RX 9070 stock will hopefully last longer than the RTX 5070, but I am worried about another wipeout

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card with red liquid splashing in backdrop
(Image credit: Future / AMD)
Recent updates

March 6, 09:25am ET - RX 9070 series stock is now live, and it is holding out a lot better than the RTX 5070 as predicted. If you're fast, you'll still be able to grab cards like the SAPPHIRE PULSE for $549 at Newegg, as it keeps popping on and off at the retailer.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 stock will hit retailers shortly, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about availability. That said, AMD will be onto a winner if its new Radeon range can stick around for even slightly longer than the RTX 5070 since Nvidia's mid-range GPU wasn't practically available to buy at launch.

Ideally, you'll want to start thinking about where to buy AMD Radeon RX 9070 series graphics cards before launch time. I'd be surprised if the GPU isn't in high demand since it's already arguably beating the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 in the best graphics card race and the red team's GeForce RTX 5070 Ti rival, the RX 9070 XT, comes in at $599.

The base RX 9070 model is also designed to distract you from RTX 5070 stock at $549, and since Nvidia's card is non-existent right now, it's the GPU most mid-range PC players will be flocking towards. The thing that really has me worried is that even if AMD's inventory is plentiful, it could still end up vanishing at retailers fairly quickly since last-gen graphics cards are largely only available for way above MSRP.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 stock checks: US quick links

AMD Radeon RX 9070 stock checks: UK quick links

Will RX 9070 series stock hold out?

AMD Radeon RX 9070 series specs table

(Image credit: AMD)

There are a couple of key takeaways when it comes to RX 9070 stock and whether it'll remain available at launch. The first is that retailers like Newegg haven't got any models listed ahead of time right now, which might be the retailer's way of trying to combat bots snatching up GPUs as soon as they're available to buy. That does mean you'll have to be super speedy and head to storefronts as soon as the clock strikes 8am, but it may at least mean that the 'add to cart' button can stick around for more than a few microseconds.

The other thing to consider is that the RX 9070 series is arguably even more gaming focussed than Nvidia's cards. That's not to say the GeForce RTX 5080 isn't designed to run Steam games, but RTX 5090 stock was almost definitely snatched up by a large number of AI enthusiasts looking to mess around with that side of things. While RDNA 4 cards do boast their own FSR 4 and Frame Generation abilities for boosting fps, I don't think they'll necessarily be snapped up for running AI models or messing around with generative nonsense.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards stacked on top of each other with red backdrop

(Image credit: Future / AMD)

As for past general availability, AMD traditionally tends to have graphics cards readily available at retailers for not much over MSRP. You will be at the mercy of custom card pricing as always, and that could mean paying beyond $600 for some versions. But, last-gen RDNA 3 supplies were pretty healthy up until recently, and next-gen Radeon GPUs will ideally be easy to get a hold of compared to Nvidia's Blackwell.

I'll be keeping a very close eye on RX 9070 stock over the next few hours, and I'm hopeful that retailers will have plenty to go around. Will I be surprised if we're faced with yet another launch where there isn't actually anything available to buy? Not really, but if we instantly get the out of stock treatment, it'd be practically like there was no launch in the first place.

In the words of Fry, (kindly) shut up and take my money!


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Phil Hayton
Hardware Editor

I’ve been messing around with PCs, video game consoles, and tech since before I could speak. Don’t get me wrong, I kickstarted my relationship with technology by jamming a Hot Wheels double-decker bus into my parent’s VCR, but we all have to start somewhere. I even somehow managed to become a walking, talking buyer’s guide at my teenage supermarket job, which helped me accept my career fate. So, rather than try to realise my musician dreams, or see out my University degree, I started running my own retro pop culture site and writing about video games and tech for the likes of TechRadar, The Daily Star, and the BBC before eventually ending up with a job covering graphics card shenanigans at PCGamesN. Now, I’m your friendly neighbourhood Hardware Editor at GamesRadar, and it’s my job to make sure you can kick butt in all your favourite games using the best gaming hardware, whether you’re a sucker for handhelds like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch or a hardcore gaming PC enthusiast.

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