Despite an ongoing memory crunch that's affecting wide swaths of the tech market, a new report from Jon Peddie Research (JPR) reveals that NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel discrete GPU shipments in Q1 2026 remained relatively flat compared to the previous quarter.

As JPR points out (via PC Gamer), the first quarter of the year is generally expected to be flat. Consumers are tapped out after the holiday season, and the major sales events in the tech market are yet to arrive.

In any case, I wasn't expecting the market to hold as strongly as it did, considering the inflated prices that most GPUs are currently experiencing and the lack of any new card launches.

Approximately 11.8 million GPUs were shipped in Q1 2026, with NVIDIA making up the bulk of the hardware.

In Q1 2026, JPR posits that NVIDIA and AMD's overall market share both dropped by 0.4%, whereas Intel increased by 0.4%. That means that NVIDIA fell from 91% in Q4 2025 to 90% in Q1 2026. AMD remained at 8%, and Intel remained at 1% market share, comparatively.

What's more impressive is that the attach rate for discrete GPUs in desktop PCs climbed to 76%, a 33.2% increase from the previous quarter. That's a huge jump. Conversely, JPR also notes a significant 25% year-over-year CPU market drop and a 24% quarter-over-quarter drop.

The GPU results, at least, look good at first glance, but there's some nuance to the numbers.

JPR is known to track all GPU shipments rather than direct point-of-sale purchases to the likes of you or me. That means the data includes GPUs gobbled up by OEMs and other manufacturers, who are undoubtedly attempting to stockpile hardware as prices continue to rise.

I don't doubt these efforts are skewing the numbers, and future reports like these could show far worse results.

AMD's GPU struggles continue as NVIDIA holds its market dominance

If I break down the overall 11.82 million shipments in Q1 2026, it works out to roughly 10.7 million units for NVIDIA, 1 million units for AMD, and 100,000 or so for Intel.

Despite only dropping 0.4% in Q1 2026, AMD's struggle to gain ground on NVIDIA continues.

Looking at Steam's May 2026 GPU hardware survey, the first AMD GPU shows up in 13th place, and it's not a discrete card but rather integrated Radeon Graphics.

In 25th place is the first actual discrete AMD GPU, the Radeon RX 9070 XT, with a 1.33% share of use on Steam.

The rest of those top 25 spots? Completely dominated by NVIDIA, aside from integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics in 16th place with a 1.79% share.

Windows Central's take

Despite recent news from AMD regarding its FSR 4.1 tech coming to some of its older RX 7000 and RX 6000 GPUs, NVIDIA largely dominates the news cycle with its cutting-edge PC gaming advancements that AMD always seems to be chasing.

I can attest that many of those advancements feel like they border on magic. My RTX 5070 Ti has been treating me very well since I bought it last year, and I'm constantly amazed at the capabilities of DLSS and the overall performance the card can deliver across all games.

There's also the fact that NVIDIA dominates the high-end GPU market. And when I say dominate, I mean there's really no AMD alternative to an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090.

Considering how popular these cards are not just for developers, designers, and editors, but also AI professionals, you can see why AMD is having such a hard time clawing back market share.

I do hope that changes. NVIDIA might hold the biggest market share by far, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. An AMD Radeon revival would only benefit the overall market, providing NVIDIA with some much-needed competition.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

AI has disrupted the tech industry as we know it, as its never-ending hunger for RAM has driven the prices of essential GPUs for gaming to near breaking points while making them harder to find.

Luckily, Best Buy's Tech Fest event has managed to preserve a 12% discount for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti (8GB SHADOW 2X OC), taking its $409.99 MSRP down to $359.99 for players looking to upgrade their PCs for 1440p gaming for less.

Why buy the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti?

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti has received a plethora of reviews for its 16GB variant, with some showering praise for its performance rates while others criticized it for lacking sufficient horsepower to stand out from its competitors or other RTX 5000 GPUs like the RTX 5070 or RTX 5080.

Its key features include 8GB of RAM (GDDR7) to boost a computer's processing power, DLSS 4 with Ray Tracing to enhance a game's resolution and lighting far greater than a monitor could do on its own; and a base clock speed of 2.4Ghz that can be overclocked to 2.602Ghz to boost a computer's performance rate overall.

With these specs, a computer installed with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti will be more than capable of running PC games at 1080p resolutions at high graphical settings or even 1440p at mid to some high settings (though it may struggle when playing certain games at ultra-high graphical settings).

While the 8GB variant NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti isn't as powerful performance-wise as the 16GB variant, it's still a worthy upgrade to consider if you're elevating from older RTX 4000 GPUs or content to play PC games at 1080p while preserving your budget.

So, if you are looking for an affordable GPU to upgrade your PC with in these uncertain RAM-starved times, this 12% discount at Best Buy for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti is your safest bet for now.

FAQ

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

It's no secret that China's GPU manufacturers are doing everything possible to catch up to the heavy global names, NVIDIA and AMD, in both the AI and consumer markets.

On the side of consumer gaming hardware, it appears that a new discrete GPU from the Chinese card maker Lisuan is the first to offer compatibility with Windows on ARM.

That's an exciting revelation for PC gamers. Up until now, Windows on ARM hasn't had an avenue for pairing an ARM64 chip with a discrete AMD or NVIDIA GPU. Even Intel and its stellar Arc GPUs are out of the question. Why? The big GPU manufacturers simply haven't bothered creating proper drivers for the ARM-based Windows package.

This incompatibility essentially means that when you buy a Windows PC running Windows on ARM — a market currently completely dominated by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips — you're stuck with integrated graphics. Lisuan Technology, a company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Shanghai, evidently wants to change that.

Lisuan debuted its 7G106 card in July 2025 as China's first 6nm GPU designed for gaming. Featuring 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM, DirectX 12 support, and a slick blower design, it made some waves in the PC gaming world before the company seemingly put its head down to work on its product.

We now have an update in the form of a 26-second video posted on the Chinese platform bilibili. The video shows the Lisuan 7G106 GPU running on a system with an ARM-based CPU (a Chinese 12-core CP8180 v9 ARM chip from 2024), being benchmarked using 3DMark's Steel Nomad test in Windows on ARM.

During the demonstration, a DirectX 12 window is shown in the OS, and we can clearly see in the Windows Task Manager that the hardware all checks out. If Lisuan indeed has created an ARM64 driver compatible with its GPU, this could be a major step forward for gaming on ARM-based systems, at least within the Chinese GPU ecosystem.

In the meantime, Qualcomm has been anything but idle. The company announced a chip refresh in the form of Snapdragon X2 in September 2025, promising a significant leap forward for overall performance in ARM-based Windows 11 PCs.

Beyond performance improvements and better game compatibility, Qualcomm promises new optimizations available through the Snapdragon Control Panel and new kernel-level anti-cheat compatibility for competitive titles. And yet, there's still no word of compatibility with NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel discrete GPUs.

(via Videocardz, ITHome)

Most Cyber Monday deals conclude at the end of the day, but I'm already seeing some of the best GPU deals disappear. That's not ideal if you've been waiting for one last price drop on the GPU you want to put into your gaming rig.

The good news is that there are three graphics cards easy to recommend still on sale. I'm not talking about the $1,000+ deals on the RTX 5080 or the so-so deals on older hardware. I'm talking about hot discounts on NVIDIA and AMD's latest models with access to the latest upscaling techniques.

The RTX 5070 is now on sale for $50 less than MSRP, and it's perfect for anyone gaming at 1440p. Want to dabble in 4K? The RTX 5070 Ti at $150 off is my top pick (it helps that it's the GPU I have in my PC). Can't live without AMD? The RX 9070 XT is also now down to MSRP for a limited time.

The GPU market is about to get crazy again in 2026, making now the perfect time to buy

The GPU market is only now just settling down to the point where buying a new card at or below MSRP isn't a complete fantasy, but here comes the next crisis threatening to once again drive prices way up.

I'm talking about the current memory shortages driven by the frantic buildout of AI datacenters. So far, it's mainly affecting consumer RAM and storage prices, but AMD has stated that its Radeon GPU prices could increase by at least 10%.

NVIDIA hasn't made any similar public statements, but it's hard to imagine it won't also feel the memory crunch. That makes Cyber Monday a crucial time to pick up a new GPU before prices skyrocket again.

Don't get me wrong — the three cards I'm highlighting here aren't exactly affordable, but that's the reality of PC gaming these days. The best you can hope for is a decent discount, which is exactly why I'm focusing on these specific RTX 5070, RX 9070 XT, and RTX 5070 Ti models.

So, which one is better for you? That depends on any standing allegiances to brands and what else you have in your PC. If you're an AMD stan, clearly the RX 9070 XT is the better choice.

The RX 9070 XT is also going to deliver superior performance at 1440p and especially 4K compared to the RTX 5070. It has more VRAM to better set you up for the future of gaming, and AMD's FSR 4 upscaling tech keeps getting better.

On the other hand, the NVIDIA RTX 5070 with 12GB of VRAM is $50 below MSRP and can deliver a stellar experience at 1440p with a bit of dabbling in 4K. NVIDIA's DLSS 4 tech is still superior to FSR 4, so if you're a fan of ray tracing and don't mind adding some "fake" frames, the result can be close to magic.

If you're interested in a more "future-proof" card with higher performance and more VRAM, I can't help but recommend the ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5070 Ti. It's the GPU I have in my gaming PC, and I can't recommend it enough.

More Cyber Monday 2025 - quick links

• All our TOP recommended Cyber Monday deals: Just the best
• Mini PC deals: up to 47% off tiny PCs
• GPU deals: early price drops on NVIDIA RTX before they go up
• Microsoft Surface deals: save up to $500 on premium PCs
• Xbox accessories: best deals on gadgets for your Xbox Series X|S and PC
• Gaming laptop deals: the best laptops for the best price
• Xbox controllers: our top picks for best controller deals
• ANC headphones: great Cyber Monday deals on the best ANC headphones
  
  Even more Cyber Monday deals:
• Dell deals: 13 deals from Dell.com that you shouldn't miss
• Best Buy: 34 hottest discounts on laptops, monitors, gaming, and more
• Walmart: 7 top laptop deals you shouldn't miss
• Samsung monitors: the best Samsung display deals we've found
• Retro gaming: handhelds, arcade machines, old school consoles, and more
• Gamer merch: Blizzard’s Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo IV collectibles
• Game keys: 10 PC game codes are even cheaper at Loaded (formerly CDKeys)
• Accessories: Even more PC accessories starting at $17

High-end GPUs are in higher demand than ever, despite being costly, as PC gamers race to keep their rigs up to date to play the latest AAA titles with optimal graphical and framerate performance.

