Asus is marking a significant milestone by celebrating its 30th anniversary in the graphics card industry. To commemorate this occasion, they’re launching the ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 5090 ASUS Graphics Cards 30th Anniversary Edition, showcasing their innovative spirit over the past three decades.
At Gamescom 2025, I had the opportunity to speak with Kent Chien, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Asus Multimedia Business Unit. With a deep-rooted history in the GPU field since 2007, Kent has played an integral role in shaping the company’s graphics card endeavors since their inception.
Graphics cards have become a hot topic following the release of Nvidia’s RTX 50 series earlier this year. However, many customers are grappling with skyrocketing prices. Given that Asus has been a key player in the GPU market for 30 years, I asked Chien for his thoughts on why this trend has emerged.
I was eager to learn how Asus has maintained its position in the fiercely competitive GPU landscape. Chien shared insights on the company’s journey and its ability to innovate while keeping pace with market demand.
Chien reminisced about the early days of Asus, sharing, “Back then, graphics cards were just VGA and sold for $30. Many believed the market would dwindle as Intel aimed to integrate display functions within its chips. However, our president foresaw the rise of 3D computing, leading to a burgeoning industry.”
As Chien continued, he expressed his initial uncertainty, saying, “I had just joined the team and was trying to absorb everything. Every day brought new technologies and terms like physics and light tracing. It was both challenging and exciting.”
Despite his humble beginnings, it was evident that Chien values his talented team, a crucial factor in Asus’s enduring success in the tech world. But higher innovation often comes with higher prices, which could deter potential consumers.
Reflecting on those early $30 VGA graphics cards, I asked Chien why modern GPUs are priced nearly 100 times higher at around $3,000 (about €2,800). He summarized the shift in demand from 2D to 3D graphics, stating, “The computing power required has grown tremendously—several hundred thousand times more than in the past.”
Chien illustrated this by highlighting advances in memory. “When I joined Asus, graphics cards had about 32MB of memory. We now see models with more than 12GB or even 16GB, a significant leap from megabytes to gigabytes.”
While the evolution of technology is clear, I wanted to understand what specifically drives prices higher. Chien pointed to both the advanced technology and continuous investment in research and development. However, he also noted that consumer excitement over improved picture quality plays a vital role in driving demand.”
“Consequently, consumers are willing to pay more because they are eager for enhanced quality,” Chien explained. “Over the years, prices have gradually increased in line with the product improvements.”
However, he also expressed concern about unrealistically high prices. “I think the current pricing is quite outrageous,” he admitted, noting how base prices balloon by the time consumers purchase them. “We face many external factors driving costs that are tough for us to manage.”
Overall, while GPU prices have escalated exponentially over the last 30 years, Chien clarified that several components influence pricing, and manufacturers often lack control over retail costs. Despite his reservations about current pricing strategies, he reaffirmed Asus’s commitment to innovation and quality.
Curious about modern GPU technology and its impact on gaming? Explore more about the evolving landscape at Moyens I/O at your convenience.
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