RTX 5070 release date could be pushed to March, but I think that might be a good thing

Looks like an RTX 5070 release date delay could be on the cards, as whispers of a March launch have surfaced. There's still a chance the vanilla GPU will launch alongside its RTX 5070 Ti sibling this month, but I have a funny feeling Nvidia has shifted its plans to take on the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT.

The best graphics card race this generation is off to a weird start. Not only are the GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5080 going practically unchallenged right now, but AMD is being allusive with Radeon RX 9070 XT details. All I can really say for certain right now is that the red team's GPU will target mainstream players looking for affordable 4K performance, and if rumors shared by reliable leaker MEGAsizeGPU hold true, the RTX 5070 could be doing the same this March.

The insider specifically says the RTX 5070 will be "on the shelf in early March", which effectively points towards the official release being on the same day. I actually think this delay could be a good thing, as, with RTX 5080 listings and RTX 5090 stock selling out practically instantly upon arrival, Nvidia will likely be looking to bolster supplies and make sure retailers are well-stocked.

After all, we are talking about a $549 next-gen GPU that Nvidia claims will keep up with the GeForce RTX 4090. I'd be surprised if that didn't instantly make a lot of you want to buy an RTX 5070 at release, and it'll likely put the pressure on AMD to keep its RX 9070 XT pricing low.

At the same time, the RTX 5070 Ti is still on track to launch this month, meaning Nvidia will have a contender effectively flanking the RX 9070 XT. Whether or not that tactic will help fend off the mid-range GPU fully depends on AMD's final pricing, as the card could end up being a middle-ground option that strikes a balance between price and performance.

I'll be looking to give both GPUs the review treatment over the next month, and only proper benchmarks will point toward a true mid-range champion. There's always a chance that if Nvidia does try and shift its 5070 launch to match the RX 9070 XT, AMD will simply nudge things forward to gain some sort of advantage in a neverending GPU release date chicken.

If that happens, at least both GPU makers will have time to boost their inventory.

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