Thankfully, one of these GPUs, the NVIDIA Ventus GeForce RTX 5070, has had its $559.99 cut down by 11% courtesy of this early Black Friday deal at Newegg for $499.99 (plus an additional $20 for $479.99 if you have a Newegg rebate card).

Why is this GPU worth buying?

Our pals at PC Gamer gave the 3X version of the NVIDIA MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 5070 a highly rated 86/100 review, stating when comparing it to the RTX 5080, and I quote "And yet here we are, with a GPU capable of high clock speeds, impressively low thermals, and being just short of the RTX 5080's gaming performance by 14% at 1440p and 17% at 4K. When you sit back and consider what that actually translates to in terms of frame rates, you'll see a card that's rarely more than 10 fps off the pace."

In other words, this GPU is so powerful that its performance is nearly on par with the RTX 5080, while costing half as much as the MSI Venture GeForce RTX 5070 has an MSRP of $549, while an RTX 5080 normally costs $999.99.

This graphics card managed to perform such a feat by being built with all kinds of advanced features, such as having an NVIDIA Blackwell architecture with 4th-gen Ray Tracing Cores and 5th-gen Tensor Cores to boost game performance with AI.

It also has 12GB GDDR7 VRAM capable of memory speeds of 28GB, DLSS 4 AI-tech to help boost a game's framerate way past the industry standard of 60fps, and NVIDIA Reflex 2 to severely reduce latency while playing competitive games online.

That last feature will no doubt be one that PC gamers will want to look for, as cutting down latency to eliminate any potential input lag will be essential to surviving the chaotic PvP battles of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Battlefield 6, or Arc Raiders.

Other features include a 192-bit interface, PCI Express 5.0, HDMI 2.1a, and DisplayPort 1.4a ports, and a dual-fan cooling system to safeguard from overheating.

So, if you're ready to upgrade your PC rig so you can experience PC gaming with 4K resolution and over 100fps, then head over to Newegg to grab the NVIDIA MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 5070 for $499.99 with this 11% early Black Friday discount (or for $479.99 if you have a Newegg rebate card).

Who knows? If the rumors of GPU prices getting spiked due to AI turn out to be real, this could be your last chance to own an NVIDIA MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 5070 at its lowest price.

FAQ

Hardcore PC gamers are always on the lookout for affordable GPUs to run games with optimal performance and graphics, while having leftover change to buy more games or pay the bills.

One such GPU is the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 (12G Shadow 2X OC edition), which has just received its biggest discount since March 2025. For a limited time, you can grab this graphics card for $499.99 at Best Buy, which is $50 cheaper than its usual MSRP of $549.99.

What makes this graphics card worth buying?

While this GPU may not have the most advanced tech compared to its sibling, the RTX 5070 Ti, the NVIDIA MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 (12G Shadow 2X OC edition) has plenty of features that make it a worthwhile purchase for players wanting to experience PC gaming at 1080-1440P resolution.

It's outfitted with DLSS 4, 6144 CUDA Cores, 12GB GDDR7 VRAM, 192 (988 TOPS) Tensor cores, and more technically-advanced components that will enable your PC rig to run games like Battlefield 6, Baldur's Gate 3, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 at high 1440p resolutions and framerates potentially above 80fps (even when Battlefield 6 is on its 'Overkill' graphical preset).

It also includes a TORX Fan 5.0 dual-fan for enhanced air pressure and airflow to safeguard against overheating, and a consolidated design (231mm long) so it can fit snuggly inside compact PC cases.

Aside from its 12GB VRAM, which makes it unsuitable for AI workloads, one of the biggest shortcomings of the MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 is its MSRP of $549.99, which critics argue is too much for this device.

Thankfully, Amazon has come to alleviate that steep price point with a 9% discount, bringing it to $499.99 at Best Buy. Additionally, it's also on sale for $499.99 at Walmart and $499.99 at Amazon (exclusively for Amazon Prime members).

A $50 or higher price drop is exceptionally rare for a GPU outside of peak trading events like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. Making this a golden opportunity to snag yourself this high-quality GPU at a more appropriate price while it lasts.

FAQ

It's a great time to be a PC gamer who needs a new graphics card in their system. Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, Best Buy's Techtober, and Newegg's FantasTech II sales events have triple-digit discounts on many NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, helping you buy at MSRP or at least very close.

I scoured the internet for the biggest price drops on GeForce RTX 5000 and Radeon RX 9000 cards, but I've also included older generations that are also enjoying huge discounts.

Best GPU deals: Quick Links

• See all GPU deals at Amazon Prime Big Deal Days — Up to 21% off RTX 50-series
• See all GPU deals at Best Buy Techtober — Up to $251 off RTX 50-series
• See all GPU deals at Newegg FantasTech II — Up to 25% off AMD Radeon and NVIDIA RTX

Best NVIDIA GPU deals I found so far

Best AMD GPU deals I found so far

FAQ

President Trump discussed his AI Action Plan at an AI summit in Washington, D.C. recently. There, he commended AI leaders and discussed challenges related to the development and management of artificial intelligence.

"And a very special thanks to some of the top industry leaders here, including somebody that's amazing," said Trump, referencing NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.

He later discussed potential actions the United States government could take relating to NVIDIA:

"I said, 'Look, we'll break this guy up' — this is before I learned the facts of life — I said 'we'll break 'em up'... They said 'very hard', I said 'Why?' I said, what percentages of the market does he have? 'Sir, he has 100%.'"

He later added:

"I said, 'Who the hell is he? What's his name?' 'His name is Jensen Huang, Nvidia,' I said. 'What the hell is Nvidia?' I've never heard of it before."

I figured we could go in and we could sort of break them up a little bit, get them a little competition, and I found it's not easy in that business."

The president also discussed competing with NVIDIA, explaining that his advisors said it would take 10 years to catch up if Huang ran NVIDIA "totally incompetently."

President Trump's remarks about NVIDIA and Huang start at the 14:08 mark of the video.

NVIDIA has seen rapid growth due to the advent of AI. It became the first $4 trillion company earlier this year.

When ChatGPT launched in 2022, it sparked an AI arms race. Competing models were released and several organizations pushed to integrate AI into products and services.

NVIDIA's value has surged as a result, hitting $2 trillion in February 2024 and $3 trillion in June 2024.

Microsoft is reportedly NVIDIA's largest customer, but Google, Meta, OpenAI, and other tech giants also rely on hardware from NVIDIA to train and power AI.

Windows Central take

When it comes to covering news, I do my best to remain professional and neutral. News pieces should present facts without editorialization, so I felt it was worth creating a clear separation between sharing the quotes and context of President Trump's statements and my personal opinion on the situation.

I understand the temptation to "dunk" on President Trump. To be honest, I believe he's said quotes worthy of being picked apart or made fun of in the past. He famously referred to Apple CEO Tim Cook as "Tim Apple" once, which has certainly been joked about over the years. But I don't think this interaction with Huang is the same.

Trump praised Huang in his comments when he said, "And then I got to know Jensen, and now I see why." That statement refers to President Trump understanding how NVIDIA earned a dominant market share in the AI space.

My interpretation is that President Trump took the opportunity to tell a story that entertained his audience and praised Huang.

To be clear, I think there are times when President Trump needs to clarify whether he's being literal or metaphorical. I believe he has played off serious comments by later pretending he was joking or being sarcastic. However, I don't think this speech falls into that category.

Ever since the generative AI boom started and tech corporations started hopping on the bandwagon, NVIDIA has been on a roll due to a surge in demand for next-gen GPUs to facilitate sophisticated AI advances.

In 2023, NVIDIA was named the most profitable semiconductor chip brand in the world, with Microsoft and Facebook's Meta among its A-list clients. The high demand for GPUs heavily contributed to the chipmaker briefly becoming the world's most valuable company with $3 trillion in market capitalization.

More recently, the chipmaker soared even greater heights by becoming the first $4 trillion company ahead of Microsoft and Apple. However, Microsoft is also well on its way to unlocking this impressive feat despite recent layoffs that saw approximately 15,300 people lose their jobs.

Since NVIDIA finally hit the $4 trillion market capitalization threshold with approximately 36,000 employees, each employee now apparently accounts for over $111 million in market value (via artificial intelligenceee on IG). For context, NVIDIA's workforce is roughly the population size of a small town like Westerville, Ohio, or Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Last year, a damning report revealed that employees at NVIDIA work like hell around the clock, with the workplace environment being compared to a pressure cooker. It also detailed that, unlike most organizations defaulting to work-from-home and hybrid work during and post the COVID-19 pandemic, NVIDIA employees go to the office every day of the week and often work into the later hours of the night, sometimes past 2 AM.

A former employee of the company working in its marketing division revealed that they'd attend up to 10 meetings per day with over 30 participants, which would often turn into verbal shooting matches due to differences in opinion and strategy.

But the chipmaker reportedly uses "golden handcuffs" to retain its employees, often in the form of generous compensation packages. Another former employee revealed that people working in the company for more than a decade should have enough money set aside for retirement, but most opt to continue working for better incentives. The parking lot at NVIDIA's headquarters is reportedly filled with high-end cars, including Porsches, Corvettes, and Lamborghinis, which could be an indicator of how good the compensation is at the company.

NVIDIA was briefly worth $4 trillion this week. The tech giant passed that milestone and became the first $4 trillion company following a 2.5% increase in stock value at one point on July 9, 2025.

The valuation of NVIDIA has since dropped to around $3.97 trillion.

NVIDIA began 2025 behind Microsoft and Apple, but steady growth has pushed NVIDIA past other tech giants.

