GPU sales surged in August despite higher prices, with AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 XT leading the market
Rising graphics card prices have not stopped buyers from upgrading their PCs. New retail data from German retailer Mindfactory suggests that GPU sales climbed sharply in August 2026, even as many of the latest AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards became more expensive.
According to the reported sales figures, Mindfactory shipped around 2,810 graphics cards in August, up from roughly 2,170 units in July. That represents a month-over-month increase of about 29.5%, a surprisingly strong result at a time when GPU affordability remains a major concern for gamers, creators, and PC builders.
The increase also lines up with broader market movement seen earlier in the year. GPU shipments have been showing signs of recovery, with recent industry data pointing to improved quarter-over-quarter demand. While worldwide year-over-year growth has remained modest, the latest retailer numbers suggest that consumers are still actively buying graphics cards, especially when they expect prices to climb further.
One possible reason for the August spike is panic buying. At the start of August, several graphics cards from NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 series and AMD’s Radeon RX 9000 series saw price increases. Another round of price hikes from major vendors has reportedly followed, which may have pushed buyers to purchase sooner rather than wait and risk paying even more.
AMD continued to dominate Mindfactory’s GPU sales in August, helped by strong demand for its RDNA 4-based Radeon RX 9000 series. The Radeon RX 9070 XT remained the most popular graphics card at the retailer, with around 870 units sold during the month. This model has now held its position as a top seller for several months, showing that it continues to appeal to buyers looking for high-performance gaming hardware.
The Radeon RX 9060 XT also posted an impressive result, selling around 600 units in August. That marks a 50% month-over-month increase, making it one of the strongest performers in the lineup. Together, the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9060 XT accounted for about 52.3% of all graphics cards sold by Mindfactory during the month.
This performance allowed AMD to maintain a clear lead in the retailer’s GPU sales rankings. NVIDIA shipped more units than it did in July, but its overall share still declined. NVIDIA’s share fell from 43.6% to 39.5%, while Intel improved from 2.8% to 4.6%.
Among NVIDIA graphics cards, the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti was the company’s best-selling model at Mindfactory, with around 270 units sold. It was followed by the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti with 250 units and the GeForce RTX 5080 with 240 units.
However, not every NVIDIA GPU performed well. The GeForce RTX 5070 saw a noticeable slowdown, likely due to price increases that made it less attractive to buyers. The biggest drop came from the flagship GeForce RTX 5090, with sales reportedly falling by around 87.5%. Its extremely high pricing, now crossing the $5,000 mark in some cases, appears to have pushed many buyers away.
While Mindfactory’s numbers only reflect one major retailer in Germany and should not be treated as a complete picture of global GPU demand, the data is still useful for spotting trends in the PC hardware market. It suggests that graphics card buyers are still willing to spend, especially when they believe prices may rise again in the near future.
If more retailers show similar results, August could turn out to be a strong month for GPU sales worldwide. However, continued price hikes may eventually slow momentum, particularly for premium graphics cards. For now, AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 XT remains one of the standout winners, while NVIDIA’s highest-end models appear to be facing stronger resistance from cost-conscious buyers.
