The great memory shortage of '26 continues to wreak havoc, folks. Automatica Press has learned that ASUS (https://www.asus.com/) is pulling the plug on its RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB graphics cards, citing 'end of life' status. This comes as a direct consequence of the ongoing memory crunch, impacting gamers and PC enthusiasts hard. Talk about a bad beat.

Inside the Production Halt

According to reporting from Hardware Unboxed (likely on YouTube), ASUS explicitly stated that the RTX 5070 Ti is facing a severe supply shortage. "Placed the model into end of life status,” the company reportedly told the channel, signaling a definitive end to its production. Ouch. Retailers in Australia echoed this sentiment, confirming to Hardware Unboxed that the 5070 Ti is no longer available for purchase from partners and distributors. Expect this drought to last at least through Q1, sources say.

It gets worse. The 5060 Ti 16GB is also on its way out. ASUS is reportedly ceasing production of that model as well. The culprit? Those beefy 16GB memory configurations make these cards pricier to produce in the current economic climate, where memory manufacturers are prioritizing high-bandwidth memory for AI data centers. "The AI boom has created an insatiable demand for RAM," Engadget (https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/asus-has-stopped-producing-the-rtx-5070-ti-and-5060-ti-16gb-saying-theyve-reached-end-of-life-162012275.html?src=rss) reports, which leads to dramatically increased prices among consumer RAM kits, GPUs and SSDs. Micron's (https://www.micron.com/) move to sunset their Crucial brand last December to hyperfocus on AI components was just the opening act, wasn't it?

What's Next for NVIDIA and Gamers?

While there's a sliver of hope for a potential comeback later this year, Hardware Unboxed suggests it's unlikely. NVIDIA (https://www.nvidia.com/) will reportedly shift focus to 8GB models like the RTX 5050, 5060, and 5060 Ti 8GB, while the 12GB 5070 will stick around – for now.

ASUS's decision marks a significant moment. They're the first of NVIDIA's add-in board (AIB) partners to publicly address the memory crunch's impact. AIBs, for the uninitiated, are the companies that build the majority of GPUs you see on shelves. Historically, NVIDIA has supplied its partners with both the GPU die and the necessary memory. However, whispers suggest NVIDIA is now pushing the responsibility of memory sourcing onto its partners. I'm watching this closely; this could reshape the entire GPU supply chain and further squeeze smaller players.

"Retailers in Australia echoed this sentiment, confirming to Hardware Unboxed that the 5070 Ti is no longer available for purchase from partners and distributors."

— Hardware Unboxed

For gamers, this news stings. Modern AAA titles are increasingly hungry for VRAM, making 16GB GPUs the sweet spot for new builds and upgrades. The potential demise of these cards leaves a noticeable void, and consumers will need to adjust expectations accordingly. Will AMD step in to fill the gap? All eyes are on their next move. The memory wars are far from over.