Growth is expected to continue for NVIDIA. The company provides computing power for several of the biggest AI tools, which has proven quite lucrative for the GPU maker.

How NVIDIA beat Microsoft and Apple

NVIDIA's surge to a $4 trillion valuation is due largely to the company's dominance in the AI space. As companies race to integrate AI into everything from computers to personal assistants, the demand for computing power increases.

Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, Google, and other companies release AI-powered products regularly and have integrated AI into existing services.

Microsoft was reportedly NVIDIA's largest customer in 2024, outspending Meta, Google, and other tech giants.

ChatGPT launched in 2022, sparking an AI arms race. NVIDIA's value has increased fifteenfold since OpenAI released its AI-powered tool.

"Global demand for Nvidia's AI infrastructure is incredibly strong. AI inference token generation has surged tenfold in just one year, and as AI agents become mainstream, the demand for AI computing will accelerate," said NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang when discussing financial results in May 2025.

It was more than an initial surge for NVIDIA. The tech giant reached a $2 trillion valuation in February 2024 and then passed the $3 trillion mark just four months later.

NVIDIA's stock price now sits around $163, though that will fluctuate throughout the week. Shares are up about 22% on the year for NVIDIA.

NVIDIA stock dipped slightly, dropping the company's value to just under $4 trillion. But given recent trends, it is likely NVIDIA will pass the milestone again.

It's more than NVIDIA stock that's risen over the last few years. The company brought in $44.1 billion in revenue in the financial quarter ending in April 2025. That was a 69% year-over-year increase for the tech giant.

AMD is set to launch its Radeon RX 9060 XT on June 6, and the reviews are live one day early.

Despite some trepidation regarding AMD's decision to follow NVIDIA's move with 8GB and 16GB versions of the same mid-range card, reviews so far are looking very positive for the RX 9060 XT.

It appears that the majority of reviewers received a 16GB version of the 9060 XT to review, which is set to launch with a $349 MSRP. That's considerably cheaper than the 16GB NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti, which debuted with a $429 MSRP. It's also not much more expensive than the 8GB RTX 5060's $299 MSRP.

I expect that reviews for the RX 9060 XT with 8GB of VRAM won't be nearly as kind when they do arrive, as seen with the 8GB 5060 Ti.

I've put together this roundup of AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT reviews from major outlets to give you a better idea of what to expect come official launch.

• KitGuru (85%): "The bottom line – AMD has a very good thing on its hands with the RX 9060 XT 16GB. Simply offering 16GB of VRAM at this price point is enough to give it a huge advantage over the competition, not to mention its solid gaming performance, much improved ray tracing and FSR 4 support. We'd expect this to sell very well indeed at the £315 MSRP."
• PCGamer (84%): "When it comes to the entry-level GPU market, pricing is everything. And while the RX 9060 XT isn't quite capable of outright beating Nvidia's RTX 5060 Ti, it often comes within touching distance of it—all for an $80 lower MSRP. That makes it the budget card to beat right now, if you ask me."
• PCGamesN (80%): "At MSRP, the Radeon RX 9060 XT is a fantastic buy. It's quicker than the RTX 5060, while the 16GB version costs $80 less than the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and isn't far off its pace. The lack of widespread game support for FSR 4 dents its appeal, though, as does the potential for price rises beyond its MSRP."
• IGN (80%): "The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT is an awesome 1080p graphics card. It can handle pretty much anything at that resolution, and even in extremely demanding games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Black Myth: Wukong, you can still get excellent framerates, provided you tweak with upscaling a bit more. Assuming the price doesn’t move too much, the 9060 XT is going to be the card to beat at 1080p this year."
• Engadget: "The Radeon RX 9060 XT is a reminder of a world where we didn’t have to pay more than $400 to get a capable GPU. We already know more than 80 percent of PC gamers play at 1440p or lower resolutions, according to Steam’s data. So for the vast majority of players out there — the ones who aren’t using monitors with crazy high refresh rates or 4K+ resolutions — it’s all the GPU you really need."
• OC3D: "Checking through our graphs we were impressed at how tightly matched this card is to Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti. Naturally, both companies have games that are stronger on one than the other. As a general rule though when the AMD Radeon tech is the right one for a particular game, it really spanks the Nvidia card. As a quick example, Call of Duty with FSR on the XFX RX 9060 XT ends up giving us the same score as the RTX 5080. Even without the FSR tech it’s beating RTX 3080 Tis. No slouch."
• Guru3D: "Direct competing cards are the 7700 XT and the 5060 and 5060 Ti series from NVIDIA. It isn't a clear win for AMD as with some titles performance drop to 5060 levels. But most of the time it's on the heels of the 400+ USD GeForce 5060 Ti. Whether you’re building a powerhouse workstation or upgrading your living-room PC, this card delivers reliable, efficient performance at a reasonable price point."
• Eurogamer: "Re-focusing on the RX 9060 XT, the 16GB model is recommended at that price - assuming that the price is actually "real". It does for the 60-class cards what MSRP-level 70 class offerings from AMD did to the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti. We'll see how real world pricing pans out, but for now at least, based on the costing info we have from AMD along with the performance delivered by the card itself, it's a highly compelling offering."
• TechPowerUp: "While I would definitely say that this is a 1080p card, 1440p is definitely in reach, certainly in older games, and also once you enable performance enhancing features like FSR upscaling and frame generation. Some of the most demanding titles, or when RT is enabled will require you to use FSR, too, to get a good gaming experience."

• Hardware Canucks: "So basically, what AMD has done here is make NVIDIA's entire RTX 5060 Ti lineup — yes, even the 16GB model — look completely and positively overpriced by comparison."

• Gamers Nexus: "As far as performance versus the RTX 5060, if we come back to that, it's at least better in nearly all instances. It's often around the levels of the 3070 Ti, tends to be between the 3070 and 3070 Ti."

• Hardware Unboxed: "So, for me, the 9060 XT 16GB really does tick all the boxes. That is assuming AMD can supply enough product to meet the demand, which might not be the case for the first few months."

• Digital Foundry: "Kind of slots into a market defined by three NVIDIA GPUs, only one of which has enough memory in my opinion. Based on my tests, you're getting the lion's share of 5060 Ti 16GB performance while being cheaper than the 8GB model."

Should you buy the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT?

While reviewers have so far focused on the 16GB version of the RX 9060 XT, it does appear to be a win for AMD.

As mentioned, I expect the 8GB VRAM version reviews to be much harsher, but the fact that AMD is selling the 16GB version for only about $50 more than the 8GB RTX 5060 is no small factor.

That's especially true considering it appears that the 16GB RX 9060 XT bests the RTX 5060 in most tests while also coming very close to the RTX 5060 Ti in many instances.

If you're a gamer who primarily plays on a 1080p display, the RX 9060 XT seems like a no brainer, at least as long as pricing doesn't get out of hand following launch.

NVIDIA made its RTX 5060 series of graphics cards official on April 15, 2025, launching the 5060 Ti in 8GB and 16GB versions one day later.

A new leak from Videocardz indicates the non-Ti RTX 5060 is launching on May 19.

NVIDIA's RTX 5060 is arriving with 8GB of VRAM — no 16GB version here — and will enter the market with a $299 MSRP.

How much that price inflates as board partners stock shelves remains to be seen, but at least it seems like RTX 5000 prices have settled down outside of the US and its ongoing tariff drama.

Whereas NVIDIA lifted the review embargo for its RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 about a week ahead of the GPUs going live at retailers, giving potential buyers plenty of time to form a solid opinion, it looks like Team Green is aligning the 5060's launch and review embargo.

I am not a fan of this strategy, and it immediately raises some alarms.

👉 Related: NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti review roundup

NVIDIA lifted its RTX 5060 Ti review embargo on the same day as the card's launch, and it quickly became clear that the 8GB model wasn't offered early for testing.

That left day-one buyers with plenty of questions as they hit the checkout button in a rush to avoid stock shortages.

Most opinions surrounding the 16GB model were lukewarm to warm, but later reviews for the 8GB model haven't been as kind.

Many critics have called the angle that 8GB of VRAM isn't enough for the asking price.

With NVIDIA potentially pulling the same review embargo trick for its 8GB RTX 5060, I'm concerned that shoppers who want to get ahead of the market will buy a card that isn't worth buying.

NVIDIA shared plenty of benchmark numbers in its original 60-class reveal, but of course, they need to be taken lightly.

It will be independent reviewers who uncover the true value of the RTX 5060.

What I do know is that the RTX 5060 has a GB206-250 chip, 3,840 CUDA cores, 120 Tensor cores, 30 Ray Tracing cores, and a 2.49GHz boost clock, all running at a 150W TGP.

AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT is now rumored to be revealed at Computex 2025, which officially kicks off on May 20.

I strongly suggest holding out until we see what AMD has cooked up, as the 9060 XT should compete directly with NVIDIA's 60-class cards.

AMD's Radeon RX 9000 GPUs, including the RX 9070 and 9070 XT, launched in March, and it's now being reported that the initial cards will soon be joined by a more wallet-friendly Radeon RX 9060 XT.

Videocardz first reported on the rumors of an RX 9060 XT reveal at Computex 2025, which kicks off officially on May 20.

The potential announcement remains unconfirmed by AMD, but leaker Hoang Anh Phu — generally a reliable source — states that the RX 9060 XT will debut at Computex with a launch two weeks later.

This potential schedule pushes the RX 9060 XT into the first week of June, roughly two months after the RTX 5060 Ti's launch and about a month after the RTX 5060.

Similar to the 5060 Ti, a separate leak also reported by Videocardz suggests that AMD plans to launch the RX 9060 XT in two variants: one with 8GB and one with 16GB.

Unlike NVIDIA, it appears that AMD plans to continue using GDDR6 VRAM rather than upgrading to GDDR7.

Considering the generally cold temperature surrounding NVIDIA's 8GB models, AMD is no doubt carefully considering pricing for its next cards.

NVIDIA launched its RTX 5060 Ti with 16GB of VRAM at a $429 MSRP, with the 8GB model coming in at $379. The unreleased RTX 5060 comes with a $299 MSRP.

Intel set the VRAM standard late last year with its affordable Arc Battlemage cards made for 1440p gaming. The B580 has 12GB at a $250 MSRP, while the B570 has 10GB at a $220 MSRP.

Our friends at TechRadar gave the Arc B580 a perfect review score, stating:

If AMD can land on a price competitive with Intel, it could have a serious winner on its hands, no matter the VRAM amount.

Of course, tariffs and the tech market chaos they're causing will likely play into the pricing. Just because AMD sets an attractive MSRP for the RX 9060 XT doesn't mean it will be available for consumers in the US.

👉 Related: Why I recommend buying a new graphics card now before the prices climb even higher

The RX 9060 XT is expected to use the RDNA 4 Navi 44 XT GPU, with 2,048 stream processors, 20Gbps memory clock, 128-bit memory bus, and 320GB/s memory bandwidth.

As noted in the Videocardz spec leak, it appears that the 9060 XT will bring significantly higher clock speeds compared to its RX 7600 XT predecessor.

Whereas the RDNA 3 card has a 2.47GHz game clock and 2.75GHz boost clock, the RDNA 4 update could push those numbers to 2.62GHz and 3.23GHz.

Also noted are power demands, with the RX 9060 XT expected to require at least a 500W power supply, with some models pushing up to 550W.

Only time will tell what AMD has in store for us regarding its next Radeon RDNA 4 GPUs, but one can only hope that they'll launch at a more affordable price than NVIDIA's 60-class cards.

NVIDIA's RTX 5060 Ti launched yesterday, and with it came a new Game Ready driver that supports the new GPU.

The biggest news surrounding the new 576.02 driver, however, is the extensive list of bug fixes.

NVIDIA focused on solving specific problems in specific games — flickering, crashing, stuttering, banding, artifacting, etc. — but it also called out fixes for more general issues.

Here's a look at the problems NVIDIA claims to have solved.

These fixes couldn't come at a better time. At least, that would be the case if NVIDIA's fixes were concrete.

That doesn't seem to be the case, as reports online of issues with the new driver installed begin to pile up once again.

I waded into the NVIDIA subreddit's driver megathread to check in on user status.

Judging by the feedback, the new drivers have solved issues for some users but not for others. And there doesn't seem to be a clear pattern.

Comment from r/nvidia

Comment from r/nvidia

Comment from r/nvidia

Comment from r/nvidia

One potential remedy for certain games appears to involve deleting the game's shader cache following the driver update.

This move seems to have solved problems in Monster Hunter Wilds and Path of Exile 2, but your experience may vary.

Comment from r/nvidia

Comment from r/nvidia

In any case, it appears that NVIDIA has failed to completely clean up the issues that have been plaguing its GeForce cards for the majority of 2025.

NVIDIA's current driver issues explained

Since the launch of NVIDIA's RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 in January — which came with a new 572.16 driver — users have reported everything from black screens and GPU detection failure to outright game and system crashes.

NVIDIA was quick to announce it was investigating reported issues with the RTX 50-series in February.

It's not just those with an RTX 50-series GPU, either. NVIDIA's driver issues have been experienced by RTX 40-series and 30-series users, and the solution was to roll back to a driver from before the 50-series launch.

The driver, version 566.36, was released in December 2024, and it remains stable. But there's a big problem.

The stable driver was released before NVIDIA added DLSS 4 support, which means it doesn't provide access to new features like Multi Frame Generation (MFG) or full support for new games.

But considering a lot of the issues seemed to stem from DLSS and G-Sync, playing without the features was better than not playing at all.

With certain game developers recommending in patch notes to use an older driver, and with Gamers Nexus replicating many of the issues reported online, NVIDIA clearly had to perform some major surgery on its support system.

I was hopeful when I saw the long list of 576.02 bug fixes, but gamers aren't in the clear quite yet.

I'm curious to know your experience with the new NVIDIA driver. What are/were your issues? Did the new driver fix them? What GPU are you using? Be sure to let me know in the comments section below!

NVIDIA's RTX 5060 Ti is expected to launch on April 16, and some designs from board partner MSI have leaked.

This first look at the upcoming 60-class RTX 5000 GPUs, reported by Videocardz, includes the MSI Inspire 2X, MSI Gaming Trio, and MSI Gaming models.

The Inspire 2X is, in my opinion, one of the best-looking dual-fan GPUs in recent memory, with a stripped-back design and copper tint.

From the images gathered by Videocardz, it appears the Inspire 2X RTX 5060 Ti is slightly thicker than two slots, and it'll have an 8-pin connector for power.

For those who prefer a GPU with a more aggressive style, the MSI Gaming RTX 5060 Ti goes with a black finish, angled edges, and RGB lighting.

It's a dual-fan GPU that appears to be just thicker than two slots, and it appears that MSI has chosen a 16-pin (12VHPWR) power connector.

Yes, that's the same one that users have reported to be melting when paired with the RTX 5090 and RTX 4090.

In the case of the RTX 5060 Ti, that shouldn't be a problem. The mid-range card is expected to launch with a 180W TDP, much lower than the RTX 5090's massive 575W power demand.

So what's the reason for using such an overkill power connector on a 180W GPU? I have no concrete answer.

It could have something to do with overclocking, but that would have to be one mean OC to warrant the 16-pin hardware.

MSI's three-fan RTX 5060 Ti Gaming Trio and Gaming Trio White designs were also leaked, and they too have the 16-pin power connector.

The 5060 Ti Gaming Trio is essentially an elongated version of the standard Gaming GPU, with the same angled edges and RGB lighting.

The Gaming Trio White is — you guessed it — the same card with a white finish.

This initial look at RTX 5060 Ti GPUs also indicates that the GPUs will use the GB206 chip, which supports PCIe 5.0 x8.

With NVIDIA expected to officially launch its RTX 5060 Ti GPUs next week, we'll know a lot more about the mid-range desktop cards very soon.

Keeping your PC updated with the latest processor (CPU) and graphics card (GPU) doesn't come cheap, with these pieces usually representing the largest upgrade cost.

It's only natural that enthusiasts, gamers, and creators who rely on these parts are keeping a close watch on rising prices.

Despite the trade war news from April 9 that US President Trump has entered a 90-day reciprocal tariff pause with all countries except China, GPU prices aren't expected to fall.

There's still a pesky 10% flat tariff on all US imports, and the semiconductors used in GPUs fall under a further 25% tariff rate imposed on imported aluminum goods.

In most cases, I do recommend buying a new GPU now before things get worse, but it's not a simple Yes/No answer.

Should I buy a new GPU now before more tariffs arrive?

With market chaos caused by tariffs that seem to change on a daily basis, many are wondering if it's worth buying a new GPU before things get worse.

I have no idea how this newfound tariff war is going to play out, but I can say that I doubt we'll see already inflated GPU prices fall anytime soon, no matter what happens.

If anything, prices are going to rise further, and buying a GPU now rather than after a new round of tariffs will potentially save you some money.

In February, Trump outlined some potential focused semiconductor tariffs ranging from 25% to 100%, and they would include TSMC — the main foundry for NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel GPUs located in Taiwan.

President Trump stated in a briefing on April 3 that specific chip tariffs are "starting very soon," suggesting a new round of focused attacks that would push import tariffs on GPUs beyond the current 10% and 25% rates.

Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but even a $749 GPU could quickly enter what used to be considered the high-end range well beyond $1,000.

The new 90-day reciprocal tariff pause on all countries except China keeps TSMC out of the fire for now, and it gives potential GPU buyers a small bit of breathing room.

That could change at any time, so if you are keen on buying a new GPU, I suggest you start shopping now.

Of course, those attempting to buy a new GPU are not likely to have a great time, with ongoing stock shortages, scalping, and actual retailer prices well above MSRP.

The current GPU landscape is dire, tariffs or not

A mixture of stock shortages, scalping, and ignored MSRP has resulted in a GPU market that's less than desirable, even before getting into the effects of tariffs.

NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel all launched new lineups of GPUs in the past four months.

NVIDIA's RTX 50-series cards kicked off with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 on January 31, and it quickly became clear that ample stock and fair prices near the MSRP set by NVIDIA were an illusion.

It didn't get any better with the launch of the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070.

In the same vein, AMD's Radeon RX 9000 GPUs officially launched on March 6; they quickly sold out everywhere, and the MSRP at official retailers quickly went up for many models.

Intel's Battlemage GPUs launched in December 2024, and their value-conscious pricing and stellar performance have kept them sold out almost perpetually.

Popular last-gen cards have also seen a price increase mainly due to their popularity, compounded by the fact that a lot of the manufacturing has been turned over to the more recent hardware.

Because GPUs often launch with reference cards (NVIDIA's Founders Edition cards, for example) and custom cards (from board partners like ASUS, Acer, Gigabyte, PNY, etc.), prices don't always have to stick to MSRP.

Partners are free to set prices depending on individual demand and other factors, which is why GPU prices were inflated even before the major tariffs fell into place.

Using the RTX 5070 Ti as an example, prices at Newegg at the time of writing on April 10 are generally far beyond the $750 MSRP NVIDIA announced at its CES 2025 presentation.

👉 Related: Why AMD’s new gaming GPU is my next upgrade, and why it should be yours, too

Everything is sold out, and prices range from $750 (two cards) up to $1,300. Those prices are straight from Newegg, with scalpers often going beyond that range.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, which debuted at a $599 MSRP, ranges from $880 to $1,299 at Newegg, with the latter listing coming at the hands of a third-party seller who is clearly overcharging.

While there are still some cards listed at MSRP, they understandably sell out first, leaving the overpriced options for the rest of us.

What's the best way to buy a new GPU?

I've been covering the best places to buy new NVIDIA and AMD cards since they launched in the hopes of getting a new GPU into your hands.

It hasn't been easy for prospective buyers, with imposed tariffs and the threat of further tariffs causing chaos.

And because the new GPUs from AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel are now on the market, older cards that are still relevant are getting harder to find at a reasonable price (or at all).

Unfortunately, there's no surefire way to land the GPU of your dreams, and landing any new GPU at MSRP should be considered a rare event.

👉 Related: 5 reasons why I'm not buying an NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPU (and 3 ways it's worth it)

As mentioned, there are still some listings that follow suggested pricing, although they're almost always sold out.

So what's the best plan of attack when buying a new GPU in 2025? I suggest checking online retailers at least daily to see if any new stock has arrived.

Best Buy, Newegg, B&H, and Amazon are the four retailers I always keep an eye on, as they're most likely to receive stock, but I urge you to also keep an eye on local and smaller retailers.

Amazon has also now started locking NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPUs behind a Prime membership in an effort to combat scalping, though that doesn't mean you can buy the cards at MSRP.

• Where to buy NVIDIA RTX 5090 and RTX 5080
• Where to buy NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti
• Where to buy AMD Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT

GPUs and tariffs: FAQ

Here are some answers to common questions regarding the current tariff situation and how it's affecting GPUs.

NVIDIA has released five new versions of its Game Ready drivers since 572.16 (which arrived alongside RTX 50-series GPUs), but it hasn't fixed the root of the problems experienced by many gamers.

Gamers Nexus has now published a video replicating and confirming the NVIDIA driver issues that countless users have reported.

GN Host Stephen Burke calls the overall situation "absolutely abhorrent and completely embarrassing," and I don't think that's being too harsh.

But before I cover GN's findings (and temporary fixes), a bit of backstory regarding NVIDIA's 572.XX drivers.

NVIDIA's current driver issues began in January 2025

The first of NVIDIA's new RTX 50-series graphics cards launched on January 30, 2025, and NVIDIA simultaneously released its Game Ready 572.16 driver package to support the latest hardware.

Early adopters of the RTX 5090 were the first to sound the alarm after the driver update went out, but it wasn't long before 40-series users were also reporting issues with driver version 572.16.

Whether it was random black screens, detection failure, or outright crashes, it was clear that something wasn't working as intended.

In late March, Tom's Hardware highlighted an in-depth user analysis on the r/Hardware subreddit, which aims to uncover issues surrounding the 572.XX drivers and RTX 40-series cards (which the Redditor is using).

PSA: Nvidia Widespread Black Screen or Hard OS Crash Issues on 4xxx (or older) Series Cards Need To Be Widely Known & Fixed. from r/hardware

The top comment in response to the Reddit analysis is, unsurprisingly, an early RTX 5080 adopter claiming they have the same crashing and black screen problems as the 40-series user.

Another user chimed in, claiming their RTX 3070 needed a rollback due to crashes, suggesting the issue is more widespread than I first thought.

As the author of the Reddit post suggests, rolling back your NVIDIA driver to version 566.36 — launched December 5, 2024 — seems to alleviate these issues.

👉 See NVIDIA Game Ready drivers

However, rolling back to the driver from the pre-RTX 5000 landscape comes with several drawbacks.

NVIDIA enabled new features like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation and DLSS4 Overrides with its post-RTX 5000 drivers, and it added support for plenty of new games that feature DLSS tech.

What's the point of buying an RTX 50-series GPU if you can't use some of its most-hyped features?

Multi Frame Generation (MFG) is what allowed NVIDIA to claim the RTX 5070 is as powerful as the RTX 4090 during its CES 2025 keynote presentation, and it's evidently unusable by plenty of people.

Gamers Nexus replicates and confirms NVIDIA's driver issues

Gamers Nexus uploaded a new video over the weekend that highlights and ultimately proves these issues are coming from NVIDIA's side.

More specifically, GN tested hardware setups similar to those listed by users as causing problems.

Using NVIDIA's 572.83 driver with an RTX 4070 Super Founders Edition GPU, GN quickly discovered replicable crashes in Star Wars: Outlaws, Marvel Rivals, Cyberpunk 2077, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Dual-monitor G-Sync setups with NVIDIA Frame Generation enabled seem to trigger these bugs most frequently, and it seems like the physical video out port in use on the GPU is a factor.

Beyond that, DLSS and NVIDIA Reflex could be causing problems in some cases.

With six 572.XX drivers released since the RTX 50-series launch, it doesn't seem like NVIDIA is hurrying to fix these issues.

GN offers some workarounds in the meantime.

Reseating your video cables in different video ports on the GPU is the first (and easiest) recommendation, and it's also suggested that you switch to HDMI if you're currently using DisplayPort.

You should also consider disabling NVIDIA G-Sync and Frame Generation to test for increased stability.

Game devs are now recommending against NVIDIA's latest drivers

As expected, game developers are as keen to take advantage of NVIDIA's latest features as are the buyers of NVIDIA's cards.

At least two games fresh on the market — inZOI and The First Berserker: Khazan — have now resorted to suggesting that players roll back their NVIDIA drivers to avoid issues.

inZOI's v0.1.2 hotfix comes with advice on which driver is best for each series of NVIDIA GPU.

The recommended NVIDIA drivers for inZOI look a lot like what's being suggested by The First Berserker: Khazan's developers.

Setting the drivers back to pre-RTX 50 launch also means you'll be missing out on the latest NVIDIA features, which isn't ideal.

I sincerely hope that NVIDIA can pinpoint the cause of these issues and release a new 572.XX driver to fix it.

It's no secret that NVIDIA has struggled to keep its latest RTX 50-series GPUs on shelves ever since the first Blackwell cards launched in January 2025.

The struggle is borne from a combination of NVIDIA's own manufacturing schedule and general output (or lack thereof), high demand from regular consumers, and scalpers buying up available stock to resell at a higher price.

Amazon, usually one of the first stops when checking for available RTX 5000 GPUs, has implemented a new measure to combat scalping.

First spotted by AndroidHeadlines, most NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPUs sold directly from Amazon are now locked behind a Prime subscription requirement.

👉 Where to buy NVIDIA RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs

While you can still buy directly from any third-party retailers without a Prime subscription — usually at a higher price than Amazon would sell at — you'll now see a button suggesting you join Prime rather than the regular buy button if you aren't already a member.

Why did Amazon lock NVIDIA GPUs behind a membership?

Amazon always wants to drive Prime subscriptions any way it can; I'm no huge fan of Amazon, but I admit it's a smart move from a business standpoint.

What about for regular consumers? Amazon's main goal is to combat quick scalping, but it's essentially asking regular buyers to pay it a subscription premium to participate.

Scalpers have been having a grand old time buying up stock immediately just to relist at a higher price.

👉 Where to buy RTX 5070 Ti GPUs

This has led to shortages and high-priced cards sitting around, unsold, teasing those of us who don't want to pay the scalper tax on top of an inflated MSRP.

Digging a bit deeper into current RTX 50-series stock levels at Amazon, it looks like the move is working so far.

I put together this list of NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPUs currently available at Amazon exclusively to Prime members.

• ASUS Prime OC RTX 5070: $699.99 at Amazon (Prime only)
• ASUS TUF Gaming OC RTX 5070: $739.99 at Amazon (Prime only)
• Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 5070: $819.99 at Amazon (Prime only)
• Gigabyte Eagle OC ICE RTX 5070 Ti: $899.99 at Amazon (Prime only)
• Gigabyte AERO OC RTX 5070 Ti: $979.99 at Amazon (Prime only)
• Gigabyte Aorus Master RTX 5070 Ti: $999.99 at Amazon (Prime only)
• ASUS Prime OC RTX 5070 Ti: $1,017.99 at Amazon (Prime only)
• Gigabyte Gaming OC RTX 5080: $1,539.99 at Amazon (Prime only)

I don't doubt that more of NVIDIA's RTX 50-series GPUs will fall under the Prime requirement as stock comes in, but for now that's what I could find.

Interestingly, it doesn't look like all RTX 50-series GPUs sold directly from Amazon have the Prime requirement.

PNY's RTX 5070 is listed at $699.99 and can be purchased by non-Prime subscribers.

I'm expecting the same treatment to come to AMD's Radeon RX 9000 GPUs. I tried looking for a listing with the same Prime exclusivity, but the scarce options make it difficult.

Why sign up for Amazon Prime?

If you haven't shopped online in the last two decades, Amazon Prime is a subscription-based membership service.

It has millions of members, and it comes with several major perks that make it worth the $14.99/month or $139/year subscription fee.

Subscribers get same-day, one-day, and two-day free shipping as applicable, there are exclusive deals and early access promotions, and you get access to Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Amazon Photos, Amazon Prime Gaming, and Amazon Prime Reading.

You can add exclusive access to the latest GPUs to that list.

Amazon Prime subscriptions come with a 30-day free trial, and I don't see anything that suggests you can't use the free trial to pick up a new GPU and cancel before you're billed.

Greetings, Windows Central readers. I hope you're having a great day; it's the weekend, after all.

The Windows Central team has been having a lot of fun reading and responding to your comments in our awesome new comments system, and I'd like to take advantage to ask YOU a question.

What graphics card do you have in your PC and why?

It's so far been a busy 2025 for anyone who follows graphics card (GPU) news.

NVIDIA revealed its new "Blackwell" generation of RTX 50-series GPUs at CES 2025 in January, and in the following months, it launched the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070.

AMD played the waiting game, pulling its Radeon RX 9000 "RDNA 4" CES presentation at the last moment.

We finally got an official RDNA 4 announcement on February 28, and the Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 launched on March 6, 2025.

I can't forget about Intel, which unveiled its Arc B-series "Battlemage" GPUs in December 2024.

Intel's latest cards hit shelves on December 13 and quickly sold out everywhere thanks to their bargain pricing and strong 1440p performance.

While the GPU news surrounding AMD and Intel has been mostly positive, NVIDIA has been receiving flak for a number of issues surrounding its Blackwell GPUs, including melting power cables, missing ROPs, faulty drivers, underbaked AI tools, and just general performance (as is the case with the RTX 5070's harsh reviews).

The GPU market is in flux in 2025

The GPU market is currently going through a shift. NVIDIA is now focused on producing 50-series GPUs, making 40-series cards much harder to find at anywhere near a reasonable price.

AMD's Radeon RX 9000 GPUs are nearly impossible to find despite promises of plenty of stock, and many people are waiting for the latest hardware rather than investing in one of the RDNA 3 cards that remain relatively plentiful.

