TechLinked Podcast Summary

Episode Title: GPU price hikes, Wacky CES previews + more!
Date: January 1, 2026
Host: Linus Media Group

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into the recent spike in GPU and PC component prices, previews some of the most unusual technology teased ahead of CES 2026, and rounds up the latest happenings in gaming, chip manufacturing, and data storage tech. The tone is energetic and tongue-in-cheek, blending serious tech news with playful commentary and geeky humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Imminent GPU Price Hikes

• Nvidia RTX 5090 Price Surge:

  • Reports claim some RTX 5090 GPU variants may retail for nearly $5,000 in January 2026—more than double the launch MSRP of $2,000.
  • "I don't know if the $5000 number is accurate, but the RTX 5090 launched at a $2000 MSRP and it's already hard to find anywhere under 3000. Which is so, so sad for the people just trying to scrape enough together to buy the most powerful gaming GPU on the planet." (C, 00:54)
  • Rising DRAM (memory) costs are blamed, as RAM now constitutes a significant portion of GPU manufacturing expenses.

• Wider PC Component Price Increases:

  • ASUS will raise prices on select products starting January 5, 2026 (coinciding with CES).
  • Leaked partner letters reveal:
    • Escalating costs and scarcity for memory and storage
    • “They’d like to absorb some more of your money instead. Wait a minute, just January 5th. That’s the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where this year all the keynotes are just gonna be guys walking on stage to be like welcome Same but more expensive. Woo.” (C, 01:44)

2. Wacky CES 2026 Previews

• Gamesir Swift Drive Wireless Controller:

  • Wireless gamepad with a miniature force-feedback steering wheel reminiscent of Namco’s Jogcon from 1998.
  • "Finally, I can drive virtual cars in modern games just like I do real cars with both my thumbs in the middle of the wheel. Wait. Whoa. Watch out. You mess with the nerd, you get the horns." (C, 02:42)
  • Gamesir also introduced a full-sized wireless wheel and pedal setup, featuring a turbine fan for airflow simulation and haptics.

• OneNetbook OneX Sugar Wallet Handheld:

  • 8-inch folding OLED gaming handheld, powered by a Qualcomm Gaming Platform flagship processor.
  • "It's like the handheld that could have been if Sony and Nintendo ended up working together after all, in the good timeline utopia." (C, 03:19)

• Epilogue SN Operator:

  • $60 USB dock for playing and digitizing original Super Nintendo cartridges on PC, Mac, or Steam Deck, with save backups and built-in emulator support.
  • Ships in April 2026.
  • "The not so great news? Nintendo may still find a way to sue your ass." (C, 03:45)

3. Quick Bits (Gaming, Hardware Mishaps & Tech Industry News)

• GPU Power Connector Catastrophes:

  • Another RX 9070XT suffered a melted 12V 2x6 power connector after one year of usage. (C, 05:29)
  • Anecdote: Gamer who received rocks instead of a GPU finally gets his RTX 5080 (and celebrates with an Asus TUF tattoo atop a pile of rocks).

• GOG's Big Business Move:

  • Digital game store GOG is being sold by CD Projekt Red to co-founder Michael Kasinski; no changes for users, but plans to further revive classic PC games.
  • "Basically it's the same good old gog old games just readopted by its biological father who was only partially absent but is now giving this whole full time parenting thing a shot. I call that character growth." (C, 06:17)

• US/China Chip Manufacturing Updates:

  • US has temporarily allowed Samsung and SK Hynix to move chipmaking equipment to their Chinese factories until 2026, easing tensions.
  • Meanwhile, China now requires chip makers to use at least 50% domestically made equipment in new factories.
  • "But are the chips still domestic if they're made by foreign machines?" (C, 07:07)

4. Wild Innovations – and “Charging Freaking Roadways”

• Inductive Charging Highways:

  • Florida is building a stretch of highway with charging coils beneath the asphalt—“charging freaking roadways”—that can deliver up to 200kW to compatible EVs.
  • "Will it work? Maybe. Will it be wildly expensive and only support a handful of cars at first abso freaking lutely." (C, 07:41)

• Brain Implants for Sensory Restoration:

  • Northwestern researchers debuted a tiny, wireless, scalp-mounted implant that can restore lost senses by shining patterned light through the skull into the brain—"avoids drilling into the brain and has already helped mice relearn how to interpret sensory signals." (C, 08:06)
  • Playful warning: "It sounds fantastic as long as there's some sort of fail safe to prevent a Pickle Rick situation." (C, 08:18)

• Scalable DNA Data Storage:

  • Atlas Data Storage claims to have built the “world’s first scalable DNA data storage system,” with up to 60 petabytes per liter and millennia of longevity.
  • Throughput and costs remain limiting: sequencing is $30/250GB and very slow for now.
  • "Soon we'll be living in less of a cyberpunk dystopia and more of a bio sci fi genetically engineered dystopia. That's exciting." (C, 08:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "This year all the keynotes are just gonna be guys walking on stage to be like, 'Welcome! Same but more expensive. Woo. Come on, please clap AI.'" (C, 01:48)
• On controller nostalgia: "It's like the handheld that could have been if Sony and Nintendo ended up working together after all, in the good timeline utopia." (C, 03:22)
• On Nintendo’s legal reputation: "Nintendo may still find a way to sue your ass. They are just not as cool as our sponsor Ugreen..." (C, 03:50)
• On GOG's ownership shuffle: "Just readopted by its biological father who was only partially absent but is now giving this whole full time parenting thing a shot. I call that character growth." (C, 06:34)
• "Will it work? Maybe. Will it be wildly expensive and only support a handful of cars at first abso freaking lutely charging freaking roadways man." (C, 07:58)
• "It sounds fantastic as long as there's some sort of fail safe to prevent a Pickle Rick situation..." (C, 08:18)
• "Soon we'll be living in less of a cyberpunk dystopia and more of a bio sci fi genetically engineered dystopia. That's exciting." (C, 08:59)

Important Timestamps

• 00:30 — GPU & PC part price hikes discussion
• 01:44 — ASUS price increases and CES snark
• 02:36 — Gamesir controller & CES wacky tech previews
• 03:19 — OneX Sugar Wallet gaming handheld preview
• 03:45 — Epilogue SN Operator Super Nintendo dock
• 05:29 — Melted GPU connectors & weird shipping anecdotes
• 06:17 — GOG sold to its co-founder
• 07:07 — US-China chip supply chain news
• 07:41 — Wireless charging highways in Florida
• 08:06 — Brain-implant tech for restoring senses
• 08:59 — DNA-based data storage

Tone & Closing

The episode retains TechLinked’s trademark energy, blending legitimate industry analysis with sarcastic jabs, geek nostalgia, and dry humor. There’s a consistent undertone of exasperation at pricing, cautious optimism about new “wacky” tech, and a winking acknowledgment of the persistent absurdities in gaming and tech culture.

Closing thought:
"Happy New Year, everyone. We'll see you in 2026. Heck, depending on where you live, we might already be seeing you in 2026. Have they solved the RAM crisis yet over there? Let me know." (C, 09:28)

This summary omits advertisements and non-content banter to focus on the tech news and main humor segments of the episode.