AMD's launch of its RDNA 4 GPUs, particularly the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT, seems to be facing unexpected delays, according to recent reports. While AMD had confirmed a Q1 2025 launch at CES 2025, a more specific March release date was announced recently. This has raised eyebrows, as a major retailer reportedly already has the new cards in stock.
Unexpected Delay and Retailer Stock
Despite leaks suggesting a mid-January reveal and a January 23rd release for the RX 9070 series, AMD has officially pushed the release to March. This move is particularly surprising as Moore's Law Is Dead reports that Micro Center is already holding "shelves of RX 9000 GPUs" in their backrooms, suggesting the delay is a recent development. Additionally, if Micro Center has stock, it's likely other retailers do as well, leaving them in a position where they are unable to sell their inventory.
Strategic Delay?
The reasons for the delay are speculated to be strategic. AMD is potentially waiting to see the reception, pricing, and performance of Nvidia’s RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti cards, which are expected to launch in February. Since AMD lacks a direct competitor to the high-end RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 this generation, nailing the price-to-performance ratio of the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT is crucial. The delay gives AMD extra time to assess market conditions and make strategic adjustments.
Expected Performance and Pricing
Leaked information suggests the RX 9070 will offer greater than RX 7800 XT performance in rasterization, while the RX 9070 XT should outperform the RX 7900 XT. Ray tracing performance is expected to show a significant improvement, with the RX 9070 XT allegedly outperforming even the RX 7900 XTX. In terms of pricing, the RX 9070 XT could range from $479 to $550, while the RX 9070 is anticipated to come in under $500.
