AMD Radeon RX 9070 GPUs Gear Up for Launch

AMD's highly anticipated RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards, unveiled at CES 2025, will finally launch in March 2025, according to Radeon Graphics VP David McAfee. While initially absent from AMD's keynote, these RDNA 4 GPUs have already surfaced at retailers and with reviewers, fueling speculation about a strategic delay.

McAfee's announcement on Twitter/X confirmed a March release, promising a global rollout of various card models. However, crucial details like specifications and pricing remain undisclosed. Industry predictions place the RX 9070 series in direct competition with Nvidia's February-launching RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, suggesting a potential price and performance parity.

The early appearance of the cards with reviewers, confirmed by outlets like eTeknix, adds to the intrigue. This pre-release presence, coupled with the delayed official launch, has sparked theories about AMD's strategy. Some believe the delay allows AMD to directly counter Nvidia's offerings, enabling a more targeted comparison and potentially mitigating pricing pressures from Nvidia's market dominance.

The current market landscape, with Nvidia holding a commanding 88% share (as reported in June 2024), highlights the significance of AMD's move. Facing a lack of substantial competition in the mid-range and high-end segments, AMD requires a well-executed launch to make inroads into Nvidia's market share. The lack of concrete details surrounding the RX 9070 series launch has, however, created a somewhat confusing and muddled messaging campaign.