The Hardware Unboxed team has unleashed some of its sarcastic Aussie wit; in response to an alleged manipulation of GeForce RTX 5060 (non-Ti) review day conditions. In an online dig—directed at Team Green leadership—the Australian media outlet's social media account parodied NVIDIA new product decision-making: "we're not hiding the RTX 5060, we're very proud of it and gamers will love it. Also, we're going to launch the RTX 5060 on May 19th during Computex, and although reviewers have cards right now, we won't be releasing the driver until they go on sale." Mid-way through April, Hardware Unboxed's Tim Schiesser voiced his displeasure regarding a complete lack of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB evaluation samples—only 16 GB variants were sent out to testers. Curious professional reviewers opted into buying these cheaper variants (out of pocket), including TechPowerUp's W1zzard. Our head honcho's reckoning—of a custom Gainward effort—pointed out far too many compromises.

In a follow-up post, Hardware Unboxed's social media rep took a more measured approach with their disapproval of "controlled conditions." Clarifying the "context" of their earlier rant, they explained: "NVIDIA are trying to hide the RTX 5060, just as they did the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB. The strategy here is to release it the week of Computex when most of the tech media are in Taiwan attending the show. They're also blocking reviewers from accessing the driver early to evaluate the RTX 5060 and provide reviews at the time of release. So as it stands I have multiple RTX 5060 samples, and I won't be able to review any of them until about a week after they go on sale." VideoCardz, and other critics/watchers believe that a rumored "rushed" development of GeForce RTX 5060-series cards (Ti and non-Ti) resulted in an uninspiring repeat rollout of 8 GB and 16 GB VRAM configurations—albeit upgraded to GDDR7 standards.

Earlier in the week, reports indicated the potential introduction of an Intel Xe2 "Battlemage" B770 gaming graphics card at Computex 2025. Last night, a Team Blue tweet confirmed forthcoming product unveilings: "new Intel Arc Pro GPUs are on the way. See you in Taipei!" In the months leading up to this important trade event, industry watchdogs have drummed up speculation about "Battlemage's" future (or fate). Whispers of 24 GB VRAM-equipped variants emerged late last year—around late January, these theories were connected to an official leak: "3 new PCI IDs for BMG."

Unsurprisingly, VideoCardz has weighed in with some new inside track info—they propose that one of Intel's upcoming professional options will be an "Arc Pro B60 24 GB" model, aka "Developer Edition" (an alleged in-house reference). Despite Sparkle HQ downplaying recent "rogue claims," a company rep (in China) alluded to a possible May/June release of their own custom 24 GB "Battlemage" productivity-oriented card. VideoCardz has picked up on rumors, regarding the "Arc Pro B60's" internal setup. They propose Team Blue's selection of the familiar "BMG-G21" GPU; as used by their Arc Xe2 B580 12 GB and B570 10 GB designs. According to an unnamed inside source, this professional/workstation variant will stick with the usual 192-bit memory interface. Intel's Computex 2025 new product teaser provided a big clue about the speculated "B60" model's cooling solution.

TechPowerUp over the past 50-odd days surveyed our readers to understand if they're willing to pay premium for high-end factory overclocked graphics cards. This is especially important to know in the wake of GPU manufacturer MSRPs turning largely irrelevant, pushing even inexpensive non-OC cards with simpler designs way above the MSRP. We have also seen scenarios where certain GPUs are only sporadically available, and in some cases, only their premium factory-OC cards are. This would tell us if buyers are willing to pick up a premium OC graphics card if it's the only option available versus waiting for non-OC cards to become available at relatively lower prices.

Our survey gathered close to 21,000 responses. 46.4% of the responses (9,738 votes) say that they choose premium OC graphics cards, however, they do so only for the better cooling. Board partners tend to give their products premium cooling solutions to not just deal with the added heat from the OC, power-limits, and boost headroom; but also to offer low noise as a feature, besides other aesthetic touches such as RGB lighting or a premium appearance. The "Yes" option, which means that buyers want premium OC graphics cards for their superior performance, gathered an interesting 28.2% of the vote (5,908 votes). Lastly, only 25.4% (5,335 votes) say that they are not willing to pay for premium OC cards, and prefer cards either at or close to the MSRP.

