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).

Industry insiders have disclosed fairly fresh theories about AMD delaying the launch of Radeon RX 9070 GRE graphics cards into the fourth quarter of 2025. Earlier leaks suggested a potential surprise arrival at some point in May (early next month), ahead of rumored wallet-friendly Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB and 8 GB models. In another bizarre turn of pre-release events, VideoCardz has acquired promotional shots of two—alleged—PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB custom designs. The online news outlet seems to have a strong "inside" connection to a source familiar with goings-on—within or adjacent to—the Taiwanese company.

Familiar images of flagship and entry level cards have emerged from an unnamed figure—reportedly, the manufacturer has reused its existing portfolio of RDNA 4 generation shroud and backplate designs. Curiously, a mid-tier Hellhound GRE card was not included in a recent NDA-busting exchange. VideoCardz believes that the exact same Red Devil enclosure—present on Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 siblings—is up for repeat business. A significant difference seems to be the reported utilization of two 8-pin power connectors (versus three on the flagship), and a minimum requirement of a 650 W-rated PSU. March-time whispers suggested a forthcoming mass production of board partner Radeon RX 9070 GRE cards; so the sudden appearance of two PowerColor SKUs seems to semi-verify older online claims. VideoCardz posits that AMD is deliberately seeding "incorrect information" within insider knowledge channels.

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.

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.

Just before the official launch of Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics cards, members of the Chiphell forum expressed concerns about unnamed evaluation samples exhibiting worrying memory module temperatures. Days later, Western review outlets published similar findings across several board partner specimens. Typically, pre-launch and retail units have utilized SK hynix GDDR6 VRAM modules—TechPowerUp's W1zzard uncovered numerous examples of the manufacturer's "H56G42AS8DX-014" model during teardown sessions. Curiously, Chinese PC hardware enthusiasts have happened upon Radeon RX 9070 XT cards that utilize Samsung GDDR6 memory modules. It is not clear whether Yeston has outfitted its flagship Sakura Atlantis OC SKU with Samsung components from the very beginning, but one owner documented a GPU-Z diagnostics session—late last month—showing "GDDR6 (Samsung)" onboard. Earlier this month, insiders posited that NVIDIA was in the process of changing its main GDDR7 memory vendor—from Samsung to SK hynix—for the GeForce RTX 50-series.

According to a recent Guru3D news piece, additional cases were reported. Online conjecture points to "higher end" custom models being updated with "cooler" modules. Hilbert Hagedoorn—Guru3D's head honcho—has gathered compelling information via community feedback channels: "the transition to Samsung memory has yielded noticeable thermal advantages. Early reviews and comparisons indicate that the new memory modules help lower temperatures significantly. Custom RX 9070 XT models running demanding benchmarks like Furmark have demonstrated memory temperatures of 75°C or lower without necessitating an increase in voltage or a reduction in clock speeds. Notable manufacturers, including Sapphire, XFX, and GIGABYTE, have already integrated Samsung's GDDR6 into their custom variants. However, as of now, AMD has not authorized its partners to explicitly differentiate between models with SK hynix and Samsung memory, likely to avoid confusion among consumers and maintain a consistent product lineup." Additionally, TechPowerUp forum members have found Samsung GDDR6 memory on Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 custom models. Thanks for the tip, Fluffmeister.

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).

Mid-way through April, we heard about sanctions affecting shipments of NVIDIA's H20 AI chips into China. Despite (rumored) best efforts made by Jensen Huang and colleagues, the US government has banned the export of Team Green's formerly sanction-conformant design. Similarly, NVIDIA prepared a slightly less potent GPU for gaming applications—exclusively for the Chinese market. Despite sporting a restricted GB202 "Blackwell" GPU die, the GeForce RTX 5090D 32 GB is still a monstrous prospect. According to Chinese PC hardware news sources, Team Green representatives have sent alerts to "all" of its Chinese add-in-card partners (AICs)—early warning signs have indicated a possible cut-off of GB202 GPUs in the near future. A member of the Chiphell forum disclosed some insider knowledge and dismissed unfounded speculation about RTX 5090D cards being replaced by "full fat" RTX 5090 options.

sthuasheng commented on Team Green's alleged bulletin—distributed at some point last week: "the notice only said that the supply of RTX 5090D was suspended, ...this did not mean any sales or transportation ban; it urged everyone not to make any speculations or judgments unless there was an official notice issued at a later date. After this notice was issued, each AIC began to notify agents to suspend sales, because the inventory of 5090D has always been very small, so it is necessary to keep these stocks to observe the subsequent situation and deal with the subsequent after-sales. At the same time, we might as well speculate that each AIC and dealer may also have the intention to stockpile 5090D units and then sell them at an elevated price." BenchLife.info decided to reach out to industry moles, following an absorption of various Chiphell whispers.

