Tomorrow is the big day for the GPU’s official debut, but don’t expect to get your hands on the Founders Edition until late March.
NVIDIA has pushed back the retail launch of its GeForce RTX 5070 FE GPU, announcing that it will now be available later this month. Although this information hasn’t been directly communicated by NVIDIA, Andreas Schilling disclosed it, noting that he received an email from NVIDIA about the delay. Today, the reviews for the RTX 5070 became public, with the original plan being for these GPUs to hit retail shelves tomorrow.
However, according to Schilling, NVIDIA shared the update with him a few hours before the review embargo was lifted, indicating a shift in plans. If you were hoping to snag a Founders Edition of the GeForce RTX 5070, you might be out of luck for now. Whether this delay will also impact the release of AIB editions remains unclear, but based on the latest news, it seems these GPUs won’t be readily available anytime soon.
In a tweet detailing the last-minute notification, Schilling voiced the frustration many potential buyers might be feeling. “You think you can buy a GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition tomorrow? No, NVIDIA told us 2 1/2 hours before review drop: ‘The RTX 5070 Founders Edition will be available later in March.'”
There could be a repeat of the elusive paper launches experienced with the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and the RTX 5070 Ti. The commentary in the reviews indicates that the GeForce RTX 5070 delivers performance on par with the RTX 4070 Super. While it doesn’t showcase significant generational improvements, its pricing at $549 positions it fairly well in the market, despite falling short of the kind of leaps forward enthusiasts might have hoped for.
With this in mind, if you’re unable to find the RTX 5070 at its suggested price, it might be wise to hold out for AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 GPUs, launching right around the corner on March 6, with reviews available a day prior on March 5. The RX 9070 lineup is priced at $599 for the XT version and $549 for the standard model, setting it up as a head-to-head contender to NVIDIA’s offering.
As for what’s causing the RTX 5070’s delay, NVIDIA remains tight-lipped. Rumors from a few weeks back suggested a performance-limiting bug and potential supply snags, though nothing has been confirmed by NVIDIA.
While Founders Edition fans will need to wait a bit longer, there’s hope that AIB custom editions might roll out without major hitches in different regions. Recently, the GPU was spotted on retailers such as B&H Photo Video, priced at $549 for both base and overclocked models. However, if AIB versions start climbing over the $600 mark, it might be best to hold off unless you can’t find another GPU with similar strength in your local market.