Last August, the rumor mill indicated a possible arrival of Radeon RX 7400 and RX 7300 graphics cards—potentially distributed through OEM channels. Going further back—during the early days of RDNA 3—insiders posited that true entry-level models were on the way; sitting below the already lowly Radeon RX 7600 model in Team Red's "Navi 33" GPU-based stack. Around mid-2023, Kepler_L2 envisioned humble "Navi 33 Ultra Lite with 4 CUs" designs. Currently, TechPowerUp's database alludes to a "never released" Radeon RX 7500 XT card, but AMD's (presumably less potent) RX 7400 and RX 7300 options were not deemed worthy of similar treatment.

To the surprise of many industry watchdogs, quite fresh AIDA64 Extreme (beta) release notes—version: 7.65.7415 beta (May 05, 2025)—mention "AMD Radeon RX 7300 (Navi 33)" GPU information. VideoCardz highlighted this discovery with a quick investigative piece; they did not find any official listings of this mysterious identifier. Two other RDNA 3 era models were present in the latest AIDA64 update: an already launched "Radeon Pro W7700 (Navi 32)" card and 2024's "Radeon RX 7800M (Navi 32)" mobile solution. Despite the upcoming launch of lower end RDNA 4 graphics cards, Team Red and a couple of its board partners are still pushing out "new" Navi 33 GPU-based cards—most notably Chinese market exclusive Radeon RX 7650 GRE custom models. In theory, a large surplus of "Hotpink Bonefish" GPU dies would require depletion in 2025.

AMD and a select bunch of its board partners are set to launch Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB graphics card models tomorrow; starting as exclusives for China's PC gaming hardware market. Just before an unleashing of retail stock, local media outlets have published reviews—mostly covering brand-new ASUS, Sapphire, and XFX products. The RDNA 4 generation's first "Great Radeon Edition" (GRE) is positioned as a slightly cheaper alternative to Team Red's Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) 16 GB model; 4199 RMB versus 4499 RMB (respectively, including VAT). In general, Chinese evaluators seem to express lukewarm opinions about the Radeon RX 9070 GRE's value-to-performance ratio. After all, this is a cut-down design—a "reduced" Navi 48 chip makes do with 3072 Stream Processors. The card's 12 GB of GDDR6 VRAM configuration is paired up with a 192-bit memory interface.

Carbon Based Technology's video review presented benchmark results that placed AMD's new contender on par with a previous-gen card: Radeon RX 7900 GRE 16 GB. Considering that this RDNA 3 era Golden Rabbit Edition (GRE) model launched globally with an MSRP of $549, its Navi 48 XL GPU-based descendant's ~$580 (USD) guide price appears to be mildly nonsensical. GamerSky pitched their ASUS ATS RX 9070 GRE MEGALODON OC sample against mid-range and lower level current-gen NVIDIA gaming products: ""through testing, we can find that at 4K resolution, the GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB performs the best, 5% higher than the ASUS RX 9070 GRE Megalodon. As the resolution decreases, its lead also decreases, and at 2K resolution it is only 2% higher. At 1080p resolution, the difference is only 1%. At the same time, compared with RTX 5060 Ti 16G, ASUS RX 9070 GRE Megalodon has a greater advantage. The performance of its competitor's RTX 5060 Ti 16G is only 77% of that of RX 9070 GRE at 4K and 2K resolutions. At 1080p, its performance increased slightly to 79%." AMD and involved AIBs could be testing the waters with an initial Chinese market exclusive release, but Western news outlets reckon that a more aggressive pricing strategy is needed for a (potential) proper global rollout of Radeon RX 9070 GRE cards.

A Brazilian e-tail outlet—TerabyteShop—has inadvertently listed an announced Gigabyte graphics card product. At the time of writing, this offending item has been scrubbed from the shop's webstore—fortunately, VideoCardz has preserved crucial details and images. Almost a month ago, the Taiwanese manufacturer registered two semi-mysterious custom Radeon RX 9060 XT models in South Korea. The latest leak seems to confirm Gigabyte's readying of a Gaming OC option; configured with 16 GB of GDDR6 VRAM. TerabyteShop's publication of a telling product identifier/code—"GV-R9060XTGAMING OC-16GD"—matches information present within last month's Radio Agency (RRA) filing. AMD and its board partners are expected to release 8 GB variants, but insiders reckon that these cheaper options will receive less press coverage.

