The hardware market in 2026: what you need to know
With the explosive growth of AI data centres, hardware prices and delivery times are in constant flux. What does this mean for your projects?
Global demand for GPUs will be higher than ever by 2026. The construction of AI data centres by major tech companies is putting enormous pressure on the supply chain. The immediate consequence: longer lead times and fluctuating prices for professional GPUs. However, this no longer applies solely to GPUs; RAM modules – particularly the ECC-regulated variants – and SSDs are also affected.
What does this mean for you?
If you need a workstation or AI system, it is more important than ever to plan ahead. The availability of specific GPU models can change from week to week.
NVIDIA RTX series
The NVIDIA RTX 4000/5000 Ada series for professional workstations is currently readily available, but the larger models (RTX 6000 Ada, A100, H100) have longer lead times due to data centre prioritisation.
AMD alternatives
AMD’s Instinct MI300X and Radeon PRO series offer a good alternative in some cases, with shorter lead times. For specific workloads, this may be a sensible choice.
On top of that, there is now the war in Iran. This is not only affecting fuel prices but is also causing a massive shortage of helium. And without helium, there are no chips. We fear that this situation may lead to further price increases.
Our approach
We work with direct lines to multiple distributors and can therefore react quickly if availability from one supplier is disappointing. Our quotes are always based on current availability — not on last month’s catalogue.
Do you have a GPU-intensive project in the pipeline? Please contact us at an early stage so that we can reserve the right hardware.