👉 Related: NVIDIA RTX 5080 Founders Edition review

Intel's Battlemage GPUs, well, they're such a good bargain that they continue to be elusive months after launch.

Bottom line? It's tough out there for anyone trying to land a new GPU.

In my case, I'm waiting for an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT to replace my aging RX 6800. Unfortunately, sourcing one in Canada hasn't been easy, and I'm considering picking up a 5070 Ti since they seem to be more readily available. Go figure.

I want to hear from you!

Our new comments section requires a sign-up before you can post, but the process is quick and easy.

From the mobile or desktop site, you can hit "Sign In" at the top of the page, which will open up a registration portal.

The commenting system is straightforward and modern, and it no longer logs you out nearly as often as our previous system.

With all this in mind, I'm curious to know the current GPU status of our readers. While my main question — What GPU do you use and why? — is quite broad, I have some extra input on interesting tidbits I'd like to find out.

• Do you use a desktop or a laptop? Pre-built or DIY?
• What is your GPU usually used for? Gaming, creation, AI, etc.
• Are you considering a brand change for your next upgrade?
• What's the main feature that would make you upgrade?
• What's the main feature keeping you tied to one brand?
• Why did you choose one GPU over another?
• Are you OK with the newfound reliance on AI to boost gaming performance?
• What price do you aim to pay for a new GPU?

You certainly don't have to stick to my ideas, and I urge you to let your opinion be known in the comments below!

Last week, I wrote about rumors regarding the delayed launch of NVIDIA's RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti. These have now been confirmed by HKEPC, a hardware outlet based in Hong Kong (via Videocardz).

NVIDIA is expected to officially announce its RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti on April 15, 2025.

There are expected to be three cards in total announced in April. The RTX 5060 Ti is apparently being split into 8GB and 16GB VRAM models, while the non-Ti RTX 5060 looks to only have an 8GB VRAM option.

Whereas NVIDIA left a larger gap of time between its other RTX 50-series announcements, review embargo, and launch, the 5060 Ti is expected to hit shelves one day later on April 16.

What's concerning is that the RTX 5060 Ti review embargo also lifts on April 16, assumedly while PC builders, gamers, and enthusiasts are lined up waiting to nab one of the GPUs. I expect demand to be high.

The RTX XX60-series is extremely popular no matter the generation. It only takes a quick look at Steam's hardware survey to see the RTX 4060 in first place, followed closely by the RTX 3060.

While RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 reviews were mainly positive, some of the shine wore off on the less-powerful Blackwell hardware.

For example, the RTX 5070 was largely skewered by reviewers, with PC Gamer notably questioning how it could possibly recommend the GPU without major caveats.

It seems to me that NVIDIA is carefully lining things up for its RTX 5060 Ti launch, hoping that would-be buyers are already on the way home before any potentially negative reviews receive attention.

NVIDIA is planning to keep its RTX 5060 (non-Ti) back for a May release; review embargo details are not clear.

NVIDIA wants all partners to have one RTX 5060 Ti available at MSRP

Another interesting bit out of the launch scheduling leak is that NVIDIA wants its hardware partners — aka the companies that build third-party cards using NVIDIA's chips — to have at least one RTX 5060 Ti available at MSRP for launch.

This is, in theory, a great idea, but I don't know how it will pan out.

The cheaper NVIDIA GPUs are the hardest to find, as they're understandably the most popular. Once the MSRP cards are gone, we'll be left with the usual overpriced listings.

👉 Don't buy an NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPU until you read this

NVIDIA also only appears to want MSRP cards available at launch, so partners will be able to do whatever they want with the following shipments.

It will be interesting to see the overall reaction from gamers and builders in April, as this could go two ways.

NVIDIA could wow us with its RTX 5060 Ti, and the scheduling won't matter in the end. On the other hand, the RTX 5060 Ti might not measure up to expectations, and NVIDIA's scheduling will start to look a lot less reasonable.

Plenty of news regarding GPUs and the tech behind them has come out of GDC 2025, and Microsoft has now announced an update to DirectX Raytracing (DXR) at its DirectX State of the Union presentation.

Microsoft Principal Program Manager Cassie Hoef posted more information about the DirectX Raytracing 1.2 update in Microsoft's Dev Blogs, stating:

"This update promises groundbreaking performance improvements and breathtaking visual fidelity, marking another milestone in our mission to deliver immersive, realistic experiences to gamers everywhere."

The update will affect Microsoft's partners like NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, who rely on Microsoft's tools to implement the latest tech into their hardware and games.

Also shared by Microsoft is more information regarding cooperative vectors and neural rendering, which I wrote about following the GDC Advanced Graphics Summit hosted earlier this week.

DirectX Raytracing (DXR) — What is it?

DirectX Raytracing (DXR) is an add-on for DirectX 12 that was introduced by Microsoft at the same GDC conference in 2018.

The API is what allows modern GPUs to power ray tracing via DirectX without getting in the way of standard rasterization, with performance being shared between the two methods.

The new DXR 1.2 is set to add "game-changing performance boosts" on the backs of two new technologies.

Here's how Microsoft explains them:

• Opacity micromaps significantly optimize alpha-tested geometry, delivering up to 2.3x performance improvement in path-traced games. By efficiently managing opacity data, OMM reduces shader invocations and greatly enhances rendering efficiency without compromising visual quality.
• Shader execution reordering offers a major leap forward in rendering performance — up to 2x faster in some scenarios — by intelligently grouping shader execution to enhance GPU efficiency, reduce divergence, and boost frame rates, making raytraced titles smoother and more immersive than ever. This feature paves the way for more path-traced games in the future. 

The standout number here is the 2.3x performance jump in path-traced games using DXR 1.2 opacity micromaps.

Path tracing is a more intensive and complex version of ray tracing, and it understandably requires a lot more power from your GPU even compared to normal ray tracing. This level of performance boost isn't minor.

The other big performance jump is the "up to 2x faster" rendering performance thanks to shader execution reordering.

Not only does it improve efficiency and boost frame rates, it's also expected — according to Microsoft — to raise the appeal of path tracing in games due to the reduced performance costs.

Microsoft says NVIDIA is already on board with driver support for its RTX GPUs (going back to RTX 20-series), while it's still working with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm "to ensure widespread adoption."

DXR 1.2 also comes to PIX on day one

PIX is a DirectX 12 tool used by game developers to debug and tune performance. It's set to receive DXR 1.2 support from day one.

Microsoft outlines a number of new tools for PIX:

• PIX API Preview: A brand-new API giving developers programmatic access to PIX functionality and data via a D3D12-like API, available in C++, C# and Python. A private preview is coming in April 2025.
• Custom Visualizers: Building on announcements over the past year, we announced new functionality to give unprecedented customization while viewing buffers, meshes, and textures inside the PIX UI.
• PIX UX Refresh: A modernized, more intuitive, and more discoverable user experience is coming to PIX in April 2025! The many improvements include a new Visual Studio-like layout editor system, unlocking more PIX UI customization than ever before.

Microsoft shares key uses for neural rendering

It's no secret that Microsoft has been working with NVIDIA to bring neural rendering and cooperative vectors to DirectX.

More information was shared at GDC 2025 earlier in the week, this specific quote coming from Direct3D development manager Shawn Hargreaves:

"Microsoft is adding cooperative vector support to DirectX and HLSL, starting with a preview this April. This will advance the future of graphics programming by enabling neural rendering across the gaming industry. Unlocking Tensor Cores on NVIDIA RTX will allow developers to fully leverage RTX Neural Shaders for richer, more immersive experiences on Windows."

Microsoft showed off how these technologies will directly affect game development and play:

• Neural Block Texture Compression is a new graphics technique that dramatically reduces memory usage, while maintaining exceptional visual fidelity. Overall, our partners at Intel shared that by leveraging cooperative vectors to power advanced neural compression models, they saw a 10x speed up in inference performance.
• Real-time path tracing can be enhanced by neural supersampling and denoising, combining two of the most cutting-edge graphics innovations to provide realistic visuals at practical performance levels.

So, how long do developers have to wait to get their hands on DXR 1.2?

Not long at all. Microsoft says the full package with DXR 1.2, PIX updates, and cooperative vectors is coming to a preview Agility SDK toward the end of April.

The release of NVIDIA's new RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti GPUs has been pushed back according to new rumors.

Rather than a March announcement — which was the assumption by even board partners — the mid-range desktop GPUs have been pushed back to April and May 2025.

The news comes from Videocardz, which found some info on the Board Channels forum — further amplified by X user HXL — regarding official notification from NVIDIA regarding the delays.

It's posited that NVIDIA has reached out to board partners to inform them of the delay, if you can call it that considering NVIDIA never officially stated a release date.

The rumors point to two RTX 5060 Ti models — one with 8GB of VRAM and one with 16GB — not launching until April, with the RTX 5060 non-Ti model coming later in May.

I've been holding my breath waiting for NVIDIA's RTX 5060 GPU announcement to come out of GDC/GTC this week, but I can finally exhale.

👉 Related: NVIDIA's RTX Remix update is a dream for classic video game enthusiasts

The rumored April and May launch dates are just that: rumors. NVIDIA might decide to either push the dates further or speed up the release window based on other factors.

NVIDIA's RTX 5000 launch hasn't been smooth and despite reports of melting power cables, missing ROPs, faulty drivers, and more, NVIDIA has failed to meet demand.

This has created a playground for scalpers, and worsening the situation is an MSRP creep that sees NVIDIA's GPUs legitimately sold for hundreds of dollars more than expected.

If these rumors turn out to be true and NVIDIA has pushed the planned release of its RTX 5060 GPUs, I hope that Team Green takes the extra time to check each GPU carefully and boost stock at retailers.

👉 Related: Skip NVIDIA — Why AMD’s new gaming GPU is my next upgrade

NVIDIA's 60-class cards are the most popular GPUs, with the RTX 4060 sitting at the top of Steam's GPU hardware survey. The next two cards in the list are the RTX 3060 and the RTX 4060 Ti.

Basically, whatever demand NVIDIA saw for its RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070 will likely be overshadowed by the 5060 and 5060 Ti's popularity.