Team Red has not publicly admitted that it is working on a specific Radeon RX 9060 XT launch—instead, company representatives have indicated a forthcoming second quarter release of their Radeon RX 9060 Series. Late last month, industry moles predicted a May 21 reveal—very likely to happen during AMD's Computex 2025 presentation. In theory, TerabyteShop could have relied on placeholder material—their accidentally published page contained a promo shot of Team Red's "non-existent" triple-fan Radeon RX 9070 XT reference/MBA design. Additionally, it is not clear whether they sourced an image that depicts Gigabyte's large triple-fan Radeon RX 9070 (XT) Gaming OC design.

Manli introduced its new generation Polar Fox graphics design earlier this year; accompanied by an "exclusive two-dimensional" product mascot. Prior to 2025, the manufacturer did not market these mid-range offerings with cute character illustrations and graphics. Several Chinese graphics card specialist companies have adopted this aesthetic; seemingly taking major influence from Yeston. According to the Manli's PR material, the latest Polar Fox graphics cards are: "perfect for users who love anime...we've crafted a unique IP identity that makes Polar Fox truly special. The most special feature is wave-shaped heat sink, it enhances airflow to minimize noise, delivering a quieter and more comfortable experience."

The brand launched their icon-themed GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB factory overclocked custom design early on in March, starting off with sections finished with an unusually deep blue tone. As observed by VideoCardz, this aesthetic—covering a significant portion of the card's shroud and a central 9 cm cooling fan—is not a subtle prospect; especially when showcased via a vertical orientation. The brand has prepped a less flashy variant—swapping out the launch model's dark blue tones, in favor of a light-hearted shade of aqua teal. Manli's signature mascot backplate illustration remains the same across both SKUs, although the newer option features additional fractal graphics and "Polar Fox" text. Going back to last month; the manufacturer unveiled this lighter teal setup during an introduction of (mostly dual-fan) new GeForce RTX 5060 Ti models.

Best Buy USA has updated its webstore with a "PNY GeForce RTX 5060 Overclocked 8 GB GDDR7 PCI Express 5.0 Graphics Card with Dual Fan" black edition card. NVIDIA and several of its board partners have already revealed forthcoming products, but a firm launch date was not announced during "GeForce RTX 5060 Desktop Family" introduction week. Inside track knowledge indicates a potential unveiling at Computex 2025; specifically on May 19. VideoCardz believes that GeForce RTX 5060 (non-Ti) evaluation samples were distributed well in advance of this month's big hardware conference. Two weeks ahead of an alleged simultaneous unveiling/retail launch, a barebones dual-fan PNY factory overclocked offering has appeared online. Best Buy's advertised $299.99 price point hovers just above Team Green's $299 starting line. A reference specced equivalent is present within TechPowerUp's GPU database; will retail outlets sticker this one with a just below $300 tag?

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB design received very little fanfare last month—certain members of the media had to fork out cash from their own wallets ($379 MSRP), in order to secure units for review purposes. Non-TI 8 GB (GB206 GPU-based) cards are not expected to receive widespread critical acclaim, but potential mainstream buyers could be enticed by "perceived value for money." Interestingly, PNY's mid-April "GeForce RTX 5060 Family" PR material teased a forthcoming "Single Fan RTX 5060" model. No promotional renders were provided, but Best Buy's listing has included an exploded depiction of the AIB's dual-fan solution. The contained (and suitably) stubby board design could be transferred quite easily to a smaller enclosure. Unlike GIGABYTE's recently uncovered short configuration, PNY has opted to go with a regular length PCIe interface.

ASUS has added a brand-new ROG Strix GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB GDDR7 OC Edition SKU to its wide-ranging NVIDIA GPU portfolio. The company introduced new generation ROG Strix cards earlier this year, but these offerings were missing during the various GeForce RTX 50-series launch periods. Within the first quarter of 2025, ASUS seemingly concentrated on getting its TUF Gaming and PRIME lines onto retail shelves. As reported by VideoCardz, ROG Strix GeForce RTX 5070 Ti evaluation samples seem to be in the possession of media outlets. BenchLife.info has teased an upcoming full review, but their swift "hands-on" bit of coverage divulged an interesting claim about an alleged reshuffling of ASUS product hierarchies.

The article's author—Chris L.—stated: "ROG Strix RTX 50-series is finally on the market! After finishing GeForce RTX 5060 Ti tests, we return to a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card. ASUS has made some changes to the GeForce RTX 50-series, replacing ROG Strix with ROG Astral to become the highest-end graphics card product line (for GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 tiers). As for ROG Strix and TUF Gaming, ProArt, Prime and DUAL series, they provide players with different choices. The flagship ROG Matrix still exists, but we won't see it until it is needed." Currently, new product listings point to ROG Strix being limited to custom (standard and overclocked) GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 options.

