The Elusive RTX 5070: Another GPU Launch Disaster?
The quest for a new Nvidia graphics card has, yet again, devolved into a frustrating exercise in futility. Unless you were dedicated enough to camp outside a retailer’s door for half a day, the chances of possessing a shiny new RTX 5070 are slim to none. The launch, mirroring the chaotic releases of the RTX 5070 Ti and the flagship 5080/5090 series in recent weeks, has been plagued by instant sell-outs across all major online retailers. Despite significant price markups on virtually every model, initial stock vanished within minutes, leaving a trail of disappointed PC gamers and emboldened scalpers in its wake.
A mere ten minutes after the official 9 AM EST launch, industry giants like Best Buy, Newegg, and B&H all displayed the dreaded "out of stock" or "unavailable" message for every single RTX 5070 card. This rapid depletion highlights the unfortunate confluence of factors: insatiable demand from both genuine gamers and opportunistic scalpers seeking to profit from the scarcity, compounded by what appears to be a severely limited supply of cards reaching the market. The situation paints a grim picture for anyone hoping to upgrade their gaming rig with a new RTX 5070, especially at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP).
Adding insult to injury, Nvidia’s manufacturing partners, including prominent names like Asus and Gigabyte, seem reluctant to adhere to the retail prices announced with fanfare at CES 2025. Instead, many "enhanced" or "premium" models of the RTX 5070 are being offered at prices hovering around $750, a figure that encroaches upon the MSRP of the more powerful RTX 5070 Ti. This price creep further exacerbates the problem, making the RTX 5070 a less attractive option even if one could actually find it in stock.
Of course, discussing pricing is almost a moot point when the cards are virtually unobtainable. Nvidia’s own Founders Edition card – the unadorned, Nvidia-branded version without any fancy extras or overclocks – wasn’t even available at launch. While it’s supposedly scheduled to arrive later this month, the initial absence is another blow to consumers hoping for a reasonably priced option.
Perhaps the most disheartening aspect of this situation is the RTX 5070’s immediate scarcity, especially considering it’s arguably the least impressive offering in the new lineup, both in terms of raw performance and overall value. Nvidia’s bold claim that the next-generation card can match the RTX 4090’s performance thanks to its Multi Frame Generation technology is also facing scrutiny. Initial reviews suggest that this claim might be overly optimistic, further diminishing the RTX 5070’s appeal.
Manufacturers and retailers are quick to deflect blame, often citing the Trump regime’s consumer-punishing import tariffs as a major contributor to the escalating prices. However, while tariffs undoubtedly play a role, they can only account for a portion of the significant markup observed in the market.
As Engadget columnist Igor Bonifacic astutely pointed out recently, the situation suggests that Nvidia’s Add-in Board (AIB) partners are capitalizing on the widespread assumption that graphics cards will inevitably sell for inflated prices. By subtly adjusting their pricing strategies, these partners appear to be maximizing their profits in the short term. For the initial months following the launch, it seems these companies are operating under the assumption that every card they produce will be snapped up, either by eager PC gamers or by profit-driven scalpers. This allows them to bake in higher prices from the outset, essentially making hay while the sun shines on a market characterized by high demand and limited supply.
Adding another layer of complexity to the situation is AMD’s strategic timing of its Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT review embargo. By scheduling the reviews to coincide with the launch of Nvidia’s 5070 and 5070 Ti, respectively, AMD is directly challenging Nvidia’s dominance in the mid-range and high-end graphics card market. The higher-end AMD card is reportedly offering comparable or even superior performance to its GeForce equivalent for a significantly lower price – a difference of around $150 at MSRP.
However, the key question remains: will consumers actually be able to purchase these AMD cards at the advertised sticker price? The answer to that question will only become clear after the official launch tomorrow morning, and even then, availability will be a major determining factor in the overall success of AMD’s launch. If the AMD cards are as difficult to find as the RTX 5070, the situation could simply devolve into a similar cycle of scarcity, inflated prices, and frustrated gamers.
Ultimately, the ongoing saga of graphics card launches highlights a persistent problem within the PC gaming industry. The combination of high demand, limited supply, and opportunistic pricing practices continues to make it difficult for consumers to obtain the hardware they need at a reasonable price. Whether Nvidia, AMD, or their manufacturing partners will take steps to address these issues remains to be seen. For now, the pursuit of a new graphics card remains a challenging and often disappointing endeavor.
(Author’s Note: Michael, a seasoned technology journalist with a decade of experience, brings a wealth of knowledge to his coverage of the PC gaming world. His passion for keyboards and PC hardware, coupled with his experience covering major tech events like CES and Mobile World Congress, provides him with a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.)
