Wondering whether to wait for a GPU bargain on Black Friday? I wouldn't...

Date:
Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Description:
Watch out for Black Friday it's a trap or at least it is for graphics
cards, anyway, and here's why.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Normally we get to this time of year and the typical advice is to hold fire on any potential tech purchases. This is because Black Friday is just a couple of months away, and so it
always seems prudent to think about being patient, and the bargain you might just secure in the biggest tech sale of the year.

Not this year, though, when it comes to GPUs at least in my opinion. During Black Friday 2025, we did see some decent deals on graphics cards . Not many, mind, but there was a scattering of them. I've noticed on Reddit that there are some gamers who have found a GPU with a decent price tag, but they're wondering whether to hold off and wait for something better on Black Friday. They are perhaps remembering some of the discounts that happened last year (thin on the ground as they were). Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

For example, this US-based Redditor asks : "Buy an open box [ Nvidia RTX]
5070 now or wait until Black Friday?" They add: "I see a few open box deals for $745. What do people think about snagging this now at such an inflated price, or waiting until Black Friday to try and snag under $700?"

If you're in a similar quandary, my advice is this: absolutely do not wait
for Black Friday. Just buy that graphics card now. You may like Rumor
suggests big GPU price hikes are coming so should you buy now? Nvidia RTX 5090 GPUs are so expensive that Intel's Arc Pro B70 is now a genuine bargain for AI Nvidia RTX 6000 GPUs rumored for 2028, not next year and that makes sense

Let's break down the reasons why this isn't a 'waiters' market (by which I mean those biding their time, not the lovely people who serve us food and drinks). Reasons to be fearful (Image credit: Shutterstock / LightField Studios) For starters, as a legion of cynical Redditors are quick to point out, Black Friday isn't the best for graphics card deals anyway it has never been the strongest suit for this sale in terms of PC components. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

As noted, there have been bargains in the past though. Despite those
Redditors who insist that GPUs just have their prices quietly upped in
October so they can be artificially 'discounted' for Black Friday, there are actually some genuinely decent deals or there have been.

However, things have just gone crazy this year, and as the second half of
2026 has rolled around, the RAM crisis has reached another tiring peak of frenzied hiking.

There were more rumors of imminent GPU hikes just a couple of weeks ago (following last month's negative chatter ), and at retailers in the US we've already seen graphics card prices rising considerably over the past month. Compounding this are even more negative predictions about the memory shortage in general which inevitably affects video RAM as well as system memory and DDR5 prices which are spiking in a ridiculous manner right now. So you've got a recipe for a tumultuous rest of the year. What to read next The RAM crisis just hit a new low here's my expert advice on what to do RTX 5090s are going for as much as $9000, as AI server builders reportedly buy Nvidia's flagship by the pallet, but the photos behind the story may be AI-generated RTX 5090 prices skyrocket to $9,000 so how much will an RTX 6090 cost?

In short, I can't see 2026 panning out any other way than seeing more GPU price increases so why wouldn't you buy now? At least from the perspective
of whether Black Friday might somehow bring some bargains around it surely won't.

I'm pretty convinced of that, and there are nuances here in terms of what
kind of graphics card you're looking to buy. I'm talking about mainstream GPUs, the mid-range or lower tiers of the market, and not the higher-end graphics cards.

The beefiest GPUs like Nvidia's RTX 5080 ( don't even mention the RTX 5090 ) are already exceptionally pricey, and while I don't think they'll get any cheaper and indeed I reckon they'll probably still creep up in price the cost of those products is already a very bitter pill to swallow.

I don't blame you if you don't want to pay out that much cash for a graphics card, because over $1,500 for an RTX 5080 (in the US) is a pricing nightmare. But you'll have to accept that you'll likely be in for a long wait for better prices, maybe not until 2028. A compromise might be to buy a card like an RTX 5070 to tide you over, or maybe an AMD RX 9070 XT (it's a touch less
expensive in the US at the time of writing), then sell that second-hand later on when the RTX 5080 comes down.

The trouble is, there are no good options here... not for the pricier GPUs anyway. Red Friday (Image credit: Getty Images, Cavan Images) I think that this year, Black Friday should be renamed Red Friday for its Herring-like nature, at least when it comes to graphics cards. Don't be swayed by the temptation of waiting for a deal, and if you see a reasonable price on the
GPU you're considering, grab it now.

A $750 (open box) deal on an RTX 5070, the dilemma of the aforementioned Redditor, seems a sound enough proposition, even though that's a depressing reality considering this GPU was still going for around $650 just two months ago because you're now looking at $850 or so (going by Newegg US pricing).

You can pick up an RTX 5060 Ti 8GB for only 10% more than this GPU was priced at in June (again, going by Newegg US), and I think there's an even stronger case to snag something like this if you're looking at the more affordable end of the market.

Obviously, do your own research based on the regional pricing for the GPU you're thinking about, but whatever the case, I'd still urge you not to be fooled into waiting for Black Friday, as I really think that'd be a mistake. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best graphics cards for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best graphics card 1. Best overall: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 2. Best budget: Intel Arc B580 3. Best Nvidia: Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti 4. Best AMD: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX



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