Over the past weekend, members of the Chiphell discussion board started posting truly NDA-busting photo material—one example made headlines a few days ago. A fairly convincing list of next-gen NVIDIA RTX PRO Blackwell series graphics cards appeared online just over a month ago; only a smattering of physical specimens have emerged since then. As pointed out by interested Chiphellers, Leadtek Chinese language websites have started listing a small selection of upcoming "Blackwell" generation professional SKUs.

The previously leaked PCB design was linked to Leadtek/NVIDIA's "blower-style" RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q Workstation Edition 96 GB model. A brave Chiphell forumite has shared shots of another alleged internal component; a shorter PCB design has come to light—in VideoCardz's expert opinion, this stubby unit is destined to be contained within the Leadtek-made (non-Max-Q) RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Workstation Edition enclosure. Official Team Green promotional renders have already presented this darker alternative to existing Founders Edition gaming-oriented siblings. According to VideoCardz, Team Green's Professional Blackwell series review embargo is still in effect and official launch window information is still not a publicly-known quantity. The freshly leaked bare PCB seems to borrow design elements—namely a dual-sided GDDR7 memory module mounting setup—from NVIDIA's familiar GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition model.

Earlier this week, AMD carried out a surprise unveiling of its Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB graphics card model. Prior to then, mixed messages—delivered via the usual insider sources—pointed to a myriad of possible launch windows within 2025. Despite claims of the RDNA 4 generation's debut "Great Radeon Edition" getting bumped into the latter half of this year, VideoCardz produced evidence of PowerColor readying Red Devil and Reaper SKUs for imminent arrival at retail outlets in China. Currently, Team Red and board partner participants have opened up pre-orders—finalized Radeon RX 9070 GRE products are due to launch on May 8; as Chinese market exclusives. A small selection of ASUS, PowerColor, Sapphire and Yeston custom designs are on the way—mostly reusing familiar shroud and backplate IPs.

Surprisingly, ASUS has opted out of redeploying current-gen PRIME and TUF Gaming Radeon enclosures. During AMD's official RDNA 4 "Great Radeon Edition" introduction day, the manufacturer revealed their lone custom GRE option: an ATS Megalodon SKU. VideoCardz has gathered new details—from ASUS China's official website and local e-commerce platforms. "ATS-RX9070GRE-O12G Megalodon" pre-orders are available with a 4199 RMB launch price point; aligning directly with AMD's recommended baseline MSRP. This factory overclocked card features a fairly basic 2.5-slot thick triple-fan cooling solution, but the company's marketing team has emphasized the utilization of phase-change GPU thermal pads. Certain previous-gen (NVIDIA-based) Megalodon models were hyped up with "Back To Future" (BTF) connectivity, but the forthcoming ATS Megalodon Radeon RX 9070 GRE is a relatively barebones offering.

Intel has only released two Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" desktop models: the B580 12 GB and B570 10 GB graphics cards. So far, these lower priced options have been warmly welcomed by reviewers and buyers alike—but gaming GPU enthusiasts are still actively clamoring for more potent second-gen "Battlemage" variants. The collective status of theorized "B750, B770, and (fancifully) B780" SKUs is frustratingly unclear. Intel has not generated any official new product noise since the launch of their B570 design, earlier this year—recent big announcements have focused on next-gen "AI PC" processor lines. A series of vague leaks have indicated cancelations and then revivals of speculated mid-to-high-end Arc Xe2 discrete cards.

As of late, a larger "BMG-G31" GPU identifier has appeared in shipping manifests—a previous leak pointed to "prototype" units being moved between company facilities. Yesterday, Haze2K1 shared another extract from NBD inventory documents—crucially, they believe that these items are heading to a crucial manufacturing plant in Vietnam. This location is/was tasked with the assembling of first-party B570 and B580 Limited Edition products. Fresh conjecture suggests that "B7XX" Limited Edition cards are in the pipeline, but current circumstances are still hazy. VideoCardz reckons that a "Developer Edition" 24 GB model is still in active development, but this rumored workstation/productivity-oriented card could be based on Intel's readily available "BMG-G21" GPU die.