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."

Sapphire has quietly expanded its existing Radeon RX 9070 Series lineup with two new additions: PULSE METAL ALLOY Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. According to VideoCardz, the manufacturer's Chinese website was updated with new product listings at some point last week. Sapphire's regional branch has not issued any fresh press material, regarding an official launch of these gray-shaded options. Sapphire's graphics card team has seemingly refreshed their standard black PULSE (RDNA 4 generation) triple and dual-fan shroud and backplate designs with new metallic tones and finishes. Fancier enclosures will not arrive alongside bump-up in specs—as mentioned in freshly-published official product pages, company engineers have stuck with AMD's reference figures for the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. VideoCardz reckons that the PURE METAL ALLOY cards will debut in China; possibly as starting off as exclusives. Currently, the manufacturer's various global online presences only list the readily available black PULSE cards. Interestingly, the white PURE series shares the same overall (triple-fan) shroud and backplate setup—Sapphire's pale-shaded offerings feature very mild overclocks over "baseline MSRP" configurations. Chinese market pricing—for the two PULSE METAL ALLOY SKUs—was not available at the time of publication.

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.

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB graphics card design received little fanfare when review embargoes lifted mid-way through the working week. Reportedly by official instruction, involved board partners sent out 16 GB samples to evaluators. Multiple Western outlets are currently attempting to source GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB cards—on their own dime—including TechPowerUp. As mentioned in his conclusive rundown of PALIT's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Infinity 3 16 GB model, W1zzard commented on this situation: "personally, I'm very interested in my results for the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB, which I'm trying to buy now." The ever reliable harukaze5719 has already stumbled upon one such review. Yesterday, Carbon-based Technology Research Institute (CBTRI) uploaded their findings onto the Chinese bilibili video platform.

Two ASUS options were compared to each other: an 8 GB Hatsune Miku Special Edition card, and a better known property: PRIME RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB. In most situations the two variants perform similarly. A clear difference was demonstrated when CBTRI's lab test moved into a DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) phase. Both harukaze5719 and Tom's Hardware noted a significant gulf—the latter's report observed: "in Cyberpunk 2077, for example, the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB inexplicably performed worse than the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB at native 1440p resolution. While enabling MFG helped improve performance, pushing it to 4x delivered underwhelming results, with the 16 GB version providing 22% higher performance than the 8 GB card." Rumors have swirled about the late arrival of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB cards at retail; potentially a week after the launch of 16 GB siblings. As evidenced by early results, potential buyers should consider paying a little extra ($50) for a larger pool of VRAM. Team Green's introductory material outlined starter price tags of $429 (16 GB) and $379 (8 GB).

As expected, NVIDIA lifted its GeForce RTX 5060 Ti graphics card review embargo earlier today (April 16)—TechPowerUp's audience can check out W1zzard's opening day evaluations of six board partner models here. Just ahead of publishing its own verdict, Hardware Unboxed uploaded a video that leveled mild criticism in the direction of Team Green decision makers. VideoCardz swiftly picked up on the Australian PC hardware media outlet's accusations—in summary, only GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB models were made available to reviewers and influencers. Hardware Unboxed's Tim Schiesser elaborated on circumstances: "while the launch is claimed to be the same day for the two variants, NVIDIA is only sampling the 16 GB card for reviews, so that is what will be covered on launch day. But it goes beyond that because we've been told that AIBs will not be supplying the 8 GB card for reviews and, in fact, cannot supply the 8 GB card for reviews. Despite NVIDIA giving us permission to source 8 GB models for day one reviews, board partners told us they were unable to send us a graphics card in some cases because they weren't ready, but in other cases because NVIDIA had explicitly prevented them from doing so."

