Following on from its triumph with the Radeon RX 9070 XT, AMD has entered Computex with all weapons blazing for its newest GPU launch. The brand new AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB will apparently value simply $349, a large $70 lower than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB. Not solely that, however AMD says the 8GB model will match the value of the brand new RTX 5060. There’s only one downside with these costs – I do not consider them.
I used to be blown away by the final AMD GPU launch in my Radeon RX 9070 XT assessment. With its $599 MSRP, 16GB of VRAM, FSR 4 help, and superior efficiency, it was simply the most effective graphics card in its league, placing the $549 RTX 5070 to disgrace.
Quick ahead to now, although, and the most affordable 9070 XT card yow will discover in inventory on Amazon prices $844.94 – at its least expensive, you’ll be able to sometimes get a PowerColor card solely for Prime members for $799.99, if yow will discover it in inventory. Now, AMD is not alone right here, after all – it is exhausting to get Nvidia GPUs at MSRP within the US as effectively. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to presently decide up an RTX 5070 for $604.99 – simply $55 above the MSRP.
In the meantime, the UK GPU market, the place inventory is extra available, paints a damning image of AMD’s present GPU costs. On UK retailer Overclockers, for instance, there are a great deal of 9070 XT playing cards in inventory, however the least expensive one prices £659.99 – practically £100 increased than the MSRP, and most of them are significantly costlier.
In the meantime, you’ll be able to decide up an RTX 5070 card from the identical retailer for £499.99, which is even cheaper than the unique £529 launch worth. At MSRP, the 9070 XT is the plain alternative, however at real-world costs, the RTX 5070 affords significantly higher worth, even when it would not have as a lot VRAM.
Principally, after getting sufficient inventory to go spherical, it seems to be as if Nvidia’s MSRPs have a a lot nearer relationship with actuality than those from AMD. It isn’t significantly better for the Radeon RX 9070, which ought to value £529.99 within the UK, however really prices at the least £569.99. In the meantime, this ostensibly $549 card prices $699.99 within the US, in the event you’re fortunate sufficient to search out the unique PowerColor playing cards for Prime Members in inventory. If not, you are taking a look at even increased costs.
All of which prompts some large questions in regards to the Radeon RX 9060 XT launch. If the 16GB card actually, genuinely prices $349, then AMD can have a slam dunk on its palms. If in the true world it prices $499, then it should battle to compete with the RTX 5060 Ti. AMD cannot simply pluck a worth out of its butt to provide to reviewers if it is aware of full effectively that the precise costs might be significantly increased.
I will be watching the costs of those AMD GPUs very carefully as soon as they’re on the market, simply as I am watching the Radeon RX 9070-series costs. Talking of which, at present costs, I do not advise shopping for a Radeon RX 9070 anymore. If you happen to’re on the lookout for a mid-range GPU, purchase the RTX 5070 or the RTX 5060 TI 16GB, each of which supply higher worth at real-world costs.
It is nice to see sturdy competitors again within the gaming GPU market, after all, however competitors would not work if the costs are theoretical. If AMD needs to correctly take the combat to Nvidia, it wants to make sure its MSRPs bear at the least some resemblance to the costs in actual shops.
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