Over the past three weeks, press outlets and the buying public have levelled heavy criticism at NVIDIA board partners. The launches of three GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" GPUs have—so far—been problematic; based on news reports and community feedback. Prior to release (on February 20), VideoCardz anticipated major price fluctuations for an all-custom portfolio of GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards. The publication did not hold back with its targeting of ASUS; one of Team Green's big time AIBs. Only a small selection of baseline MSRP ($749) conformant models were available on day one, and VideoCardz posited that manufacturers would implement price hikes soon after launch. A follow-up report continues their investigation into a lack of baseline MSRP options, as well as so-called "fake promotions."

VideoCardz repeated its belief that ASUS will jack-up the asking price for its PRIME GeForce RTX 5070 Ti model. When looking at Newegg's listing of baseline MSRP cards, the intrepid investigator stumbled up another notable absence: "we wrote three articles about the ASUS RTX 5070 Ti PRIME model not being listed as an MSRP card by retailers, which finally led ASUS to intervene (most likely for a limited time) to sell this card at the promised price. What we can immediately notice is the lack of the VENTUS 3X model from MSI, which was basically 90% of the MSRP card review coverage yesterday, as NVIDIA had no Founders Edition card for this launch and relied on board partners. In fact, the VENTUS 3X non-OC is not even included in the official launch, meaning that the card you saw yesterday in reviews is simply not available anywhere." It should be noted that TechPowerUp received an MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X OC sample unit for evaluation purposes (review guide pricing was $749); Newegg lists this particular model with a current $829.99 price point, but stock is unavailable (at the time of writing).

GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards are due to hit international markets this Thursday (February 20), only in custom design form. NVIDIA will not be rolling out a Founders Edition model for this mid-to-high GPU product tier. Yesterday, an NDA-busting leak emerged online; hinting at a mixed bag of synthetic benchmark scores. When compared to new-gen and past-gen siblings, the incoming GB203 GPU-based family's "price-to-performance ratio" was greeted with plenty of online community skepticism. Considering that only a minority of AIB companies are reportedly engaged in the supply of cheaper offerings, the early outlook for overall GeForce RTX 5070 Ti launch pricing is generating further dissatisfaction. Team Green's first wave of "Blackwell" gaming GPUs launched late last month, straight into chaotic market conditions.

At CES 2025, NVIDIA set a baseline MSRP of $749. Fresh reports suggest that hardware review outlets will be delivering comprehensive verdicts tomorrow. VideoCardz believes that the lifted review embargo will be "exclusively for MSRP cards," based on information gleaned from their network of press contacts. The GPU specialist publication has kept tabs on fluctuating GeForce RTX 50-series prices for a while—several recent reports have levelled criticism at prominent Team Green board partners; namely ASUS and MSI. Plenty of venom was directed at the former, due to last month's launch of the: "GeForce RTX 5080 PRIME non-OC model at MSRP, and it was covered in the first reviews...Except, it was increased by 26% the following week. This way, ASUS has cheated the system and got both the early coverage and was still able to sell cards at a higher price." VideoCardz predicts a similar pattern for this week's release of custom GeForce RTX 5070 Ti designs, in particular ASUS PRIME and TUF Gaming SKUs. Their latest report directed additional ire toward the source of all things Blackwell: "unless NVIDIA has no problem with this, this is not how MSRP cards should be announced. It is very misleading for customers and puts reviewers in a very bad light. Their conclusions might be completely different if the card is said to cost much more."

Sparkle, a notable Intel GPU board partner, introduced its dual-fan GUARDIAN custom design late last year. The Taiwan-based manufacturer's Arc B570 GUARDIAN 10 GB model launched mid-way through January—on day one, TechPowerUp's W1zzard awarded this particular card with "Highly Recommended" and "Great Value" badges. In a December leak, Sparkle's roadmap revealed Sparkle's plans for an upcoming Arc B580 GUARDIAN 12 GB SKU. A launch window was not denoted, but the new card would seemingly arrive after the early 2025 release of Sparkle's B580 TITAN Luna OC model. VideoCardz and its network of observers have detected a new listing on the official Sparkle website; signalling the B580 GUARDIAN's arrival.

Sparkle's Arc B580 GUARDIAN graphics card seems to be available for purchase in the United Kingdom, at the time of writing. CCL Computers and AWD IT have units in-stock at their respective warehouses, ready for immediate shipping. Both e-tailers have priced their offerings at £289.99 (including VAT), AWD has kindly knocked off £10 from their original demand of £299.99. Overclockers UK has a pre-order listing, coming in at a very reasonable £274.00 (incl. VAT). The Sparkle Arc B580 GUARDIAN 12 GB model conforms to Intel reference specifications, so global costs of ownership are likely sticking close to baseline MSRP.

