Tech Price Index October 2026: GPUs Up, Storage Flat
Our October 2026 price index from daily Amazon prices on 600+ products: current GPUs up a median 33% in about 90 days, monitors falling, SSD prices flat.
Graphics cards are the one big category still getting more expensive: current-generation cards (RTX 50 and RX 9000) cost a median 33% more on October 13, 2026 than about 90 days earlier. Storage is the opposite story, with SSD, NVMe and hard drive prices flat on average and several popular drives at 90-day lows.
This is the first SmartValueLab Tech Price Index, built from the Amazon prices we record every day for more than 600 products. It will be updated every month.
Tech prices by category, October 2026
The table shows the median price change per category over about 90 days, and how many products rose or fell by more than 5%. RAM uses a 60-day window, because most kits in our catalog were added less than 90 days ago.
| Category | Products | Median change | Up >5% | Down >5% | Buy now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics cards, current (RTX 50, RX 9000) | 12 | +32.7% | 12 | 0 | Only if you need one |
| Graphics cards, older (RTX 40, RX 7600) | 7 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | Prices steady |
| Motherboards | 26 | +0.8% | 12 | 3 | Yes, compare models |
| CPUs | 18 | 0.0% | 5 | 2 | Yes, prices split by model |
| RAM (60 days) | 8 | 0.0% | 0 | 2 | Yes, prices have levelled off |
| SATA SSDs | 21 | 0.0% | 4 | 6 | Yes, several at 90-day lows |
| NVMe SSDs | 18 | 0.0% | 4 | 2 | Yes |
| Gaming monitors | 12 | 0.0% | 1 | 2 | Yes |
| Monitors (office) | 13 | −4.6% | 4 | 6 | Yes, prices falling |
Two notes on the table. Across all 19 graphics cards the median rise is 15%, because older RTX 40-series cards barely moved. The 33% figure for current cards is in line with the 31% rise (measured October 10) in our PC shipments analysis. Office monitors are falling faster recently: down 10.5% over the last 30 days, with 8 of 13 down by more than 5%.
Biggest price drops: worth buying now
These well-rated products (4.3 stars or better with 300+ Amazon ratings) fell furthest over about 90 days, and most were at their lowest price in that period on October 13.
| Product | 90-day change | Price (Oct 13) |
|---|---|---|
| WD My Passport 4TB | −48% | $129.99, 90-day low |
| WD Black SN850X 1TB | −38% | $234.99, 90-day low |
| Crucial BX500 1TB | −31% | $116.99, 90-day low |
| Intel Core i5-14600K | −30% | $249.99 |
| Samsung S30GD 27-inch | −29% | $99.99, 90-day low |
| SK hynix Platinum P41 1TB | −29% | $149.99, 90-day low |
Biggest price rises: wait if you can
Current graphics cards dominate the list of rises. A same-model card can move very differently by brand, so compare versions before buying.
| Product | 90-day change | Price (Oct 13) |
|---|---|---|
| GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming OC 16GB | +65% | $759.99 |
| GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5060 Windforce OC 8GB | +43% | $499.99 |
| WD Blue SA510 2TB SATA SSD | +42% | $396.29 |
| Samsung 870 EVO 1TB | +34% | $333.09 |
| GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5070 Windforce OC 12GB | +32% | $839.99 |
| Intel Core i7-14700K | +25% | $464.99 |
CPUs show why the median can hide the story: the Core i7-14700K rose 25% while the Core i5-14600K fell 30% over the same period. For budget graphics cards, our budget GPU guide covers which cards still offer value.
How the index is calculated
Each product's latest price (recorded in the 3 days to October 13, 2026) is compared with the last price we recorded 80 to 100 days earlier, which we call "about 90 days", and we take the median per category. Only products with a recorded price at both points count. Prices are Amazon's own where available, otherwise the lowest new offer from other sellers, so a product that goes out of stock at Amazon can jump. We excluded one such case: the WD Black SN850X 4TB, listed by third-party sellers at more than three times its July price.
You're welcome to cite these figures with a link to this page as "SmartValueLab Tech Price Index, October 2026".
Should you buy now or wait?
My verdict for October: buy storage and monitors now, when your chosen model is at or near its 90-day low, and only buy a graphics card if you need it before Black Friday on November 27. Every product page shows its full price history, and our graphics card rankings update daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are graphics card prices going up in 2026?
Yes. In our October 2026 price index, current-generation cards (RTX 50 and RX 9000) cost a median 33% more than about 90 days earlier, and all 12 we track rose by at least 10%. Older RTX 40-series cards barely moved.
Is now a good time to buy an SSD?
Yes, if you pick carefully. The median SATA and NVMe SSD price was unchanged over about 90 days in our data, and several popular drives, including the Crucial BX500 1TB and SK hynix Platinum P41 1TB, were at their lowest price in 90 days on October 13, 2026.
Are monitor prices dropping?
Yes. The median office and productivity monitor we track fell 4.6% over about 90 days, and the drop sped up recently: 10.5% over the last 30 days, with 8 of 13 down by more than 5%.
How is the SmartValueLab Tech Price Index calculated?
We compare each product's latest Amazon price with its price about 90 days earlier (the last price recorded 80 to 100 days before) and take the median change per category, using only products with a recorded price at both points. Prices come from our daily tracking of 600+ active products.