Throughout the Spring period, Yeston has mostly concentrated on getting AMD RDNA 4-based products out into the wild. The Chinese brand previewed custom GeForce RTX 50-series models around mid-January—months later, potential buyers have patiently waited for finalized retail stock to appear on shelves. The manufacturer fully introduced and launched its GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Sakura Atlantis OC SKU late last week, but this brightly-hued and cheerfully-decorated design does not hold universal appeal. Yeston has alluded to less extravagant "Game Ace" GeForce RTX 50-series cards; January 2025 promotional material indicated a recycling of previous-gen shroud and backplate setups. This morning, Yeston's official Weibo account unveiled a completely brand-new Game Ace model.

This forthcoming offering looks wholly unrelated to older siblings; as evidenced by an overall much darker aesthetic—mixing shades of pink, purple and black. Unlike the brand's flagship Sakura Atlantis fantasy-themed product line, their debut 2025 Game Ace effort is accompanied by a male protagonist. Yeston's Weibo account hinted about the origins of this mysterious sci-fi mascot (and additional cast members): "new characters unlocked with a new release? The Dark Knight is rising! A story lurking in the parallel universe No. 207, a character hidden in the depths of the dark night, who is he? The truth is revealed by you." Technical information was not included in the company's fresh marketing campaign, but two big clues are clearly visible. White "GeForce RTX" text and a single 8-pin power connector—as theorized by VideoCardz—indicate an enclosing of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti hardware.

Earlier in the year, MSI started to showcase a simple yet innovative safety measure—involving the heavily debated 12V-2x6 connection standard. In a completely serious April 1 social media post, the brand's gaming division refreshed its audience's collective mind: "did you know? MSI graphics cards come with a special dual-color 16-pin PCIe cable! If you see yellow, your connection isn't secure. Make sure to connect it properly, and game on with confidence! Note: this dual-color design applies only to the 1-to-3 and 1-to-4 dongles." TechPowerUp's news section has covered multiple instances of 12V-2x6 cables—and an especially fault-prone predecessor: 12WHPWR—being subject to unfortunate high temperature accidents. Yesterday, an unlucky owner shared details and images of their personal experience—involving their eye-wateringly expensive MSI GeForce RTX 5090 SUPRIM SOC model, the card's bundled cable, and a Super Flower 1300 W ATX 3.1-complaint power supply unit.

This incident was documented via a Quasar Zone BBS thread—circumstances were described as follows: "it's bitter. (My computer) kept turning off with a blue screen, so I checked and found out that the connector was burned. It's a shame... I played a game (Black Desert) that uses about 400 W for about two hours, and it happened yesterday...I need to file an AS complaint." Despite being firmly inserted—i.e. no yellow sections being visible—MSI's "foolproof" design did not prevent the melting and burning of this particular cable's graphics card-bound end connector. Fortunately, the SUPRIM SOC card's power input appears to be unaffected—the owner and several commenters surmised that a defective cable was shipped with this ultra-premium product. As pointed out by Tom's Hardware, the yellow-tipped safety measure is merely a "visual aid"—so underlying faults could still occur. ZOTAC's engineering team explored a more in-depth solution; their "12WHPWR Safety Light" feature debuted during CES 2025.

Insider whispers regarding AMD's plans for not-yet-official Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics cards have floated a possible introduction on May 18, as well as a speculated early June retail launch. These leaked timeframes seem to hinge on something happening at next month's Computex 2025 trade show—similarly, NVIDIA could be readying competing products. BenchLife.info has disclosed inside track information from both camps—their report outlined vaguely refreshed conditions: "the entire 'Blackwell' gaming GPU range is expected to include an (unannounced) GeForce RTX 5050, but this particular graphics card has not yet been confirmed by NVIDIA. After the launch of Team Green's GeForce RTX 5060 8 GB model, AMD is also expected to launch the Radeon RX 9060 XT series graphics cards on May 21, but the finalized stock may not appear for sale until June."

Yesterday, Team Red and involved board partners surprised many industry watchdogs—up until very recently, the Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB model's release status was in flux. VideoCardz believes that misleading information was deliberately sent out to moles and leakers. As correctly theorized by certain outlets, AMD will launch this (RDNA 4) generation's "Great Radeon Edition" card well in advance of lower end options. The aforementioned (alleged) May 21 introduction of Radeon RX 9060 XT cards aligns with AMD's scheduled Tuesday morning press conference. A few days ago, a smattering of news articles indicated the cancelation of Team Red's Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB variant—VideoCardz cannot verify this claim. Instead, they reckon that the 16 GB model will be prioritized; in terms of day zero/one media coverage.

