AMD partners have begun raising prices on the Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT graphics cards, which were initially introduced at recommended prices of $550 and $600, respectively. Major retailers such as Newegg, OcUK, and Micro Center have raised the cost of these models by $50–$130 within a week of the launch.
Image Source: AMD
Traditionally, graphics card manufacturers like ASRock, Gigabyte, PowerColor, Sapphire, and XFX charge higher prices for models with improved cooling and overclocking, while selling the base versions at the recommended price. It is the base versions of the Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT that are being discussed in this case. Initially, these cards were presented with the stated prices of $550 and $600, but now they are no longer in stock, and new batches are going on sale at a noticeable increase in price, The Verge reports.
For example, Newegg is selling the PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Reaper for $700, up $100 from a week ago. The XFX Radeon RX 9070 XT Swift is priced at $730 (up $130), while the ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Steel Legend is priced at $670 (up $70). In the UK, OcUK has raised the prices of the PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT and Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT to £650 (up £80), while the ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Steel Legend is priced at £669 (up £99).
The situation is similar with the Radeon RX 9070. Micro Center currently sells the XFX Radeon RX 9070 Swift OC for $630 (+$80), while the Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 Gaming OC is priced at $670 (+$130). OcUK has listed the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 for £570 (+£40).
Not all retailers have revised their prices, however. Best Buy has not yet changed the prices of the models it offers, but they are also out of stock. Micro Center also lists several Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT models at the old prices, but they are all sold out.
As The Verge notes, this rapid price increase may have occurred because AMD did not explicitly deny information a week ago about whether its partners were or were not allowed to raise prices above the recommended ones. This apparently led to many retailers taking advantage of this moment to increase their profits.
Interestingly, unlike AMD, Nvidia hasn’t seen a massive price hike on its new graphics cards yet. A look at six RTX 5070 ($550), three RTX 5070 Ti ($750), and three RTX 5080 ($1,000) models shows that major retailers like Best Buy, Newegg, and Micro Center are sticking to their original price recommendations.