Upcoming AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) graphics card specification sheets remain under wraps; we will very likely be presented with the full kibosh on February 28. Throughout early 2025, Team Red and its board partners have divulged very little. Instead, PC hardware news outlets have depended on a steady flow of leaked information. The opening round of Team Red RDNA 4 models have been comprehensively linked to PCIe 4.0 connection standards, but recent anomalies have appeared online. Contradictory spec info arrived late last week, courtesy of a leaker having pre-release access to an allegedly very high-end custom design. The validity of an uploaded GPU-Z session screenshot was questioned by the PC gaming hardware community; the detected candidate card seemed to be connected via a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 bus interface. VideoCardz has stumbled upon additional evidence—their weekend reporting activities pointed to a compelling new product listing on the Micro Center website.

The North American e-tailer's webstore features a "PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil Limited Edition Overclocked Triple Fan 16 GB GDDR6 PCIe 5.0 Graphics Card." Micro Center's threadbare product page is devoid of promotional images/renders, in-depth technical details or specifications. The "no longer available" special edition package has an SKU assignment code of 796672, and a manufacturer part number read-out of LERX9070XT16GEO. VideoCardz reached out to their "inside source" at PowerColor for research purposes. The company mole confirmed that the PCIe 5.0 spec point is genuine. The leaked photo of "Red Devil packaging" did not reveal any PCIe interface-related info. The publication reckons that the PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil model's interface "matches the appearance of the PCIe 5.0 standard," as seen on the new generation of NVIDIA RTX 50-series graphics cards. Looking back into recent history, Intel dropped initial plans for PCIe 5.0 connectivity with Arc "Battlemage" graphics cards. The B580 and B570 models have arrived at retail with bog-standard PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interfaces.

Last week, AMD China and involved board partners launched region-exclusive Radeon RX 7650 GRE graphics card models; initial publicity produced a mountain of promotional imagery, but only a minority of AIBs published GPU specification sheets. On Tuesday (February 11), new Team Red documentation revealed a slightly confusing change in nomenclature—as of 2025, GRE stands for "Great Radeon Edition," rather than "Golden Rabbit Edition." On launch day, ASRock China showcased their Navi 33 GPU-based Radeon RX 7650 GRE Challenger 8 GB OC Edition card. A product page has appeared on the company's local website, complete with technical information. We are looking at 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, 2048 stream processors, a game clock frequency of 2539 MHz, and a boost clock of "up to 2810 MHz." The ASRock official store price is listed as 2049 RMB (~$281 USD).

Another model, the ASRock Radeon RX 7650 GRE Challenger OC+ Edition has appeared online; its official product page looks almost identical to the OC (non-plus) Edition's. The tacked-on "+" denotes key differences in game clock and boost clock factory settings—ASRock has implemented higher frequencies: 2400 MHz and 2725 MHz (respectively). After analyzing promotional imagery, the slightly fancier card appears to sport a chunkier shroud design. The new "Great Radeon Edition" OC+ Edition is not listed on ASRock's official e-tail outlet. Amusingly, the two product pages contain the same error; their "main specification" sections point to a non-existent AMD Radeon RX 7600 GRE GPU. Team Red's Radeon RX 7650 GRE GPU seems to be a slightly tweaked variant of the Radeon RX 7600 (Navi 33 XL) 8 GB model.

Sapphire is readying multiple Radeon RX 9070 custom designs for next month's launch; official announcements and leaks have revealed upcoming PURE, PULSE and NITRO+ cards. The latter was identified in AMD's CES 2025 press material, but no demonstration sample turned up at last month's Las Vegas AIB roundup. A lone fuzzy low-resolution screengrab showcased the premium Radeon RX 9070 series card's hefty and blocky triple-slot profile. An hour or two ago, Everest (aka Olrak29) uploaded two alleged promotional images to social media. Thankfully, the leaked shots have arrived with decent pixel definition. Sapphire has initiated staggered marketing campaigns for its lower-end and mid-range RDNA 4 cards, so the latest leak has most likely preempted an upcoming official reveal of (possible) NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 cards.

Sapphire reserves the crème de la crème of feature sets for its premium-tier NITRO+ designs. Previous-gen examples were substantial prospects, and the incoming design is touted to continue that dimensional legacy. Well-heeled Team Red enthusiasts will welcome an updated triple-fan configuration and somewhat subtle internal ARGB lighting zones. The leaked card sports a luxurious "champagne gold" tinted shroud and backplate, with an optional detachable panel. The vented side plates sport a lighter-hue, but the elaborate triangular cut-out aesthetic could be off-putting to certain connoisseurs. Press outlets have honed in on the new NITRO+ model's hidden power connector design, potentially leading to a single input—utilizing a 12 or 16-pin interface.

