AMD unveiled its next-generation graphics cards, the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT, at CES 2025, but intriguingly, neither of these RDNA 4 GPUs made an appearance during AMD's keynote. Despite this, vendors were seen showcasing their new cards on the show floor, albeit with redacted specifications.
David McAfee, AMD's VP & GM of Radeon Graphics and Ryzen CPUs, took to Twitter/X to announce that both the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT are slated for release in March 2025. McAfee expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming Radeon 9000 series, stating, "Radeon 9000 series hardware and software are looking great and we are planning to have a wide assortment of cards available globally. Can’t wait for gamers to get their hands on the cards when they go on sale in March!"
While AMD has confirmed the release month, specifics such as detailed specifications and pricing remain under wraps. It's widely speculated that the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT will compete directly with Nvidia's RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, which are set to launch in February, in terms of both price and performance.
Despite the lack of official details, reports suggest that stock of the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT has already reached retailers and is in the hands of reviewers. eTeknix has confirmed receiving review samples of these upcoming graphics cards.
The situation has led to speculation that AMD may have delayed the official launch to better position its products against Nvidia's upcoming GPUs. Some believe this delay is a strategic move to directly compare the RX 9070 lineup with Nvidia's RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti. Additionally, there's speculation that pricing pressure from Nvidia could be influencing AMD's decision to delay the official release.
The messaging surrounding the launch of the RX 9070 lineup has been somewhat chaotic and unclear, especially given the scarcity of detailed information. A report from June 2024 highlighted Nvidia's dominant position in the discrete GPU market, holding 88% compared to AMD's 12%.
With no other major competitor challenging Nvidia in the mid-range or high-end consumer graphics card market, AMD faces a critical challenge to effectively compete and reduce Nvidia's significant market share.
