(Yicai) Oct. 27 -- The artificial intelligence data center construction boom has significantly impacted the consumer electronics market, driving prices of high-end consumer-grade discrete graphics cards at Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei electronics market up rapidly over the past months, with market quotations being valid only at the moment of release and prices fluctuating daily in real time.

Nvidia's RTX 5060 graphics cards cost around CNY4,000 (USD600), the RTX 5070 around CNY8,000, with some over CNY9,000, the RTX 5090D about CNY30,000 (USD4,500), and the RTX 5090 more than CNY50,000, multiple merchants at Huaqiangbei told Yicai yesterday. Gamers are the main users of these products.

The RTX 5060 graphics cards were priced at just over CNY2,000 about two months ago, before jumping to around CNY3,000 two weeks ago and soaring since, one seller pointed out.

The cost of the RTX 5070 graphics cards jumped three times last week, with a cumulative increase of nearly CNY1,000, while the RTX 5080 has soared by CNY6,000 to CNY7,000, another merchant said, adding that the RTX 5090 price has almost doubled from a few months ago, rising nearly CNY10,000 in just over a week.

The surge in graphics card prices is due to some relevant components being used in data center products, which has tightened raw material supply for consumer graphics cards and reduced manufacturers' shipments, multiple merchants said. Prices will likely continue to rise or remain high in the coming period, they stressed.

However, prices of low-end discrete graphics cards and other computer assembly components have not changed much, several merchants pointed out.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev