NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5070 FE GPU was all set to officially launch tomorrow, but there’s been a change of plans. News just broke that the Founders Edition will hit the shelves a bit later than expected, sometime towards the end of March.
Although NVIDIA hasn’t made a public announcement, hardware guru Andreas Schilling has shed some light on the matter. He got a heads-up via email from NVIDIA about this shift in schedule. Interestingly, this information surfaced shortly before the embargo on RTX 5070 reviews was lifted, leaving potential buyers of the Founders Edition in a bit of a bind. Unfortunately, if you were anticipating grabbing one of these GPUs at launch, it seems you’re out of luck—for now. As for the other versions from AIB partners, we haven’t got definitive word yet, but given the recent chatter about limited availability, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’re hard to come by too.
Andreas took to Twitter, sharing his surprise at the delay. Apparently, just 2.5 hours before the review embargo lifted, NVIDIA informed him that the Founders Edition wouldn’t be available until later in March. His tweet underscores an all-too-familiar feeling among tech enthusiasts when a much-anticipated product gets delayed.
This turn of events echoes the earlier scenarios with the paper launches of the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti. Various sites have published reviews of the new GeForce RTX 5070 and generally, it performs on par with the RTX 4070 Super. While it might not offer groundbreaking generational improvements, the slight edge over the RTX 4070 Super, especially at a price point of $549, it keeps its appeal for those looking to upgrade without breaking the bank.
However, if you’re unable to snag the RTX 5070 at its MSRP, hanging tight for the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 might be a shrewd move. Launching on March 6th, with reviews dropping a day earlier, the RX 9070 series could give NVIDIA a run for its money, priced at $599 for the XT and $549 for the non-XT model. These cards are poised as the RTX 5070’s direct competition.
The mystery behind the delayed availability of the RTX 5070 lies in the dark, with whispers of performance bugs and chip supply issues circulating. Yet, NVIDIA has chosen to maintain a tight lid publicly, offering no clarifications so far.
While the wait for the Founders Edition stretches a bit longer, there’s optimism for the custom AIB editions to still pop up in stores worldwide. Just yesterday, listings appeared at retailers like B&H Photo Video, pricing both the base and OC models at the MSRP of $549. That said, if prices for AIB models surge past $600, it might be wise to steer clear unless comparable alternatives aren’t around in your market.