Mere months after the launch of GeForce RTX 5080 16 GB and RTX 5070 12 GB graphics cards, industry rumors are already swirling about a potential "SUPER" semi-successor. Sections of NVIDIA's previous-gen "Ada Lovelace" GeForce RTX 40-series family received mid-generation refresh treatment around early 2024. It is not clear whether it will take a year+ for the speculated arrival of upgraded "Blackwell" desktop gaming solutions, but members of the Chiphell forum have been openly discussing alleged "in-progress" GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER 24 GB and RTX 5070 SUPER 18 GB card designs. Past weekend theorizations were highlighted by ITHome and VideoCardz—in particular, one Chiphell participant posited the two follow-ups will not be deployed with noticeably "faster" performance.

Larger pools of onboard GDDR7 VRAM could pave the way for improvements in AI productivity, although greater capacities could lead to beneficial conditions in gaming scenarios—e.g. extra provisions for large textures and complex assets. The speculated GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER card could borrow aspects from Team Green's GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile 24 GB model; namely the latter's usage of 3 GB GDDR7 memory modules. Press interpretations—of fresh Chiphell leaks—point to company engineers enabling existing PCB designs with 8×3 GB (24 GB) and 6×3 GB (18 GB) parts; thus preventing a major overhaul of board layouts. Global PC gaming hardware communities have often expressed a dislike of NVIDIA's repeated deployment of 8 GB and 12 GB capacity products. A theoretical GeForce RTX 5070 SUPER 18 GB option could receive a warmer welcome. Very early speculation proposes an introduction—of SUPER "Blackwell" models—just before or during CES 2026.

On April 15, NVIDIA revealed its "coming soon + starting at $299" GeForce RTX 5060 8 GB graphics card model—along with the freshly launched GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and 8 GB cards. Not long after that, board partners introduced entire custom GeForce RTX 5060 Series product ranges. To the surprise of many, Team Green's mid-month PR material seemed to place a lot of emphasis on the cheapest offering. VideoCardz reckons that public demand for launch day GeForce RTX 5060 cards is not expected to reach high levels, but NVIDIA seems to be readying a simultaneous retail release and lifting of review embargoes. According to inside track information, May 19 appears to be the big day of choice.

Clever day one maneuvering could be in play—VideoCardz outlined a potential strategy: "this approach means customers may purchase the card without prior access to independent performance data. In other words, gamers will have to rely on NVIDIA's official benchmarks, unless they want to risk not being able to buy the card at MSRP." Team Green's mid-April "desktop family" marketing piece did tease the GeForce RTX 5060's Tensor and RT Core performance (respectively): 614 AI TOPs and 58 TFLOPS—versus RTX 5060 Ti's 750 AI TOPS, and 72 TFLOPS. Insider whispers suggest that AMD is readying rival hardware for release within a similar time frame; Radeon RX 9060 XT. The competing companies could be making important new product announcements just before the start of Computex 2025 (on May 20).

COLORFUL introduced its premium iGame GeForce RTX 5080 Vulcan OC 16 GB SKU earlier this year; complete with a mounted angle-adjustable 5th generation iGame Smart LCD screen. As of this week, the already launched standard black model is accompanied by a pale sibling—the manufacturer describes this new entry as sporting "snow-white armor." This spin-off is advertised as redefining the "visual language of high-end graphics cards." Unlike recently revealed lower end custom "Blackwell" gaming graphics cards, the quad-fan Vulcan W model gets special PR treatment—as demonstrated by COLORFUL's slick photo shoot and high-minded marketing blurb.

The Chinese AIB announced a retail launch—as of yesterday, their iGame GeForce RTX 5080 Vulcan W design headed to retail. Their own webstore and other regional platforms (JD, Tmall, Douyin, etc.) have started selling this SKU—the official starter price is 12,999 yuan (~$1784 USD). TechPowerUp's W1zzard reviewed a related (black) GeForce RTX 5080 Vulcan OC model; this triple-fan card was awarded with a "but expensive" badge—thanks to a potential $1300+ price point. COLORFUL's freshly introduced "pure white" flagship seemingly borrows cooling solution design inspiration from a key rival; the ASUS ROG Astral. A fourth 107 mm "sickle blade" fan is mounted on the Vulcan W's backplate.