NVIDIA's RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards (GPU) have both officially launched, and you might be wondering which one is better suited for your gaming PC.

While stock availability for both GPUs at the time of writing is essentially non-existent, it doesn't hurt to know exactly which card is right for you should you find something available at a reasonable price.

Let's take a look at how the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti compare in terms of actual real-world pricing as well as how each performs at the common 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions.

NVIDIA RTX 5070 vs. RTX 5070 Ti: Specs

Before taking a look at real-world performance numbers, it's worth noting the raw specs available in the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti.

A higher number is better in almost all cases — excluding TGP and PSU requirements — and it's no surprise that the 5070 Ti comes out ahead of its sibling.

👉 Related: Super, Ti, XT, XTX — Explaining the differences between GPU models

One notable difference involves the onboard VRAM. The RTX 5070 Ti hits 16GB, while the 5070 sits back on 12GB GDDR7.

Thanks to DLSS 4 improvements, NVIDIA says its GPUs no longer require as much VRAM; however, I know some enthusiasts won't want to dip below 16GB in 2025.

Here's how the two GPUs compare.

NVIDIA RTX 5070 vs. RTX 5070 Ti: Price and availability

The biggest obstacle to overcome, at least at the time of writing, is availability for NVIDIA's 50-series GPUs.

The issue isn't exclusive to the XX70 cards; everything that NVIDIA has launched so far, including the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090, is almost impossible to find at a reasonable price.

Sure, you might be able to grab a new NVIDIA GPU from a scalper, but you'll be paying far above an acceptable price.

It gets worse: NVIDIA's MSRP isn't exactly being followed by third-party GPU makers, so if you don't manage to land a Founders Edition card — of which there is none for the RTX 5070 Ti — you can still expect to pay more off the shelf.

A quick look at Newegg's RTX 5070 listings shows prices ranging from the $549.99 MSRP up to $739.99, with plenty of prices in between.

Best Buy's RTX 5070 listings offer a similar price range for various GPUs from third-party makers.

👉 Related: Where to buy NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti

The RTX 5070 Ti naturally costs more than the standard 5070, Newegg's listings range from the $749.99 MSRP up to $999.99.

Again, Best Buy offers roughly the same, with some cards sitting at $749.99 through about $999.99. These prices might be listed, but that doesn't mean they're in stock.

If you can't hold off any longer and need a major upgrade anyway, you might want to check out some pre-built desktop gaming PCs with the RTX 5070 Ti inside.

NVIDIA RTX 5070 vs. RTX 5070 Ti: 1080p, 1440p, and 4K performance

From a general standpoint, the RTX 5070 Ti is the card you want for superior performance. It's a step up from the standard RTX 5070, but how big is the gap?

Our friends at Tom's Hardware did an excellent job of testing both the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti in a number of scenarios, and the results are mostly unsurprising.

I'm starting with rasterization performance to get an idea of the raw power these cards offer.

👉 Related: NVIDIA RTX 5070 review roundup

At 1080p Ultra, the RTX 5070 managed a 105.8 FPS average across 16 games. At 1440p Ultra, the RTX 5070 drops to an 80.4 FPS average across the same 16 titles.

Those are decent numbers, and you have space to lower in-game settings to boost frame rates in some games with which the RTX 5070 struggles.

The RTX 5070 will struggle with 4K Ultra, with the 16-game average dropping to 46.7 FPS.

Still looking at rasterization performance, the RTX 5070 Ti unsurprisingly pulls ahead of the RTX 5070.

In the same tests across 16 games, it managed averages of 124.9 FPS at 1080p Ultra, 100.3 FPS at 1440p Ultra, and 61.2 FPS at 4K Ultra.

It's clear from these results that the RTX 5070 Ti is your only real choice if you have a 4K display, though at 1440p, you can definitely get away with spending less on the RTX 5070.

Rasterization performance is half the equation; how do these cards handle ray tracing?

The RTX 5070 hit a 97.4 FPS average at 1080p Ultra, a 69.8 FPS average at 1440p Ultra, and a 36.4 FPS average at 4K Ultra. Six games were tested to get the averages.

If you're a fan of enabling ray tracing in your games, it's clear that the RTX 5070 Ti will be the better choice at 1440p and 4K, with the RTX 5070 holding fairly strong at 1080p.

Tom's Hardware compiled the results with rasterization and ray tracing to give a better idea of overall performance expected from these cards across 22 games.

Nothing really changes in the overall averages across 22 games, with the RTX 5070 Ti remaining the better choice if you have a 1440p or 4K monitor.

On the other hand, for roughly $150 less than its sibling, the RTX 5070 offers decent 1440p performance and strong 1080p performance.

These numbers come without the addition of DLSS 4, which plays a bigger part than ever in boosting NVIDIA's frame rates.

NVIDIA RTX 5070 vs. RTX 5070 Ti: DLSS 4

DLSS 4 was announced alongside the new NVIDIA RTX 5000 GPUs, and it's the most advanced upscaling tech available for gamers.

It's made up of a few different parts, and GPU compatibility varies.

Enhanced Frame Generation is offered on RTX 40- and 50-series GPUs, while older NVIDIA hardware gets access to Ray Reconstruction, Super Resolution, and Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing (DLAA).

The major addition to DLSS 4, known as Multi Frame Generation (MFG), is exclusive to the latest "Blackwell" GPUs, including the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, due to their advanced AI Tensor cores.

As the name implies, MFG is capable of generating multiple frames rather than just one, significantly boosting frame rates.

MFG has three modes: 2X (one extra frame is generated), 3X (two extra frames), and 4X (three extra frames). There are currently more than 75 games compatible with MFG, with more on the way.

Because of DLSS 4's reliance on Tensor cores, the RTX 5070 Ti naturally has an advantage with its 280 count (the 5070 has 192).

That equates to about 1,406 TOPS of AI power in the 5070 Ti compared to about 988 TOPS in the standard 5070.

Bottom line? The RTX 5070 Ti will better handle DLSS 4 features, but that doesn't mean the RTX 5070 won't get a solid boost as well.

I still wouldn't buy an RTX 5070 for 4K gaming, but MFG will be able to boost those 1080p and 1440p numbers I laid out above in compatible titles.

NVIDIA RTX 5070 vs. RTX 5070 Ti: Which should you buy?

Choosing between the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti might be easy if you just want to spend the least possible.

The RTX 5070, coming in at roughly $150 less than its Ti sibling, can handle 1080p and 1440p, especially when you add NVIDIA's DLSS 4.

However, the RTX 5070 Ti should be the right choice for anyone who wants a more impressive 1440p experience and the ability to jump up to 4K without sacrificing too many frames

It's roughly $150 more expensive than the 5070, but the added cost for the "Ti" badge isn't for nothing.

👉 Related: Where to buy AMD Radeon RX 9000 GPUs

You can, of course, completely skip NVIDIA's midrange cards and instead check out AMD's Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT competition.

RX 9000 reviews have been quite positive, thanks to a combination of competitive pricing and performance.

AMD launched its RX 9000 GPUs on March 6, 2025, and despite a promise of wide availability, the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT sold out within an hour of release.

That doesn't mean you won't be able to land the new AMD GPUs sometime in the future. And when that time comes, I want you to have picked the right Radeon card.

I'm taking a look at pricing, availability, and performance at 1440p and 4K to help you make the right decision for your gaming PC.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 vs. RX 9070 XT: Specs

Before jumping into pricing, availability, and performance, it's worth checking out the raw specs of the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT.

Note that some numbers will change based on the GPU. AMD didn't launch any reference cards for this generation, leaving it up to third-party partners to create their own GPUs around the chip.

That means you'll see some discrepancies between cards, but rest assured that you can expect at least the same level of performance that AMD shared in its official reveal presentation.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 vs. RX 9070 XT: Price and availability

The RX 9070 XT is the new flagship hardware for the RDNA 4 generation. It launched at a higher $600 MSRP than its $550 RX 9070 sibling.

As is the case with NVIDIA's RTX 5000 cards, not all RDNA 4 GPUs follow the MSRP.

Because AMD left it up to third-party hardware partners to manufacture the cards around the GPU, there's a range of prices available.

Launch day saw a few options hit the MSRP, but the bulk are above the suggested pricing. What's worse, the original MSRP might not stick around too long.

As reported by Videocardz, there are rumors that RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT prices will go up now that the first waves delivered to retailers ahead of launch have sold out.

Considering that NVIDIA hasn't stuck to MSRP either, AMD should remain the more budget-friendly option.

The RX 9070 XT's MSRP is $150 lower than the RTX 5070 Ti, for example, and that margin should remain roughly the same.

As for availability, the usual big online retailers like Best Buy, Newegg, B&H, and Amazon are your best bet to find an RX 9000 GPU for sale.

Stock is expected to be replenished regularly, and I recommend checking out my guide on where to buy Radeon RX 9000 GPUs for easy links and extra information.

Those in need of a full system refresh might want to check out pre-built PCs with the RX 9000 GPUs inside.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 vs. RX 9070 XT: 1440p and 4K performance

It's no secret that the RX 9070 XT is the more powerful card, but how big of a difference is there compared to the RX 9070?

Numbers will change slightly depending on the model of GPU you desire (or can find for sale at a reasonable price), but AMD's official graphs give a good idea of the expected performance.

At 1440p Ultra, the RX 9070 is anywhere from 6% to 27% better than the RX 7900 GRE (from the RDNA 3 generation) in a variety of modern games.

The RX 9070 XT, on the other hand, ranges from 23% to 44% better than the RX 7900 GRE under the same settings.

Our friends at Tom's Hardware reviewed the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 at the same time, offering a better look at how the cards compare.

Rasterization performance at 1440p Ultra unsurprisingly favors the RX 9070 XT with an average of 97.5 FPS across 16 games. However, the RX 9070 only drops to an 86.6 FPS average.

At 4K Ultra, the margin is even smaller. The RX 9070 XT averages 60 FPS, while the RX 9070 averages 52.2 FPS. If you're someone who can't dip below a 4K resolution, the RX 9070 XT is the better buy.

Rasterization is only half the equation. AMD made some massive improvements to ray tracing in RDNA 4, pulling itself closer to what NVIDIA can offer.