Day old press material adverted a simultaneous launch of both variants, but the ($379 MSRP) cheaper option seems to be delayed. An official source disclosed news about this release date anomaly to Schiesser and colleagues: "NVIDIA told us the 8 GB card is coming slightly later, perhaps a week or so after the 16 GB card ($429 MSRP), which would make it launch on a different day. But despite this, they both have the same launch day. Hard to know what's going on there." Additionally, Hardware Unboxed and other news outlets detected mixed messages during Team Green press liaisons—earlier messages focused on 16 GB and 8 GB getting equal billing around launch time. According to follow-up reports, a recent Q&A session indicated the sudden prioritization of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB models. As of yesterday evening, VideoCardz detected media talk regarding a surprising lifting of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5060 (non-Ti) review embargo. They outlined curious conditions: "GeForce RTX 5060 is supposed to launch in May, (but) will have its review embargo lifted on April 16; the same day as the RTX 5060 Ti. Yes, that means the RTX 5060 won't have official review coverage, and basically, whoever can source the card before launch will not even break the embargo by sharing the results." As covered by TechPowerup's news team, yesterday's Team Green PR blurb was headlined by the "game changing" GeForce RTX 5060 8 GB card and its $299 starting price tag.

Earlier today, NVIDIA's public relations department published their "GeForce RTX 5060 Desktop Family" introductory article. Curiously, the company's brand-new GeForce RTX 5060 Ti graphics cards do not headline Team Green's "dedicated" PR release—instead, the general "game changing" GeForce RTX 5060 series is advertised with a starting price point of $299. Clarification arrives several paragraphs deep into the blurb—as explained with some "PR" magic: "starting April 16th, we're bringing DLSS 4 and Blackwell's suite of innovations to every gamer with the launch of the GeForce RTX 5060 desktop family, beginning with the release of the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti. And in May, the GeForce RTX 5060 arrives, with prices starting at $299." Very specific cost of ownership digits leaked last week; indicating a refreshing reduction over earlier (disappointing) predictions.

Team Green's publicity team has confirmed starting MSRPs of $429 for 16 GB models, and $379 for 8 GB variants. These official numbers are buried three-quarters of the way into NVIDIA's PR document. Older evidence pointed to a possible repeat of lower end GeForce RTX 40-series guide prices—as it turns out, the GeForce RTX 5060 card's $299 "cost of entry" aligns with its predecessor's launch figure. Based on leaked pre-built PC listings, industry watchdogs deduced the $299 MSRP earlier on in the month. Additionally, Team Green's PR material teased the upcoming launch of related mobile hardware: "the same features, innovations and advantages of the GeForce RTX 5060 desktop family are coming to laptops this May, when GeForce RTX 5060 laptops arrive on shop shelves, starting at $1099." Real life scenario prices are expected to remain "sky-high," even for rumored cheaper devices—equipped with GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile GPUs.

Vastarmor—a Chinese manufacturer—was introduced as an important board partner during AMD's special Radeon 9070 Series event. Despite having limited reach outside of its home base, the fairly young brand's custom designs have gained press traction around the globe. TechPowerUp covered Vastarmor's introduction of new Super Alloy series Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 models back in late February. The triple-fan ARGB-lit flagship model was positioned in good (rival) company, thanks to a maximum 3.1 GHz boost capability. As reported by VideoCardz, Vastarmor has added another custom Radeon RX 9070 XT option to its RDNA 4 product portfolio. A freshly-published product page has outlined specifications for the brand's new (non-Super) Alloy SKU.

Outside of Vastarmor's dedicated listing, a quick web search of the model's identifier code—AH-9070XT16TC1BR7N—reveals BIOS information, and little else. The Radeon RX 9070 XT Alloy seems to be a straightforward spin-off of its fancier sibling, albeit sans ARGB lighting zones. This barebone design sports non-transparent black fans, but preserves the flagship card's triple 8-pin power connector configuration. Vastarmor has downgraded its non-Super model's boost clock to a mere 3010 MHz (instead of 3100 MHz)—as configured on rival cards: ASUS PRIME RX 9070 XT OC, PowerColor Hellhound RX 9070 XT, and Sapphire PURE RX 9070 XT. Curiously, a white Alloy option is not present on Vastarmor's website—their current-gen Super Alloy range launched with pale alternatives.