An unlucky owner of a GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 5080 MASTER ICE 16 GB graphics card has reported a baffling instance of thermal gel leakage. A forum post—titled: "5080 oh my god thermal problem"—on the Quasar Zone BBS alerted the wider world to this bizarre fault. The South Korean MMORPG enthusiast described circumstances up until the point of critical liquefaction: "it's been exactly a month since I bought it. I use it for (Blizzard's) World of Warcraft. Two hours of use per day. I set up the card with a riser kit. Thermal (material) is crawling out?!" Early 2025 press coverage has largely focused on other types of unwanted high temperature events involving GeForce RTX 50-series cards, but the seeping out of "server-grade thermal conductive gel" compound is something new. As reported by several PC hardware news outlets, GIGABYTE has utilized fancy thermal conductive gel within flagship SKUs—instead of traditional/conventional thermal pads. This gel was placed over the card's VRAM and MOSFET sections; following fairly light usage (as described above) some of this material started to head down—getting ever closer to the unit's PCIe interface.

Assisted by the AORUS RTX 5080 MASTER ICE's vertical orientation, the (apparently) highly deformable, but non-fluid thermal gel was susceptible to the effects of gravity. JC Hyun System Co., Ltd.—GIGABYTE's official domestic importer (for South Korea)—weighed in with a separate bulletin: "we are aware of the thermal gel issue with the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 50 series, which was first posted on Quasar Zone—(we) are currently discussing the thermal gel issue with GIGABYTE HQ and future customer service regulations. In addition, we sincerely apologize for the confusion caused to many customers who love and use GIGABYTE products due to inaccurate guidance provided to customers who received the products due to unclear customer service regulations regarding the issue that occurred this time. Lastly, when the manufacturer's customer service policy regarding this thermal gel issue is finalized, we will also forward the service policy to CS Innovation so that it can be processed smoothly in accordance with the service policy. We will also provide information through a separate post so that more customers can be aware of the information." As mentioned by Notebookcheck, GIGABYTE uses this special thermal gel solution on other highly expensive custom: "RTX 50-series cards like the GeForce RTX 5090 XTREME WATERFORCE 32G, RTX 5090 MASTER ICE, RTX 5070 Ti MASTER, and others."

A part of AMD's enthusiast fanbase scoffed at the prospect of a rumored Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB model arriving ahead of—officially teased—lower end RDNA 4 options. This new generation's "Great Radeon Edition" seemed to be heading into mass production; according to insider track information. Last week, fairly legitimate specifications leaked out and TechPowerUp's GPU-Z utility was updated with support for this slightly mysterious Navi 48 GPU-based gaming card. Members of the Board Channels forum have heard fresh whispers from industry moles—most likely from AIBs—regarding a possible delay of Team Red's Radeon RX 9070 GRE design. Alleged initial plans suggested an original release at retail; on May 8. Further conjecture points to a revised Q4 2025 launch window—perhaps just before November 11. The same Board Channel report also mentioned an expedited rollout of AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT cards—earlier theories signalled an early June (aka post-Computex 2025) arrival, but insiders now posit May 18.

Last week, COLORFUL introduced an impressive selection of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060 models—across Advanced, iGame, Ultra W and NB product lines. Barring their "youthful" graffiti-decorated iGame options, the Chinese manufacturer's brand-new lineup largely consisted of very sober looking affairs. Earlier in the week, VideoCardz noticed that COLORFUL had updated its native website with two new entries; under the company's COLORFIRE sub-brand. Previous generation MEOW Series graphics cards debuted almost two years ago; starting with custom GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB and RTX 4060 8 GB models.

Beyond making brightly-colored graphics card designs, COLORFIRE's MEOW product line consists of equally "loud" motherboards, cases, laptops and peripherals. COLORFIRE's new generation MEOW desktop graphics cards—available in GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB or 8 GB configurations—have appeared with a new triple-fan shroud and backplate design. The 2.5-slot thick enclosure seems to house reference spec-conforming hardware. VideoCardz expects these fairly basic white/orange offerings to launch "at or near" baseline MSRP. It is refreshing to see the emergence of another feline pet/mascot-themed product; as opposed to the recent dearth of cute "idol" or "waifu"-decorated options. Nearby rival manufacturers—including ASUS, Yeston, and ZOTAC—have resorted to utilizing such clichéd marketing tactics.

