AMD's RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT: A March 2025 Launch, Amidst Speculation and Market Dynamics

AMD unveiled its next-generation graphics cards, the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT, at CES 2025. However, their absence from AMD's keynote presentation, despite vendor displays on the show floor (with redacted specs), fueled intrigue. David McAfee, VP & GM of Radeon Graphics and Ryzen CPUs, subsequently announced a March 2025 release date via Twitter/X.

McAfee stated that the Radeon 9000 series hardware and software are progressing well, with plans for widespread global availability. While the March launch is confirmed, crucial details like specifications and pricing remain undisclosed. Industry speculation points towards competitive positioning against Nvidia's upcoming RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti (February launch), suggesting similar price and performance ranges.

Interestingly, reports suggest that RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT units have already reached retailers and reviewers, with eTeknix confirming receipt of review samples. This pre-release distribution has sparked speculation regarding AMD's strategic timing. The delay might be a calculated move to directly counter Nvidia's offerings, enabling a more focused comparison. Another theory posits that pricing pressure from Nvidia influenced AMD's decision to postpone the official launch.

The RX 9070 series launch messaging has been inconsistent, reflecting the scarcity of concrete information. A June 2024 report highlighted Nvidia's commanding 88% share of the discrete GPU market, leaving AMD with only 12%. Facing a lack of significant competition in the mid-range and high-end segments, AMD needs a strategic approach to challenge Nvidia's market dominance.