Last week, PowerColor introduced a Spectral White spin-off of its flagship Red Devil Radeon RX 9070 XT Limited Edition model. According to fresh inside track info, the Taiwanese manufacturer is preparing yet another premium level RDNA 4 option. VideoCardz has detected whispers regarding a speculated "Red Devil Radeon RX 9070 XT Backplate Edition" product; the online publication has a history of sourcing pre-launch details from board partner industry moles.

PowerColor's older Red Devil graphics card products can be customized with swappable backplates—Devil Skin designs are identified as "Intrusive" and "Generative." VideoCardz believes that the alleged "Backplate Edition" card will be based on the brand's regular Red Devil RX 9070 XT model. It is not clear whether this special edition package will be bundled with successors to the two RX 7000 Series-only Devil Skin attachments, but insiders have indicated a current "in production" status of "Backplate Edition" cards.

Late last week, the Chinese ASUS branch started to tease a forthcoming ROG and TUF Gaming x Hatsune Miku collection. Eagle-eyed PC gaming hardware watchdogs spotted an intriguing custom GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB graphics card model within a messy pile of colorful brand-new products. The manufacturer has teamed up with Crypton Future Media; this collaboration is advertised as bringing "a cybernetic fusion to gaming." Initial announcements focused on peripherals, but shortly thereafter the partners unveiled a Hatsune Miku-themed pre-built system. VideoCardz spent its weekend investigating the mysterious new "RTX 5060 Ti O8G" design. A follow-up article pulled information and imagery from Tony Wu's "world premiere" bilibili video—the general manager of ASUS China showcased various upcoming products, including a relevant white triple-fan graphics card.

According to reports, Wu did not disclose an exact model name—NVIDIA and board partners are expected to make new entrants "official" at some point this week. Wu's demonstration unit was visually matched up to the teased "RTX 5060 Ti O8G" card. Additionally, Wu and colleagues presented the entire Hatsune Miku product line during a major press conference; last Saturday (April 12) in Changsha. Many items have already launched to market, through JD.com. Naturally, pricing and availability details were not mentioned during their "GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB OC" segment. The factory overclocked "RTX 50-series" card's unique white design is outfitted with a single 8-pin power connector; suggesting a tentative entry level price bracket. The backplate is decorated with mascot illustrations—TechPowerUp and other media outlets have noticed an uptick in "cute girl" drawings turning up on housings and retail packaging. ZOTAC joined in on the fun very recently; as reported last week.

Mid-way through last week, a list of supposed MSI GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB custom graphic card model names appeared online. Days later, VideoCardz followed up with visual confirmation—covering unannounced INSPIRE and GAMING SKUs. MSI's full lineup of brand-new offerings is expected to be unveiled this week, but the online publication has managed to source pre-launch promo shots from an undisclosed outlet. Previews of retail packaging are absent, but the uploaded images of isolated hardware products look legitimate.

As leaked last week, the board partner's—likely entry level—GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16G INSPIRE 2X OC model has turned up with a new dual-fan design. TechPowerUp inspected MSI's freshly debuted INSPIRE 3X cards at CES 2025. The manufacturer has gradually populated its custom GeForce RTX 50-series product stack with triple-fan options—the most recent being their GeForce RTX 5070 SKU. The smallest INSPIRE card design seems to feature a single 8-pin power connector—prior to last week, VideoCardz had heard rumors from AIB industry moles about this curious provision. By best guesstimation, the INSPIRE 2X design seems to be 2.3-slots thick. As expected, MSI has outfitted this model with three DisplayPorts (1.2b) and one HDMI (2.1b) port.

ZOTAC started teasing a refresh of its Apocalypse product line earlier in the year. Two months later, fairly concrete details of the (still) upcoming GeForce RTX 5080 16 GB variant emerged via the NVIDIA board partner's Weibo blog. Unfortunately, ZOTAC's ultra premium 3.5-slot thick/ARGB-lit behemoth design is expected to remain exclusive to the Chinese PC hardware market. Western hardcore gaming enthusiasts are best served by the manufacturer's alternative flagship triple-slotter: GeForce RTX 5080 AMP Extreme INFINITY ULTRA. ZOTAC's mainland China and Hong Kong offices have declared the arrival of brand-new Apocalypse SKUs at retail; utilizing NVIDIA's "Blackwell" GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs.