ASUS China showcased a compelling new custom graphics card design during their presentation of a Hatsune Miku-themed product collection. Global audiences were treated to TUF Gaming x Hatsune Miku crossover peripherals/accessories, but Chinese gamers will get access to a wider gamut of options—under the TX Gaming banner; a regional spin-off of TUF Gaming—including a cutely decorated GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB model. ASUS seems to be reusing this card's basic shroud/backplate design—minus elaborate character illustrations and graphics—on a brand-new TX Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB SKU. A "Born to be Different" message adorns a largely plain white front section, and familiar "GeForce RTX" texts are placed on a side panel and on the 2.5-slot thick card's metallic silver backplate. A large X-formation cut-out grants a glimpse at an enclosed fin stack.

In the past, ASUS TX Gaming products have been accompanied by sci-fi "idol" characters—on related retail box art and in promotional material. Evidently, ASUS has extended this "marketing technique" into the NVIDIA "Blackwell" GPU generation. As expected, the TX Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 models—in standard and factory overclocked forms—will launch as Chinese market exclusives. VideoCardz did not find any global listings of these offerings, nor launch details—e.g. a release date and MSRPs. They noted that a TUF Gaming equivalent model features five display connectors; as opposed to the TX Gaming's deployment of four (1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b).

Sapphire introduced two brand-new NITRO+ models prior to the official launch of AMD's RDNA 4 graphics card generation. The manufacturer rolled out its flagship Radeon RX 9070 XT card on day one—March 6—but the "lesser" NITRO+ sibling was absent at retail. Late last week, ITHome revealed that Sapphire had finally got round to globally releasing their NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 16 GB SKU. At the time of writing, Overclockers UK seems to have cards in stock—priced at £629.99 (including VAT). Unsurprisingly, the freshly launched NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 model utilizes the exact same shroud and backplate design that is present on Sapphire's range-topper.

The latest entry retains all of the more expensive unit's mod cons—including a Quick Connect MagniPlate feature, STEALTH hidden power cable, 12V-2x6 (H++) external power connector, Tri-X cooling technology, optimized composite heatpipes, and Honeywell PTM7950 TIM. Major differences are disclosed in Sapphire's "engine clock" specs: "boost clock up to 2700 MHz" and "game clock up to 2210 MHz." The Hong Kong-based company has not officially commented on circumstances that led to the delay of its NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 graphics card. VideoCardz has dismissed claims about this particular model being postponed due to rumors of a displacement by forthcoming Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB options.

Not long after Intel's launch of the Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" B580 12 GB graphics card design, insiders started generating noise about potential spin-offs bound for release in 2025. In theory, the speculated "B580 24 GB" variant could arrive as a workstation-oriented discrete graphics solution—possibly lined up as a next-gen entry within Team Blue's Arc Pro family. Three mysterious BMG (aka "Battlemage") PCI identifiers turned up at the end of January; sending online PC hardware debates into overdrive; one faction believed that Team Blue was readying fabled productivity-focused B-series cards—complete with enlarged pools of GDDR6 VRAM. Apparently, Sparkle's Chinese branch has provided comment on newer rumors—from March, according to VideoCardz. The Taiwanese manufacturer is a key Intel board partner in the field of Arc GPU-based graphics card products—across gaming and professional desktop lines. Unfortunately, the company's head office (in Taiwan) has dismissed "official" claims about a May/June launch of an unnamed 24 GB model. Sparkle's Chinese social media account engaged with members of the PC hardware community, and outlined an "original plan" to release something new within the second quarter of 2025—apparently the incoming card is "still being arranged."

Acer seems to be readying premium tier Radeon RX 9070 XT OC graphics card models for an imminent launch. The brand's Swedish office has sent out mixed messages—as noted by VideoCardz's past weekend coverage—regarding their incoming non-overclocked Nitro SKU. Gaming GPU enthusiasts have often complained about AMD's overcomplicated model nomenclature—in particular, the company's XT, XTX and GRE attachments have caused uncountable headaches. Quite amusingly, Acer Sweden's marketing team got bamboozled by Team Red's model labelling scheme—as evidenced by their recent advertising of a "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 GRE XT 16 Gbit/s graphics card."

VideoCardz reckons that no such SKU exists; employees have rectified this mistake—at the time of writing, Acer Sweden's product page showcases a corrected designation: "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB graphics card." According to industry moles, AMD and its board partners are working on RDNA 4 generation "Great Radeon Edition" (GRE) cards. Late last week, VideoCardz acquired an alleged Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB specification sheet. Team Red and AIBs seem to be devising a forthcoming retail release in China; possibly by next month. Acer Sweden's inadvertent/bungled leak suggests that GRE-related info is present within internal promo material.