AMD's Radeon RX 9070 GPU series is due for release next month; a specific date has not been set, but we will likely find out more through official channels at the end of this month. Team Red and its board partners have chosen to remain silent on the subject of RDNA 4's technical makeup; post-CES 2025, hardware news outlets have relied on a steady trickle of Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070-related leaks. Very basic sleuthing pointed to pools of 16 GB VRAM for both models, while insiders kept on mentioning an unannounced "Navi 48" GPU. The latest—courtesy of HKEPC—seems to confirm that the Radeon RX 9070 XT will utilize the aforementioned new RDNA 4 Navi chip. Earlier today, a screenshot was uploaded to social media—the leaker shared graphics card information displayed in a TechPowerUp GPU-Z (v2.62) session. Despite patch notes not disclosing compatibility, the latest version of GPU-Z is seemingly able to identify key aspects of the alleged "RX 9070 XT (Navi 48)" sample.

The card's name is obscured, but HKEPC and several press outlets believe that it is the genuine article. The fundamental details appear to be: 16 GB GDDR6 VRAM (Hynix-made), a 256-bit memory bus, 4096 stream processors, and a boost clock reaching a maximum frequency of 3.1 GHz. Older leaks have indicated that the first wave of RDNA 4 cards will make do with PCI-Express 4.0 x16 interfaces, but the GPU-Z screenshot shows a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 bus interface (detection could be bugged). The driver version was identified as Adrenalin 24.30.01.05. The unnamed card appears to feature a steep factory overclock; industry experts reckon that the sample could be a very high-end AIB model. Past reports suggest that PowerColor's Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil card is capable of boosting up to 3060 MHz. HKEPC uploaded another incriminating screenshot; showcasing performance results produced by Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds PC performance benchmark tool. The test system—featuring Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K CPU and 48 GB of RAM—scored 36102 points and achieved a maximum frame rate of 211.71 FPS at 1080p, with "Very High" profile settings. The leaker confirmed that FSR and Frame Generation were enabled during the benchmark session.

MSI has, quite appropriately, introduced new SHADOW 3X graphics card models in a low-key manner. These stealth-black GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti custom designs have just appeared online via official product pages. We expect to see press material published in the near future, perhaps closer to the launch of NVIDIA's next wave of Blackwell GPUs. MSI's newly discovered product pages place emphasis on the SHADOW 3X's essential features: "a performance-focused design that delivers the gaming experience players want, making it the ideal choice when upgrading or building a gaming rig." VideoCardz believes that the incoming SHADOW 3X cards will be the first to reach Western markets—previous-gen models have released as Chinese regional exclusives. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16G SHADOW 3X overclocked (OC) and non-OC SKUs appear to re-use MSI's familiar VENTUS 3X design, just tinted many shades darker.

The new SHADOW 3X cards seem to utilize a fresh design, with no recycling from a similarly appointed sibling product family. MSI's latest barebones/essential tier brings a minimal set of perks: a sizable heatsink, a triple-fan cooling solution, a single 16-pin power connector and a straightforward shroud and backplate aesthetic. SHADOW 3X eschews anything RGB lighting-related. Potential buyers will not be dealing with fancy vapor chambers or liquid cooling systems. MSI will be offering overclocked editions, as well as standard models that conform to NVIDIA reference specifications. TechPowerUp's well-maintained GPU database will be updated with these new additions.

Sapphire Technologies has started teasing new PURE series graphics cards; earlier today a social media post stated that new offerings are: "coming your way." An accompanying image presents two semi-obscured signature white models—press outlets believe that the pair are custom Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) models. Sapphire did not exhibit at CES 2025, but a lonely triple-fan Radeon RX 9070 XT PURE card did make the overseas journey to Las Vegas. At the time, AMD presented a small smattering of RDNA 4 board partner samples at a roundup showcase.

Sapphire started to market its new darker dual-fan PULSE design last month, but a series of leaks have ruined the company's (social media-driven) build-up of product anticipation. We have not witnessed any Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT or 9070 (non-XT) PURE stock reaching retail storage locations, but lower-end PULSE models have been distributed—reportedly, at least East of the Mediterranean. Sapphire's CES demonstration sample sported an almost all-white enclosure, a triple-fan cooling solution and dual 8-pin power connectors. The PURE Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) models could feature limited RGB lighting—an "ARGB out" connector was present on the back section of Sapphire's presentation card.

