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 AMD's 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 performing well, with plans for global distribution. While the March launch is confirmed, crucial details like specifications and pricing remain undisclosed. Market analysts widely anticipate the RX 9070 series to compete directly with Nvidia's RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti (February launch), occupying similar price and performance tiers.
Interestingly, reports suggest 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 has fueled speculation about AMD's strategic motives.
The delayed official launch has prompted theories that AMD is strategically responding to Nvidia's RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti, aiming for a direct comparison and competitive advantage. Another theory suggests pricing pressure from Nvidia influenced AMD's decision.
The lack of concrete information surrounding the RX 9070 series has resulted in a somewhat muddled launch campaign. A June 2024 report highlighted Nvidia's commanding 88% share of the discrete GPU market, leaving AMD with a mere 12%. Facing this significant market dominance, AMD's strategic moves in the mid-range and high-end consumer GPU market will be critical to its success.
