higher-end hardware, Radeon X1950 XTX and the X1950XTX CrossFire Edition came in at $449, while a 256MB version of the ATI Radeon X1900 XT cost $279. Adjusting these for inflation, we wind up with:

Compared to the MSRP of the current RX series, these old cards would likely be more expensive than the newer cards if there was a massive hardware price crisis. As companies race to get as much out of the AI industry as possible, it has caused a huge shortage in memory chips required for the GPUs. Video RAM and memory RAM are sourced from the same pool, and with shortages expected into 2028 as AI data centers hoover up hardware, the 2026 prices on modern GPUs blow the 2006 prices out of the water.

AMD was once known as the budget option to Nvidia's dominance, but since it gained some footholds with the RX 6000 and 7000, it became a genuine competitor with fair prices in some regards. Upscaling options on the latest hardware, particularly FSR 4, have turned the unfortunately overpriced Steam Machine from a mild disappointment to a supercharged underdog. Prices, however, are completely out of control, and there's been very little relief through sales outside of stores in some parts of Europe.

Now you can expect to pay nearly double as parts dry up even faster and stock begins to dwindle. While it might look like the GRE is well priced, it's actually a result of the RAM crisis. The RX 9070 XT and regular edition launched with 16GB of VRAM, and the 9060 XT launched with both 8GB and 16GB. The GRE model launched with 12GB, but at the price of both 9070s, and has been seen as a result of shrinkflation – companies releasing worse products for the same price.