Yesterday's Weibo bulletin commenced with: "when mecha aesthetics collide with technology, and gaming passion merges with extreme performance, the ZOTAC GeForce RTX 50 Apocalypse series graphics cards are born! After (our) continuous R&D, improvement, testing and adjustment—today, newly upgraded flagship graphics cards are officially launched!" The brand has advertised the return of an apparently much-missed product line mascot: "Apocalypse Princess is back with a new look, starting a game/AI exploration journey with you." Promotional imagery and box art feature a prominent illustration of ZOTAC's flagship series heroine—this "mecha artwork" demonstrates a serious sci-fi aesthetic, albeit with a cute female protagonist leading the way. A rival AIB specializes in this type of "marketing"—Yeston's similar-ish presentation language concentrates on enchanting fantasy characters.

A fresh leak suggests that MSI is "all in" with its upcoming rollout of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB custom card lineup. Earlier today, I_Leak_VN uploaded a fuzzy list of nine unannounced models to social media. By some undisclosed means, the reliable Vietnamese tracker of inside info had acquired a pre-launch chart of VANGUARD, GAMING TRIO, INSPIRE, VENTUS and SHADOW options—mostly in factory overclocked forms. Late last week, GIGABYTE—another Taiwanese manufacturer—registered a wide variety of competing 16 GB VRAM-equipped offerings in South Korea. MSI's alleged card count is greater (9 vs. 7); having the advantage with four different VENTUS models.

Unlike its nearby rival, MSI has opted out of the AMD Radeon battle for this generation (RDNA 4). With full concentration on Team Green, the "Blackwell" GB206 GPU was seemingly deemed worthy of bearing the brand's premium VANGUARD cooling solution—as implied by a headlining position on I_Leak_VN's screenshot. Sitting at the bottom is MSI's barebones SHADOW 2X design; we do not know whether a new entrant will reuse the exact same dinky enclosure that is present on their GeForce RTX 5070 SHADOW 2X cards (standard and OC). Visual confirmation is expected to arrive next week; industry insiders believe that global retail stock will appear on April 16.

GIGABYTE has registered an (overall) impressive number of unannounced AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti custom models in South Korea. The early April filings were spotted by harukaze5719—evidence of this "official" leak was posted to social media this afternoon. The South Korean Radio Agency (RRA) registrations indicate an imminent arrival of cheaper offerings from the opposing teams—possibly within proximity of each other, time-wise. GIGABYTE's collection of forthcoming GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB SKUs includes AERO, AORUS ELITE, EAGLE, GAMING, and WINDFORCE options.

By comparison, their Radeon RX 9060 XT portfolio is looking thoroughly threadbare—with the registration of two RDNA 4 GAMING OC cards; sporting 16 GB and 8 GB VRAM configurations. As reported late last month, ASUS seems to have three budget-friendly Radeon product lines—DUAL, PRIME and TUF—in the pipeline. It is possible that another set of cards are in line for processing at the RRA. So far, GIGABYTE's custom GeForce RTX 5060 Ti SKU filings are all 16 GB variants. 8 GB cards could be stuck in a queue. NVIDIA's board partners are expected to launch the first wave of GB206 "Blackwell" GPU-based desktop gaming solutions next week; "adjusted" speculative price points were leaked a day or two ago.

Over the past couple of months, Yeston has attracted plenty of media attention—in particular, with its recently launched Sakura Atlantis card design. The Chinese manufacturer produces custom AMD and NVIDIA gaming graphics cards—for its native market—but their unique Radeon RX 9070 Series offerings have made the most noise around the globe. Yeston did unveil GeForce RTX 50 Series Sakura and Game Ace designs around mid-January, but this announcement did not describe the exact nature of upcoming SKUs. As reported by VideoCardz earlier today, the company has distributed "new" GeForce RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070 models in China—e-tail listings have appeared on JD.com. Their rollout of rather sober looking affairs will disappoint many "waifu" illustration and bright color palette enthusiasts.

Yeston's Deluxe lineup was swiftly identified as a somewhat lazy rebadging of Gainward's GeForce RTX 50 Series Phoenix design. TechPowerUp's W1zzard reviewed the latter's GeForce RTX 5080 Phoenix GS model, just over two months ago. VideoCardz noted that Yeston has a short history of rebranding Gainward products; going back to an almost identical strategy with GeForce RTX 40 "Ada Lovelace" options (Phoenix => Deluxe). Three fan stickers differentiate the board partner brands—everything else is identical; including prominent "Phoenix" text on backplates and on top-mounted ARGB lighting zones. Yeston started to tease its new-gen Deluxe lineup around mid-February; as seen on their Weibo channel. At the time, this official account asked: "is this the card you've been waiting for?" We suspect that the majority of potential customers are preparing credit cards for the purchase of more elaborate options, in the near future.