Supply chain and board partner (AIB) insiders have once again signalled a murky future for Team Green's "Ada Lovelace" generation of gaming graphics cards—Chinese industry soothsayers believe that supplies of GeForce RTX 4060 GPUs will change significantly throughout February. A somewhat similar disclosure popped up online half-way through January—when members of the Board Channels discussion board predicted an end of the month stock depletion of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPUs. Several web entities believe that NVIDIA is paving the way for a next wave of GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" graphics cards.

Gory details appeared on Board Channels—yesterday morning's China market-focused bulletin stated: "supply of the main models of the RTX 4060 series will be greatly reduced from the first quarter of 2025, that is, from February 2025 in the domestic market, NVIDIA's supply of RTX4060 series GPUs will be greatly reduced, which is at least 60% less than the estimated Q4 of 2024." Team Green and its partners are reportedly working on a March launch window for GeForce RTX 5060 (non-Ti) and RTX 5060 Ti graphics card models—neatly aligning with the RTX 4060-related timeframes proposed by industry insiders. The Board Channels article added further clarification: "the number of GPUs that each core AIC brand manufacturer can get from NVIDIA will be greatly reduced."

Mid-way through January, insider sources reckoned that AMD's China-exclusive Radeon RX 6750 GRE 10 GB GPU was on the way out—a rumored successor was seemingly in line to replace this popular budget-friendly RDNA 2-based model. According to VideoCardz, Team Red's latest "Golden Rabbit Edition" design has launched—exclusively for a China-based buying audience. Team Red and its local board partners have produced a plethora of Radeon RX 7650 GRE 8 GB custom models—reports suggest that a reference model (MBA) does not exist. Several manufacturers have models readied for launch, including: ASRock, ASUS, PowerColor, Sapphire, Yeston and VASTARMOR. Official MSRP for the region is 2099 yuan (~$289 USD). In the West, original launch pricing for the Radeon RX 7600 was $269. The fancier Radeon RX 7600 XT was priced at $329 on day one.

Roughly a year ago, AMD decided against releasing its (RDNA 3) Radeon RX 7600 XT 16 GB GPU in China. Their Radeon RX 7600 (non-XT) 8 GB model did make it to China, but it was largely overshadowed by older tech—mainly Team Red's compellingly priced Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and 10 GB cards. Spec-wise, the Radeon RX 7650 GRE sits somewhere in-between its two "Hotpink Bonefish" Navi 33 siblings. All three cards share the same number of compute units (32 CUs), but differ in terms of boost clocks and thermal design power ratings. The GRE features a max. boost clock speed of 2695 MHz and a board TDP of 170 W—just a nudge over the Radeon RX 7600's 2655 MHz boost capability and 165 W board power rating. Both cards are frugal enough to rely on a single 8-pin power connector. By contrast, the hungrier 190 W TDP-rated Radeon RX 7600 XT sports two 8-pin inputs—this GPU can boost up to 2755 MHz. VideoCardz has kindly assembled a comparison chart (see below).

AMD debuted its first wave of RDNA 4 graphics cards—consisting of Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) models—at the beginning of January. At the time, press outlets and PC gaming hardware enthusiasts were equally flummoxed by Team Red's confusing presentation strategy. Invited attendees of CES 2025 were allowed to handle demonstration samples, but board partners appeared to be sworn to secrecy regarding technical specifications or performance figures. Miscellaneous leaks and rumors have seeped out since then—according to insiders, AMD was prepping its new Radeon product line for launch late last month. A re-scheduled rollout is seemingly in the works, possibly on next month's calendar entry. Benchlife (via VideoCardz) believes that a pre-launch showcase event is lined up for late February.

Following publication of the latest RDNA 4-related leaks, a brave soul engaged with AMD's Frank Azor on social media. Dee Batch, a loyal and long-term supporter of Radeon gaming hardware, sent a query to Team Red's chief architect of gaming solutions: "can we see the RDNA 4 full presentation? I honestly feel you can prevent many gamers from getting a GeForce RTX 5070 or RTX 5070 Ti GPU...Please, do not miss this opportunity to gain gamer mind share." Azor replied with a short sentence: "yes, full details are coming soon." This brief interaction attracted additional participants—VideoCardz noted that the Team Red executive was taking on board feedback about expectations surrounding RDNA 4 MSRPs. Late last month, Azor refuted rumors of the Radeon RX 9070 XT pricing starting at a baseline of $899. NVIDIA has officially disclosed price points of $549 (RTX 5070) and $749 (RTX 5070 Ti)—AMD enthusiasts have their fingers crossed in hope of TBA competitive numbers.

