Numerous crop failures at the end of last year left retailers awash in resale bots and many technology stocks sold out before they hit the shelves, further exacerbating the GDDR6 memory production shortage and making Nvidia RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 available for some time in late 2020 impossible.

And now, just when we thought the market was getting back into a good groove, Asus drops this bomb.

COVID-19 regulations and steadily increasing demand for the technology have led to massive inventory shortages for manufacturers, and the supply chain is justifiably shaken up. This is a true testament to how sensitive the market is and that we should never take anything for granted.

And unfortunately, today was another dark day for the average consumer. In response to a number of factors, including the expiration of tariff exemptions due to the fallout from President Trump's 2018 administration (according to tomshardware), Asus is trying to make changes.

Asus has already marked up GPU prices in its own store and expects other manufacturers to soon follow suit. And it's not just GPUs; most of the tech industry is also suffering from these setbacks. [Here is what Juan Jose Guerrero, official technical marketer for Asus (via sweclockers), had to say:

"Update on MSRPs for ASUS components in 2021."

This update applies to graphics cards and motherboards *

For our award-winning series of graphics cards and motherboards, we have an announcement regarding MSRP changes effective early 2021. Our new suggested retail prices reflect increased costs for components, operational costs, and logistics activities, as well as continued import duties. ASUS has worked closely with our supply and logistics partners to minimize any price increases. ASUS greatly appreciates your continued business and support as we navigate through this period of unprecedented market change.

*As the first quarter progresses, additional models may be subject to price increases.

In other words, it's really happening; B&H Photo has also edited its store to reflect the new pricing. In fact, other manufacturers will follow this trend and either rub shoulders with Asus or be pushed off at the next ramp.

The future is starting to look expensive.