Zephyr has presented a new Small Form Factor (SFF) graphics card design that houses previous-gen NVIDIA GPU hardware. The Chinese board partner showcased its GeForce RTX 4070-based "Sakura Snow X" via a 1-minute 42-second long teaser video; according to their bilibili channel this compact wonder is: "the world's first mass-produced CNC single-fan graphics card. A small space aesthetic benchmark—a balance of high performance and exquisite size." Zephyr's latest Mini-ITX offering seems to be a more premium—in terms of enclosure materials—alternative to last year's GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB "Sakura Blizzard" model—examples were placed next to each other in the AIB's demonstration video (aluminium versus plastic). This brand-new dual-slot entrant has arrived with a slightly larger cooling solution (see relevant screenshot below), and a fancier 105 mm airflow fan design—outfitted with more blades (11 vs. 9). VideoCardz has observed "Sakura Snow X" first batch listings on an undisclosed Chinese e-tail platform; launch pricing seems to be 4399 RMB (~$602 USD).

Unlike its pink-hued sibling, Zephyr's sober metal design integrates an I/O plate—giving off the impression of a unibody-esque setup. SFF enthusiasts will welcome this truly compact design, albeit with the disadvantage of playing host to old hat "Ada Lovelace" silicon. Throughout early 2025, Team Green and certain manufacturing partners have hyped up various "SFF-Ready" new-gen solutions. Last week, ZOTAC updated its "Blackwell" gaming portfolio with a dual-slot GeForce RTX 5070 Ti SOLID SFF card. This slimmed down triple-fan option is still a lengthy prospect (304.4 mm); thus quickly dismissed as unworthy of its moniker by compact graphics solution connoisseurs. Similarly, GIGABYTE sells 304 mm-long "SFF" variants—launched months ago in WINDFORCE and EAGLE guises.

A past weekend leak has presented five unannounced custom GeForce RTX 5060 Ti graphics card models, courtesy of a momomo_us discovery. ASUS seems to be readying day one options in TUF Gaming and PRIME guises, configured with pools of 16 GB and 8 GB VRAM. NVIDIA and involved board partners are expected to launch new lower end "Blackwell" GPU products next week. Industry whispers suggest that Team Green will lift its GeForce RTX 5060 Ti review embargo on April 15.

Alleged benchmark results were highlighted last weekend, preceded by speculative price points—suggesting an imminent arrival. momomo_us did not disclose the origin of the mystery ASUS GeForce RTX 5060 Ti model identifiers, but VideoCardz has found various TUF Gaming and PRIME listings on retail and distributor web presences. Their short investigative piece envisions the eventual arrival of GB206 GPU-based budget-friendly DUAL and premium tier ROG Strix cards.

Cooler Master (CM) showcased custom GeForce RTX 50-series graphics card designs at CES 2025, but advertised these compelling parts as included in high-end pre-built gaming rigs. Months later, finalized CM GeForce RTX 5080 stock has just rolled out in China—as demonstrated by 51972's blog post on Bilibili. A generous selection of uploaded photos were accompanied by the content creator's observations when tinkering with his sample unit's modular air cooling solution: "someone commented on the post this morning and suggested replacing it with a MasterFan or Mobius. I tried it too. I thought it could only support 12025 (slim) fans. When I disassembled it, I found that Cooler Master's designers/engineers had reserved screw limit holes at different heights."

Their description continued as follows: "I tried it and found that the (Phanteks) T30 could really be installed, but the thickness of the whole card reached a terrifying 9 cm. Outrageous." Cooler Master's innovative enclosure—when configured with the thickest third-party options—manages to "outgrow" nearby competition. 51972 compared CM's plucky new entrant to an ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 card; a very familiar premium-tier quad-slotter—albeit with a relatively "svelte" 7.6 cm profile. MSI's upper crust GeForce RTX 5080 SUPRIM cards arrived earlier this year, sporting the same shroud height dimension as equivalent Astral SKUs.