The buying landscape for GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards is looking barren, just one week post-launch—global demand has far outstretched initial supply. Mid-week news points to two of NVIDIA's board partners increasing MSRPs for the top-end Blackwell GPU models, seemingly adding insult to already inflicted injuries. ASUS and MSI's North American online stores are completely devoid of stock—at the time of writing, almost all product entries are accompanied by "notify me" tags. The two hardware manufacturers have implemented comprehensive price hikes—as reported by VideoCardz. The publication pinpointed flagship models, as prime examples. The liquid-cooled ASUS ROG Astral LC RTX 5090 OC Edition 32 GB model was already a pricey prospect at launch ($3099), but the official store has tacked on another $311. A total charge of $3410 gets you one of the nicest and feature-rich card designs on the market, but you will be paying a premium of $1411—above Team Green's official GeForce RTX 5090 MSRP of $1999—for the privilege of ownership and/or bragging rights. Further down in the product stack—TechSpot noted that a Prime GeForce RTX 5080 (non-OC) 16 GB model has jumped from an original figure of $999, up to $1,264. At the time of writing, this price has been re-adjusted back down to just below $1000—thanks to a special "deal." The overclocked Prime variant is currently priced at $1320.

Looking at the MSI US store, VideoCardz reported on all GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 cards being priced north of original MSRPs—they highlighted a lowly not-overclocked RTX 5080 16G VENTUS 3X model having its price adjusted upwards—now $1140, instead of the original $1000 (at launch). MSI's "cheapest" RTX 5090 card is another VENTUS 3X design—this non-OC model is now $380 more expensive than last week's asking price ($2000). Overall, MSI's US webshop has raised prices in the ranges of $140 to $500 for GeForce RTX 5080 cards, and $380 to $790 for RTX 5090 offering—according to VideoCardz research. The company's RTX 5090 SUPRIM LIQUID SOC flagship design is not quite expensive as the equivalently appointed ASUS liquid-cooled model, but the newly adjusted MSRP of $2790 is difficult to digest. Press outlets have noted that listings on Newegg are up to $40 more expensive, when compared to the prices published on MSI's first-party store. As an added incentive, the MSI North American store is offering potential buyers a saving of: "$200 on MPG 322URX QD-OLED at checkout with RTX 5080/5090 series purchase."

Earlier this week, MSI's China office admitted that it had only a limited supply of GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards available for launch day. A VideoCardz report from last night points out similar problems affecting retail channels in North America. MSI's official US store has delayed shipments of GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 cards. This announcement was extracted from a conversation conducted via Discord—between a company representative (MSI Spence) and a VideoCardz staffer (WhyCry). In full, MSI stated: "we are going to allow GeForce RTX 5090 pre-orders on January 30, at 6 AM PST—with a ship date of February 6. The GeForce RTX 5080 will be available for purchase on January 30 at 6 AM PST, with an immediate ship date of (same day) January 30. GeForce RTX 5090 pre-orders will open on January 30 at 6 AM PST, with a ship date of February 6."

Additionally, StinceBuilt has corroborated reports of newly adjusted timeframes—the custom PC builder publicly disclosed its own dealings with the NVIDIA board partner: "we're being told by the MSI Team that the MSI RTX 5090 Variants are now being pushed back until February 6th for launch. RTX 5090 Day of Launch is going to be very rough, both on the consumer retail/ecommerce side, and to all system integrators. Stock is minimal at best. Please be patient. We've confirmed this with other shops like ourselves."

When the next-generation AMD Radeon RX 9000 series of GPUs, headed by RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, are surrounded by rumors, AMD's officials are coming to the rescue. According to the Bulgarian retailer's disclosure, AMD's initial pricing strategy for the new cards caused concerns, given their reported performance levels. The RX 9070 XT was reportedly positioned at around $899, matching the price point of the RX 7900 XT. The standard RX 9070 was said to carry a $749 price tag. To clarify the situation, AMD's Frank Azor jumped on social media platform X and explained, "While we aren't going to comment on all the price rumors, I can say that an $899 USD starting price point was never part of the plan."

Earlier reports indicate AMD has distributed its first wave of RDNA 4 graphics cards to various partners and retailers globally. However, these companies are currently unable to sell the new GPUs, as AMD has apparently set a March timeline for their release. This information gained additional credibility when a retailer in Bulgaria provided insights into AMD's preliminary launch strategy for the RX 9000 series. The retailer demonstrated the PowerColor Red Devil RX 9070 XT, one of three RX 9070 XT models that PowerColor unveiled during CES. While several AMD board partners have completed their RX 9070 XT designs, they have not yet disclosed official specifications or retail prices. Until March, we have limited information on pricing strategy.

