The YouTube channel Hardware Unboxed recently reported that ASUS has explicitly stated it will cease production of the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5060 Ti 16GB models due to memory supply shortages, classifying them as "End of Life" (EOL). However, NVIDIA subsequently responded, emphasizing that all GeForce product lines are still shipping, creating a clear conflict between the two companies' statements.
ASUS: Severe component shortage may mean 16GB graphics cards are becoming obsolete.
According to the latest video from Hardware Unboxed, ASUS has "clearly" stated that the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is currently facing a severe supply shortage, and therefore the company has placed this model at the "end of its life cycle" and no longer plans to produce it.
The same fate befell the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB version, with ASUS stating that this model is "almost finished" and they do not plan to continue production in the future.
The channel further contacted Australian retailers, who confirmed that the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is no longer available from partners or distributors, and this shortage is expected to continue at least until the first quarter of this year. Both graphics cards feature 16GB of memory, and their manufacturing costs have increased significantly in the current economic climate.
While these two graphics cards are theoretically expected to return later this year, Hardware Unboxed believes the chances are slim, even stating that if retailers cannot stock them, it would effectively be equivalent to "discontinuing production."
NVIDIA: Strong demand keeps shipping all models.
In response to rumors of production halts, an NVIDIA spokesperson stated, "Demand for GeForce RTX graphics cards is strong, and memory supply is indeed limited. However, we continue to ship all GeForce SKUs and are working closely with our suppliers to maximize memory availability."
Despite official denials of stockouts, the memory shortage is undeniable. The explosive growth of the AI industry has created an inexhaustible demand for memory and other components in data centers. To address this trend, many memory manufacturers are shifting production lines to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to serve enterprise customers, thereby crowding out production capacity for consumer products. This has led to a continuous surge in the prices of GPUs, RAM, and SSDs. Micron even announced in December of last year...Gradually reduce its consumer brand CrucialWe focus on supplying the AI industry.
AI-driven development could reduce consumer-grade graphics card supply by 20%.
Furthermore, sources indicate that due to the limited available memory capacity, NVIDIA has prioritized allocating its limited resources to the more profitable accelerated computing sector. Rumors suggest that NVIDIA will reduce its GPU supply to the consumer market by 15% to 20%.
Faced with memory shortages, motherboard brands and NVIDIA tend to adopt a "profit maximization" allocation model: prioritizing the preservation of entry-level 8GB products and higher-priced high-end products with 16GB or more memory. Mid-priced products with 16GB of memory (such as the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and RTX 5070 Ti) are the first to be affected and become casualties of production cuts.
The RTX 50 Super series is rumored to be canceled, with the next generation not expected until 2027?
Furthermore, the GeForce RTX 50 Super series, originally expected to launch in 2026 to stimulate product cycle sales, is rumored to be canceled. The main reason is that the Super series typically requires higher-spec memory, but with no memory available and competitor AMD not posing a threat, NVIDIA clearly sees no reason to launch it at the moment.
This also means that the upgrade cycle for consumer-grade graphics cards will be forced to be extended. Rumors suggest that both AMD and NVIDIA have delayed the release of their next-generation architecture products, and consumers may have to wait until 2027 to see the true next-generation consumer graphics cards.
