- Some worldwide retailers have confirmed the RX 9070's timed MSRP
- It's claimed only the first batch of select models will be available for $549
- Once sold, the new prices could match (or narrow) that of the RX 9070 XT
It's launch day for AMD's RDNA 4 graphics cards, with the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT now available on store shelves. However, as some online retailers have mentioned already, the former's respective MSRP ($549) may only apply to the initial batch of the GPUs sold, with future supply seeing a potential price increase.
As spotted by Videocardz, it's alleged that the RX 9070 will only be sold at its MSRP of $549 for a limited time, as AMD's partners will be able to set their prices. Swedish retailer Inet.se informed the outlet that the MSRP would only be respected for the first run, as the company evidenced this with its selling of PowerColor Reaper variants, as the prices of a second shipment are reportedly already higher.
The retailer explained how its AMD RX 9070 stock prices will depend on the manufacturer shipping the different cards, outlining that with "Sapphire and Asus it will be just usual" as you'll be able to buy the GPUs at MSRP until they run out. However, it also said that it will be different with PowerColor. "Our second shipment from PowerColor is already waiting, and we cannot it at MSRP prices".
To clarify, it says it will sell the first run of PowerColor Reaper RX 9070 cards it has in stock until they are sold out, and then increase prices when it is fulfilling orders from the second batch. "If you receive an order with MSRP price even though the cards are sold out we will of course give you that price, but unfortunately we have no way of continuing to sell cards at MSRP after the first deliveries are sold out".
This is a problem that seems to impact prospective buyers in the UK as well. Andrew Gibson, Purchasing Manager for Overclockers UK, spoke about the limited amount of RX 9070 stock at MSRP from the retailer. He explained the retailer had around 5,000 cards in total from Sapphire (2,000), PowerColor (1,000), and ASRock (1,000), but that "MSRP is capped quantity of a few hundred, so prices will jump once those are sold through".
It's believed that only four different variants of the AMD RX 9070 will be available for its MSRP price: the PowerColor Reaper, Sapphire Pulse, Asus Prime, and XFX Swift, at least for the initial shipment window, as outlined in Sweden and the UK. There's a possibility that things could be broadened in the US; however, there's also no guarantee that the prices you'll see today (and over the next few days) will be as low as what could come shortly if you don't pull the trigger early.
A wrench in the works for RDNA's budget performer
Earlier today, we praised the fact that many retailers were (seemingly) flush with options for RX 9070 XT stock on launch day, something that we cannot say for the dismal state of Nvidia's RTX 50 series in contrast. However, while availability doesn't appear to be marred the same way, the fact that the aggressive $549 starting price seems so ephemeral is disappointing, given the overall value proposition.
As it stands, the RX 9070 is just $50 cheaper than the (current) RDNA 4 flagship model, the RX 9070 XT, which is available for $599. However, if you're unable to secure a non-XT model for its recommended retail price, then the overall point of the card in the face of its sibling seems moot by comparison. While stock is flying off the shelves (many of the MSRP models mentioned above are no longer available), you're prompted to pay extra to get one instead, which is far from ideal.
As such, what's the point of the RX 9070 if you're going to have to spend the same money (or more) than purchasing the RX 9070 XT instead? The latter appears more available with retailers such as Best Buy, Newegg, B&H, and Micro Center having stock by comparison. To try to avoid disappointment, we recommend keeping up with our regularly updated dedicated RX 9070 and RX 9070 stock tracker.
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