Late last week, the official PowerColor website was updated with dedicated product pages for their Radeon RX 9070 XT Hellhound and Reaper custom designs going live. As expected, a bare minimum of information is displayed alongside multiple promo images—we witnessed this exact same pattern with the Red Devil's official listing, half-way through January. AMD's board partners are seemingly keeping quiet about first wave RDNA 4 hardware specifications—TechPowerUp and other tech news outlets have, so far, ascertained the fundamentals from leaks and accidental listings.

An extensive hands-on experience—at CES—was covered in our news section, but PowerColor's showroom representatives were not overly chatty when asked about under-the-hood details. Allegedly, the company's Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) Reaper model has turned up at a British e-tailer's warehouse—printed SKU info indicated the presence of 16 GB VRAM. Judging from photos and renders, the Navi-48 GPU-based Hellhound and Reaper are relatively svelte when compared to the chunkily-proportioned (triple-slot) Red Devil. The new Hellhound model occupies the middle of PowerColor's graphics card product stack—this dual-slot design features a smattering of RGB lighting and a dual BIOS switching system, the latter implies that a factory overclock has been implemented. The slightly smaller (SFF-friendly) affordable-tier Reaper card is reportedly specced with reference clocks—looking at photos, there is no physical mode switcher present on this design. The barebones Reaper aesthetic does not encompass fancy integrated lighting systems—anti-RGB champions will find this choice most pleasing.

This morning, an official Yeston social media account boasted about receiving a brand new Navi 48 GPU-equipped model: "🌸got my Sakura Atlantis RX 9070 XT today!! It's shiny!🧜‍♀️" This message was accompanied by four photos, showcasing the card in an outdoor setting. This particular custom design (with white PCB and I/O bracket) was first revealed around mid-January—also via a photo shoot, albeit indoors—with the full moniker: "Radeon RX 9070 XT-16G Sakura Atlantis." Many press outlets jumped onto the presence of "16G" in that name—indicating 16 GB of VRAM—a specification point that AMD was reportedly wanting hidden from public view. Unlike certain Team Red board partners, Yeston has not set up a dedicated product page for the new Sakura Atlantis.

A March launch window has been set—made official by AMD's David McAfee—for the Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT). VideoCardz has observed a slow-down in promotional activities from AIBs over the past couple of days—bizarrely, GIGABYTE has chosen to scrub all Radeon RX 9000 series products from its website. Hardware Busters believes that AMD will be taking notes during the GeForce RTX 5070 GPU's launch week—they allege that the gathering of performance data (from NVIDIA hardware) is crucial in revising strategies for the March launch of RDNA 4 cards. In the meantime, Yeston will likely continue to post pretty pictures of its cute Sakura Atlantis design—also lined up for attachment on their upcoming "Blackwell" GPU-equipped lineup.

AMD's board partners flaunted their new Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 custom models at last week's CES trade event, but no one expected to see retail units pop up anytime soon after the concluded Las Vegas showcase. Earlier today, a brave soul uploaded compelling new evidence on Team Red's subreddit—they claim that they were surprised to see the "early" delivery of Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 graphics card stock. Uploaded photos seem to show several boxed Sapphire Pulse models sitting in an Israeli computer store's stockroom. This leak has semi-ruined Sapphire's staggered Pulse-oriented marketing campaign—yesterday, a teaser image emerged via an official social media post.

Industry watcher, momomo_us, has gathered proof of GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 XT GAMING OC 16G and Radeon RX 9070 GAMING OC 16G model stock reaching Danish shores. According to VideoCardz, Føniks Computer's online store had at least four units available for purchase and immediate shipping (same business day). Entries for the two models have also appeared on Geizhals—this German price comparison engine lists January 24 as a market launch date. This information could be subject to change—AMD is likely still working on finalizing release window parameters. After all, recent pre-launch leaks have contained incomplete data and errors. It should be noted that NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 series is set to hit international markets on January 30—is Team Red planning to pre-empt this rollout?

The majority of AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU-related leaks have emerged thanks to insiders playing around with pre-launch PowerColor RDNA 4 sample models. During and since CES, Team Red and its board partners have kept mum about specifications and performance figures—but happy accidents have allowed tech enthusiasts to pore over NDA-busting information. As reported by VideoCardz yesterday, Overclockers UK (OCUK) published a landing page that provided a brief look at basic Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) specs—the British retailer has since scrubbed this entry from its site.

