AMD Radeon RX 9070 GPUs Finally Get Official Release Window — but Still No Price

AMD's RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT: A March 2025 Launch, Amidst Speculation and Market Dynamics

AMD unveiled its next-generation graphics cards, the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT, at CES 2025. However, their absence from the AMD keynote presentation, despite vendor displays on the show floor (with redacted specs), created intrigue. David McAfee, VP & GM of Radeon Graphics and Ryzen CPUs, subsequently announced a March 2025 release date via Twitter/X.

McAfee stated that the Radeon 9000 series hardware and software are in excellent shape, with plans for broad global availability. While the March launch is confirmed, crucial details like specifications and pricing remain undisclosed. Industry speculation suggests the cards will compete directly with Nvidia's RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti (February launch), occupying similar performance and price segments.

Adding to the mystery, reports indicate that RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT units have already reached retailers and reviewers, with eTeknix confirming receipt of review samples. This pre-release distribution fuels speculation about AMD's strategic timing. The delay might be a calculated move to directly counter Nvidia's RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti, allowing for a more targeted comparison and response. Another theory points to pricing pressure from Nvidia as a contributing factor to the delayed official launch.

The lack of concrete information has resulted in a somewhat muddled launch strategy. A June 2024 report highlighted Nvidia's commanding 88% share of the discrete GPU market, leaving AMD with a mere 12%. Facing this dominance, particularly in the mid-range and high-end segments, AMD's success hinges on a shrewd market approach.