Tariff Tracker: So Far PC Build Prices Hold Steady—Except One Crucial Component

Is the era of affordable PC building over? Not yet, but with most components manufactured abroad, plus shoot-from-the-hip trade policies, we might be in for some choppy waters.

We’ve assembled a list of the main components someone would need to build a PC, and we’ll track prices in the coming months to see the impact of tariffs. The list below is what PCMag’s experts John Burek and Michael Sexton recommend as a starting set that will satisfy most PC builders.

Tariffs Haven’t Fully Hit, But GPU Prices Are Creeping Up

Looking at Newegg’s price of each component from January to April 2025, most prices remain the same; some have even gone down, likely because US warehouses are still stocked and we haven’t started to feel the full effects of tariffs. But a few prices are starting to creep up, most notably the graphics card. The one we chose—MSI SHADOW GeForce RTX 5070 Ti—started the year around $750, and it’s now $840—a $90 jump. Surprisingly, the product has been in stock.

We checked the price history on several other graphics cards, and they’re trending upward, especially for higher-end models. Here are a few examples, particularly on the newer graphics cards with GPUs like the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 5080, and 5090.

• Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 9070 XT launched for $599 and is now going for $879, a nearly $300 increase.

• Zotac GAMING SOLID OC GeForce RTX 5080 debuted in January at $1,149.99, and it’s now $1,399.99 ($250 increase).

• Asus TUF GAMING OC GeForce RTX 5080 debuted in January at $1,349.99, and it’s now $1,599.99 ($250 increase).

• MSI GAMING TRIO OC GeForce RTX 5090 debuted in January at $2,349.99, and it’s now $3,099.99 ($750 increase).

The graph below shows the price for each component in our build in each month of 2025. You see those tall columns? That’s the graphics card, which is the most expensive part, and also the one with the biggest jump in April (tall, green bar). As for their supply chain, graphics cards are often assembled in China using Taiwanese-built GPUs, and then imported to the US.

PC cases are also going up in price, including the one we chose for our build ($10 increase). PC case maker Hyte has halted shipments to the US, citing a lack of profitability with the new tariffs.

Trump exempted computers, phones, and PC cases from the full 145% tariff on Chinese imports (at least for now). But no reprieve was given to other PC components, including fans, liquid coolers, and power supplies. In addition, PC cases were already facing a 20% tariff on Chinese imports, along with another 25% tariff on aluminum-derivative products.

Why the Graphics Card Price Hikes? More Trouble Than Tariffs

PNY GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB Overclocked Dual Fan (Credit: Joseph Maldonado/PCMag)

Tariffs don’t tell the full story behind the graphics card price increases. There are several other factors in play, including shortages, high demand, and a near monopoly from Nvidia on the most powerful GPUs. All of this creates an environment where vendors can hike up prices.

“Nvidia hadn’t fully refreshed its GPU line for two years, and started pushing out all the new GeForce RTX 50 Series chips in Q1 (and is still launching some of them). So there was a lot of pent-up demand even before all the tariff uncertainty blew in,” PCMag’s Burek says. “Nvidia has also been making so much bank on data-center AI silicon that you could argue that bread-and-butter consumer GPUs are becoming its side hustle! Also, AMD isn’t really playing in the extreme high end of consumer GPUs anymore with Radeon, so it’s all Nvidia’s game there.”

Graphics cards made in China are subject to a 20% tariff, which Trump imposed in March. In mid-April, Trump exempted them from the full 145% tariff, along with computers and phones. Still, a 20% price increase is significant, especially in an environment where prices can shift at any time. PC vendors are also bracing for Trump to potentially impose more tariffs in June, including a 25% duty on graphics cards that were previously paused under the Biden administration.

This could all change in an instant, of course. If you’ve already been thinking about building a computer, now might be a great time to start shopping before the storm hits.

About Emily Forlini

Senior Reporter

I’m the expert at PCMag for all things electric vehicles and AI. I’ve written hundreds of articles on these topics, including product reviews, daily news, CEO interviews, and deeply reported features. I also cover other topics within the tech industry, keeping a pulse on what technologies are coming down the pipe that could shape how we live and work.

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