Leaks have revealed alleged core counts—4096 for XT, and 3584 for non-XT—but Overclockers UK's charts listed a count of 4096 for both Navi 48 GPUs. They both sport 16 GB GDDR6 VRAM and 256-bit memory buses, and the leak reveals another shared trait: a 260 W TDP rating. VideoCardz reckons that this is an error—based on previous clock speed insider info, the Radeon RX 9070 non-XT's power consumption figure should be rated lower. The accidentally published clock speeds appear to be sourced from overclocked examples—AMD is reportedly not going to release full/finalized information until closer to launch, so OCUK could have relied on preliminary product guides. The FAQ section states that Team Red's RDNA 4 generation is sticking with a PCI-Express 4.0 x16 host interface—PCIe 5.0 systems are "thankfully" backwards compatible. NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 series will be leading the way into PCIe 5.0 spec territories.

ZOTAC's website has been updated with technical specifications for its GeForce RTX 5090 GPU-based custom models—the Hong Kong-based hardware company is perhaps the first NVIDIA board partner to publicly disclose these details. According to VideoCardz, this discovery was made by a loyal reader—product pages for SOLID, SOLID OC and AMP Extreme INFINITY seemed to have appeared online within the past couple of days. A resultant report suggests that Team Green has only recently communicated (potentially) finalized specs with its AIBs.

The aforementioned discoverer of ZOTAC's GeForce RTX 5090 spec sheets noticed an unusual memory clock figure on the SOLID OC model's listing—30 Gbps instead of 28 Gbps. This was an error—ZOTAC has since amended that particular data point (see VideoCardz's screenshots below)—their presumably more expensive AMP Extreme INFINITY card's memory clock spec is set at 28 Gbps. Interestingly, ZOTAC's upcoming flagship is the first example of an NVIDIA GPU configured with a power consumption rating of 600 W. It is not immediately apparent whether this TDP figure is an out-of-the-box default—VideoCardz reckons that the GeForce RTX 5090 AMP Extreme INFINITY will arrive with dual-BIOS functionality. A high-performance mode could be user selected. Will rival flagship GeForce RTX 5090 custom cards roll out with similar TDPs? TechPowerUp anticipates the emergence of pre-launch technical details—from other brands/manufacturers—over the next two weeks.

XFX at the 2025 International CES showed off a pair of Radeon RX 9070 series custom-design graphics cards. The company will keep these designs common to both the flagship RX 9070 XT, and the RX 9070. Both board designs were shown off at AMD's RX 9070 series booth. The premium custom design is being referred to as "Black." There are actually two sub-variants of this card, one called Black, which lacks any RGB LED lighting, but a second more premium one where the top of the card has an RGB LED diffuser spanning the entire top-front edge, including the triangular ends with the XFX and Radeon logos. This card wasn't shown to use, but is part of AMD's CES pre-brief.

The premium Black card features a large aluminium fin-stack heatsink, along with a trio of what look like 100 mm and 90 mm axial airflow fans. The metal backplate has a ridged pattern. The PCB underneath appears to be about three quarters the length of the card, with a large cutout in the backplate letting much of the airflow from the third fan go through the heatsink and out the back. This card draws power from three 8-pin PCIe power connectors, for a total power input configuration of 525 W, which is obviously high for what is expected to be a 300 W-class GPU, but this isn't the only card with an over-the-top power input configuration. The ASUS TUF Gaming has three 8-pin PCIe power, while the ASRock Taichi uses a 16-pin 12V2x6. Most RX 9070 series cards we've seen have just two 8-pin power connectors.

Regulatory filings by PC OEM major Acer, with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), drop some of the first references to three upcoming performance-segment graphics card SKUs by AMD. These include the Radeon RX 7900, the Radeon RX 7800, and the Radeon RX 7700. Acer is an AMD Radeon add-in board partner under its Acer Predator brand, which makes graphics cards not just for Predator and Nitro gaming PCs, but also graphics cards for the retail channel.

At this point, there are no specs known for the three, not even their memory sizes. It would be interesting to see how AMD slots the three into its product stack, particularly the RX 7900. The company currently has three RX 7900 series SKUs—the flagship RX 7900 XTX, and the second-best RX 7900 XT, but then the SKU next to this is the RX 7900 GRE, which saw a worldwide launch. Then there are the RX 7800 and RX 7700, which are pretty straightforward to predict. The RX 7800 will slot in between the RX 7700 XT and RX 7800 XT, and will probably feature a 256-bit wide memory interface with 16 GB of memory, much like the RX 7800 XT; whereas the RX 7700 will be positioned below the RX 7700 XT. It wouldn't surprise us if AMD further cuts down the memory interface to 160-bit (10 GB).

