ASUS Pulls the Plug: RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB Hit EOL Status as VRAM Crisis Deepens
Mid-range PC builders just lost their most reliable 16GB safety net. Reports emerging from the CES 2026 floor confirm that ASUS is moving the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the 16GB variant of the RTX 5060 Ti to "end of life" (EOL) status. It is a sudden pivot for the Blackwell lineup that leaves a massive hole in the market just as modern AAA titles are beginning to treat 12GB of VRAM as the absolute floor for 1440p gaming.
ASUS Halts Production as Supply Chains Fracture
Retailers in the U.S. and Australia are already seeing the "Out of Stock" tags become permanent. On Newegg, ASUS’s 5070 Ti listings have largely evaporated. The few units that remain are no longer being sold at MSRP, as the manufacturer has signaled that once current retail inventory is depleted, no fresh units will be coming from the factory.
The GDDR7 Bottleneck: Margin vs. Volume
The math is simple: supply constraints dictate winners and losers. The root of the pivot is a global shortage of GDDR7 memory modules. Because the flagship RTX 5080 also draws from the 16GB GDDR7 pool, NVIDIA is funneling its limited allocation toward those high-margin boards rather than the mid-range 5070 Ti.
This retreat by ASUS creates a wide-open lane for the competition. With AMD’s RDNA 4 lineup—specifically the RX 8800 XT—positioned to offer high-capacity VRAM at aggressive price points, NVIDIA’s decision to starve its 16GB mid-range cards feels like a tactical surrender in the $500–$700 bracket. For enthusiasts, the choice is becoming binary: settle for an 8GB card that is already hitting its limits or pay the "enthusiast tax" for a 5080.
Current Market Pricing Shifts
| Model | Launch MSRP | Current "Low" Price | Peak Price (Marketplace) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5070 Ti | $749 | $830 | $1,250 (ROG Strix / Scalpers) |
| RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | $429 | $489 | $530+ |
The "Peak" pricing of $1,250 isn't just a random spike; it represents the final remaining stock of premium ASUS ROG Strix variants being marked up by third-party sellers who recognize that the supply chain has snapped. Just two months ago, these cards were readily available near their $749 MSRP.
NVIDIA Responds Amid Industry Uncertainty
NVIDIA’s official stance remains an exercise in PR deflection. Ben Berraondo, NVIDIA’s director of global public relations for GeForce, stated that the company "continues to ship all GeForce SKUs," though he acknowledged that "memory supply is constrained."
Despite this official denial of a product-wide cancellation, the disconnect between NVIDIA and its board partners is glaring. While NVIDIA wants to maintain the image of a healthy, diverse product stack, ASUS’s retreat proves that AIB (add-in board) partners are being squeezed to the breaking point. NVIDIA is effectively choosing to win the margin war with the RTX 5080 while leaving partners like ASUS to abandon the mid-range. For gamers caught in the crossfire, the window to buy a 16GB Blackwell card without spending four figures is officially closing.