PC gamers avoid buying new graphics cards because prices keep rising. Liquid Web surveyed 1,000 players and found most skip upgrades during 2025. High costs force people to choose between gaming hardware and basic living expenses like rent and electricity. Supply problems make graphics cards harder to find at normal prices. President Trump's tariffs pushed costs even higher for computer parts.
More than half of gamers cannot afford new graphics cards because of supply chain issues. Over 40 percent plan to wait more than two years before upgrading their computers. Many players prefer keeping their lights running instead of buying expensive gaming equipment. Retailers struggle with poor sales as customers delay purchases. The upgrade cycle slows down significantly compared to previous years.
Survey participants picked the RTX 4070 Ti as the best value graphics card available. Some gamers still prefer older RTX 3070 cards from NVIDIA's previous generation. AMD's newer RX 9070 XT received few votes despite offering better performance per dollar. NVIDIA maintains strong brand loyalty among players even when competitors provide cheaper options. AMD's RDNA 4 cards help the mid-range market but more affordable choices remain necessary.
More than half of gamers cannot afford new graphics cards because of supply chain issues. Over 40 percent plan to wait more than two years before upgrading their computers. Many players prefer keeping their lights running instead of buying expensive gaming equipment. Retailers struggle with poor sales as customers delay purchases. The upgrade cycle slows down significantly compared to previous years.
Survey participants picked the RTX 4070 Ti as the best value graphics card available. Some gamers still prefer older RTX 3070 cards from NVIDIA's previous generation. AMD's newer RX 9070 XT received few votes despite offering better performance per dollar. NVIDIA maintains strong brand loyalty among players even when competitors provide cheaper options. AMD's RDNA 4 cards help the mid-range market but more affordable choices remain necessary.