Vastarmor is a relatively young graphics card manufacturer and AMD board partner (since the RDNA 2 days)—their Alloy product range was updated with new Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT triple-fan "PRO" models last September. VideoCardz has discovered a new dual-fan "non-PRO" white variant—the Vastarmor RX 7700 XT Alloy White 12 GB. TPU's GPU database entry lists a release date of August 25—according to the VideoCardz report, Vastarmor has not settled on final pricing or an official launch date. The standard black (with small red accents) RX 7700 XT Alloy model did reach Chinese retailers last year—the pale variant is predicted to cost about the same, or demand a slight premium over the black version.

Specifications remain consistent across both—according to VideoCardz: "Vastarmor has verified that the card maintains a base clock of 1784 MHz, a game clock of 2276 MHz, and a boost clock that reaches up to 2600 MHz (an overclock of 2.2% for boost). Despite its compact size, measuring at 26.3 x 13.2 cm, the card demands three slots due to its thickness of 5.6 cm. Power-wise, it relies on standard 8-pin power connectors, installed in pairs." The factory-set overclocks are identical to the numbers designated to Vastarmor's RX 7700 XT Alloy PRO model, although their triple-fan design is slightly slimmer. The longer design accommodates a 90 mm fan, positioned between two 100 mm units.

TechPowerUp's resident GPU reviewer extraordinaire—W1zzard—has grappled with a handful of custom design AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE 16 GB models. Team Red and its board partners are pushing a proper/widespread Western release of the formerly China market-exclusive "Golden Rabbit Edition" GPU. TPU's initial review selection of three Sapphire cards and a lone ASRock Steel Legend OC variant garnered two Editor's Choice Awards, and two Highly Recommended badges. Sapphire's Radeon RX 7900 GRE Nitro+ was also honored with a "...But Expensive" tag, due to its MSRP of $600—the premium tier design was one of last year's launch day models in China. Western reviewers have latched onto a notable GRE overclocking limitation—all of TPU's review samples were found to have "overclocking artificially limited by AMD." Steve Walton of Hardware Unboxed has investigated whether the GRE's inherent heavily limited power specification was less of an issue on Sapphire's Nitro+ variant—check out his "re-re-review" video below.

The higher board power design—305 W OC TGP limit and 351 W total board power—is expected to exhibit "up to 10% higher performance than Radeon RX 7800 XT" according to VideoCardz, but falls short. TPU's W1zzard found the GRE Nitro+ card's maximum configurable clock of 2803 MHz: "Overclocking worked quite well on our card, we gained over 8% in real-life performance, which is well above what we usually see, but less than other GRE cards tested today. Sapphire's factory OC eats into OC potential, and maximizes performance out of the box instead. Unfortunately AMD restricted overclocking on their card quite a lot, probably to protect sales of the RX 7900 XT. While NVIDIA doesn't have any artificial limitations for overclockers, AMD keeps limiting the slider lengths for many models, this is not a gamer-friendly approach. For the GRE, both GPU and memory overclocking could definitely go higher based on the results that we've seen in our reviews today." An AMD representative has contacted Hardware Unboxed, in reaction to yesterday's Update review—the GRE's overclocking limitation is a "bug," and a fix is in the works. This situation is a bit odd, given that the Golden Rabbit Edition is not a brand-new product.

It seems that AMD and its board partners are continuing to rollout new custom graphics cards based on the formerly China market exclusive Radeon RX 7900 GRE 16 GB GPU—PowerColor unleashed its fiendish flagship Red Devil model as one of last September's launch options. Their Chinese website has been updated with another Navi 31 XL entry—Hellhound Radeon RX 7900 GRE OC. This design sits below the Red Devil in the company's graphics card product and pricing hierarchy; providing excellent cooling performance with fewer frills. The latest custom RX 7900 GRE card borrows PowerColor's existing demonic dog design from the mid-tier Hellhound RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT models. The Hellhound enclosure deployed on Radeon RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT GPUs is a much chunkier affair.

The PowerColor Hellhound Radeon RX 7900 GRE OC has also popped up on a couple of UK and mainland Europe price comparison engines (published 2024-01-30), so it possible that a very limited release could occur across a small smattering of countries and retail channels—Proshop Denmark seems to be the first place with cards in stock, pricing is €629.90 (~$682) at the time of writing. The Radeon RX 7900 GRE (Golden Rabbit Edition) GPU sits in an awkward spot between the fancier Navi 31 options, and Navi 32 siblings—AMD and its AIB partners have reduced MSRPs in Europe, possibly in reaction to the recent launch of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 40 SUPER series. We are not sure if this initiative has boosted the RX 7900 GRE's popularity in this region, since very few outlets actually offer the (XFX-produced) reference model or Sapphire's Pulse custom design.