{"title": "Zotac Raises Dire Warnings About the Future of GPU Producers", "body": ["The sector for graphics cards, much like the wider personal computing realm, smartphones, and other areas dependent on memory components, is experiencing significant challenges. Models featuring substantial video memory at affordable costs are becoming scarce, despite assurances from Nvidia and its collaborators. Zotac, an add-in-board maker headquartered in Singapore, expresses greater concern over the outlook."], ["A notice appeared on Zotac's Korean online shop alerting buyers to impending price surges. It described the circumstances as gravely severe, potentially jeopardizing the continued operation of graphics card producers and suppliers ahead, as relayed by a translator on Twitter/X and noted by PC Gamer. An alternative phrasing from Google Translate suggested the conditions are dire enough to question the ongoing viability of these graphics card firms and distributors."], ["The spokesperson added that maintaining consistent availability in the coming period might prove impossible. They highlighted not just a steep rise in the cost of the RTX 5090, but also a considerable increase for the 5060."], ["High-end consumer graphics cards, particularly those with extensive video RAM, face compounded pressures. The surge in AI data center builds is absorbing the majority of available memory chips, driving up RAM costs and disrupting GPU manufacturing. Additionally, graphics processors serve as highly effective tools for AI processing tasks, leading Nvidia and its manufacturing allies to favor lucrative enterprise-grade cards over those aimed at everyday users."], ["Earlier this month, an Asus official indicated that production of the RTX 5070 Ti had been halted—a model praised for its strong performance and 16GB of video memory, offering excellent value. The firm soon retracted the claim, yet the 5070 Ti, 5060 Ti with 16GB, and 5090 continue to be in short supply, with resellers demanding up to twice the suggested retail value. Reports suggest Nvidia is emphasizing the 5080, which shares the 16GB memory capacity of the 5070 Ti but costs about 30% more due to its enhanced speed, greater memory throughput, and additional CUDA cores; even this option anticipates further price escalation."], ["Established add-in-board companies such as Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI are likely to endure these difficulties thanks to their diverse portfolios. In contrast, Zotac operates on a smaller scale, having originated as a V-Tech offshoot in the 1990s. Its lineup is limited to graphics cards, compact PCs, a modest selection of business-oriented workstations, and the Zone portable device. Each of these items will incur higher costs from pricier memory, making Zotac's fears regarding the endurance of modest-scale producers quite reasonable."]}