During this summer, computer components in mainland China have been continuously rising in price, turning the traditional peak season for computer assembly into the “most expensive assembly season”. Merchants in the electronics distribution center Huaqiangbei in Shenzhen reported that the price of the same computer configuration rose from 12,000 yuan to over 14,000 yuan within a week, with some graphics cards increasing by around 30% in just two days.
According to reports from Chinese media on July 30, several merchants in Huaqiangbei have recently received price adjustment notifications from suppliers. With prices fluctuating rapidly, some merchants have stopped issuing fixed daily price lists and instead have switched to real-time pricing based on daily supply conditions.
Market prices indicate that some models of the RTX 5070 have reached retail prices between 6,000 and 6,500 yuan; while some models of the RTX 5080 are approaching 12,000 yuan. Other reports show that certain RTX 5080 graphics cards rose from 9,999 yuan to 11,999 yuan within a week.
The prices of solid-state drives and memory are also continuing to rise. Merchants stated that some solid-state drives that were previously wholesaling for around 300 to 400 yuan are now selling for over 800 yuan.
Reports suggest that the demand for artificial intelligence servers for high bandwidth memory (HBM) and enterprise storage products has significantly increased. Chip manufacturers are adjusting capacity allocation, causing a squeeze on the supply of consumer-grade memory and storage chips. According to industry insiders, some graphics card manufacturers have temporarily halted bulk shipments, leading to a shortage in the market.
Renowned artificial intelligence expert Guo Tao pointed out that the demand for artificial intelligence computing power is reshaping the allocation of wafer production capacity, potentially leading to a long-term squeeze on consumer-grade chip production. He believes that the era of “cheap DIY” may be coming to an end.
Following the rise in hardware prices, some consumers have opted to repair their old computers or extend their usage by upgrading hard drives and adding more memory. Jiang Yuhua, the owner of a computer repair shop in Huaqiangbei, mentioned that their store is currently repairing 20 to 30 laptops daily, marking an increase of about 20% compared to the same period last year.
In response to this situation, some internet users exclaimed, “Computers are becoming more and more valuable.” Others joked that instead of upgrading computers, they are now “investing in hardware”. Meanwhile, gamers who are still observing the situation stated that they can only continue to “battle for a few more years” with their current graphics cards.