AMD says its RX 9070 is anywhere from 11% to 34% better than the RX 7900 GRE at 4K Ultra with ray tracing enabled. The RX 9070 XT sits between 36% and 66% better compared to the same card.

At 1440p Ultra, the RX 9070 sits between a 13% and 39% improvement in ray tracing compared to the RX 7900 GRE. The RX 9070 XT sits between 34% and 68% better than the 7900 GRE.

Turning to ray tracing performance results provided by Tom's Hardware, the RX 9070 XT averages 42.7 FPS at 4K Ultra. The RX 9070 averages 35.9 FPS.

At 1440p, the RX 9070 XT climbs to 80.9 FPS, while the RX 9070 hits a 69.3 FPS average with ray tracing enabled.

If you're keen on using ray tracing, the RX 9070 XT is clearly the better buy, especially if you're using a 4K monitor. At 1440p, the RX 9070 puts up a stronger fight with ray tracing enabled.

What is FSR 4?

FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) is AMD's upscaling answer to NVIDIA DLSS.

Arriving alongside both of the RX 9000 GPUs is FSR 4. While previous versions relied on spatial algorithms, the updated version has made the switch to machine learning.

The major takeaways here involve performance and quality. FSR has always been about boosting frame rates in compatible games, but FSR 4 is the biggest leap forward yet.

Not only does FSR 4 more than quadruple frame rates in some games at 4K, but it's also now much better at providing small but high-quality details.

Because of the superior AI performance from the RX 9070 XT, it should be the better option for FSR 4.

FSR 4 adoption in games is still limited, with just more than 30 games supporting it at launch. More than 75 more games are expected to jump on board in 2025.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 vs. RX 9070 XT: Which should you buy?

The $50 MSRP difference between the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 might not stick around for long, making this comparison more difficult.

However, if I assume that the two RDNA 4 GPU prices climb at roughly the same rate, I can offer the same informed buying advice.

AMD's performance claims aren't far off the mark, which has led RX 9000 reviews to be largely positive.

If you're a 4K gamer, I strongly recommend splurging for the RX 9070 XT, especially if you're a fan of ray tracing.

Even if you're content with 1440p, the RX 9070 XT offers considerably better performance than its RX 9070 counterpart. Note that you will need at least a 750W PSU, potentially adding to the total upgrade cost.

That's not to say the RX 9070 isn't a strong contender for QHD monitors. It also requires a lower 650W PSU, potentially negating one of the extra upgrade costs.

The world of PC building is full of esoteric terms, and attempting to navigate brands, models, technologies, and generations can be difficult.

One question I often hear involves NVIDIA graphics cards, or more specifically, the "Ti" and "Super" models.

So what does "Ti" mean in relation to NVIDIA's GeForce RTX GPUs? How does it compare to AMD's own "XT" and "XTX" variants? And which versions are best to buy?

Here's what you need to know before buying your next graphics card.

What does "Ti" mean in NVIDIA GPUs?

The answer to this question isn't too complex.

As you've likely noticed if you're reading this, some of NVIDIA's graphics cards have a "Ti" moniker next to the main number.

In this case, "Ti" stands for "Titanium." No, the cards aren't made of titanium; it's simply a way for NVIDIA to differentiate between models from the same card series.

For example, the latest NVIDIA RTX 5000 cards include the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti. The latter card with the extra "Ti" at the end is the more powerful GPU.

How much one of NVIDIA's Ti GPUs differs from a non-Ti GPU isn't a set number. It's better to view the Ti models as roughly a halfway point between numbered versions.

With the RTX 5070 as a baseline, the RTX 5070 Ti sits somewhere between it and the RTX 5080 we reviewed.

The same applies to older NVIDIA generations. The RTX 4060 is less powerful than the RTX 4060 Ti, and the RTX 3080 is less powerful than the RTX 3080 Ti.

What about NVIDIA's Super GPUs?

To further confuse things, NVIDIA also adds a "Super" moniker to some of its GPUs. It can come with or without the Ti branding.

NVIDIA's Super branding further expands the portfolio while keeping tabs on expected performance.

Here's how the performance tiers shake out when looking at something like the RTX 4070:

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070: Baseline 70-class performance.
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Super: 70-class performance somewhere between standard and Ti versions.
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti: 70-class performance beyond the Super cards.
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super: The best 70-class performance available.

RTX Ti Super cards are the rarest form of NVIDIA's GPUs from previous generations, and so far there aren't any Super versions for the new "Blackwell" generation.

Does AMD offer Ti versions of its Radeon GPUs?

AMD has a similar naming scheme for its Radeon GPUs as compared to NVIDIA, though it doesn't use "Ti" in its product lineup.

Instead, AMD has "XT" and "XTX" versions of its GPUs to denote higher performance levels.

For example, the new Radeon RX 9000 GPUs recently launched with the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT. The 9070 XT is, of course, the more powerful GPU.

You'll also see "XTX" next to some of AMD's older GPUs. The RX 7900 XTX, for example, is another tier above the RX 7900 XT.

As is the case with NVIDIA, this leaves AMD with room to expand its lineup throughout a GPU generation's lifetime.

👉 Related: Where to buy AMD Radeon RX 9000 GPUs

Which NVIDIA GPUs are best?

Recommending one version of NVIDIA's GPUs for everyone doesn't work. Some might get more than enough power from a standard GPU, while others will want the Ti or Super versions.

For best results, I recommend you first decide on which class of NVIDIA GPU fits your budget and your current (or planned) PC build.

For example, NVIDIA's 90-class GPUs — like the RTX 4090 or RTX 5090 — are the most expensive options and are generally not recommended for the average gamer.

NVIDIA's 80-class GPUs are usually the preferred option for 4K PC gaming enthusiasts, with the 70-class cards coming in close behind. The 60-class is the most affordable.

👉 Related: Where to buy NVIDIA RTX 5000 GPUs

Focusing on the RTX 4070 cards as the example, you technically have four options from which to choose based on your needs.

Generally speaking, the RTX 4070 is best reserved for 1440p gaming, while the RTX 4070 Ti Super is much better suited for 4K gaming.

In the above graphs I pulled from our NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super review, you can see the performance differences between the RTX 4070, 4070 Super, and 4070 Ti. Consider the 4070 Ti Super above those three options.

Pricing will also play a huge role in your final decision. With NVIDIA's MSRP out the window, the best card for you might just be the one that's in your price range.

AMD's RDNA 4 graphics cards, including the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, launch on March 6, but the review embargo lifted today.

It's the first look at real-world performance following AMD's official RDNA 4 presentation in which Team Red showed off some intriguing performance numbers that put the RX 9070 XT roughly in line with the RTX 5070 Ti at 4K Ultra settings.

AMD's claims are one thing, but how do the flagship RX 9070 XT and more affordable RX 9070 actually fare now that they're in a select few gaming PCs?

I pulled quotes from some of the top reviews around the web in order to give you a better idea of what to expect from the new RDNA 4 hardware.

Let's start with the RX 9070 XT before getting into RX 9070 impressions (with some overlap).

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT review roundup

• TechRadar (90%): "AMD kicks off its latest generation of graphics cards with a stunning release in the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, delivering RTX 4080-levels of gaming performance at half that card's launch MSRP. While not perfect and not really a card for creative workers or AI research, for the gamers out there who have been...disappointed...by Nvidia's most recent RTX 50 series cards, the RX 9070 XT is nothing short of the graphics card everyone's been asking for—and you might even be able to find it in stock and within spitting distance of its MSRP."
• The Verge: "The RX 9070 is around 17 percent faster than Nvidia’s RTX 5070 in 4K without upscaling enabled, cruising past Nvidia’s card for the same price. The RX 9070 XT is as fast as the RTX 5070 Ti for $150 less."
• TechSpot (85%): "As things stand, the Radeon RX 9070 XT is a strong offering that we expect will sell extremely well at $600. However, whether that price holds long-term is questionable. We've also heard from multiple sources that supply is excellent. If that's the case, then AMD may end up selling more 9070 XT units than Nvidia has sold 5090, 5080, 5070, and 5070 Ti units combined – which would be crazy, and on that bombshell, we'll end this review right here."
• Eurogamer: "Across all games tested at all resolutions, I have the RTX 5070 Ti having an 8 percent RT advantage over the 9070 XT - but the AMD card comes ahead in the value stakes as the 5070 Ti's MSRP is 25 percent higher. Meanwhile, the tables turn with the non-XT vs 5070 comparison, with AMD holding a 5.5 percent RT advantage over Nvidia. Aggregating raster and RT results together - again across all resolutions - 5070 Ti beats 9070 XT by just three percent, while the 9070 non-XT bests the 5070 by nine percent."
• Guru3D: "The Radeon RX 9070 XT is a high-end graphics card, part of the RDNA 4 architecture. It competes closely with Nvidia's RTX 4080 Super and 5070 Ti, offering impressive performance in both synthetic benchmarks and gaming scenarios. With its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and a base clock speed of 2520 MHz, and a boost clock of 3060 MHz (ASUS card) AMD made this a powerful solution for gamers."
• PCWorld (80%): "The Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT are the new 1440p gaming champions. I’d definitely opt for those over the $549 GeForce RTX 5070, which is just a stagnant sidegrade over its predecessor."
• Engadget (85%): "AMD’s Radeon 9070 XT is a solid midrange GPU with excellent support for 1440p gaming and a bit of 4K. It has better ray tracing support than before, it's faster than the plain Radeon 9070 and it finally has AI upscaling to compete with NVIDIA’s DLSS."
• IGN (100%): "PC Gaming has been in a decadent spiral since 2020, and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a reminder that it doesn’t have to be that way. This graphics card has no problem maxing out any game you throw at it at 4K, even with ray tracing enabled, and does so at a price that makes the competition look downright greedy. I can’t predict the future, so only time will tell if the launch price holds up. What I do know is we need more graphics cards like the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT."
• PCGamesN (90%): "The Radeon RX 9070 XT is a mid-range GPU triumph. It might not have multi frame gen, but that hardly seems to matter when a GPU is this powerful at its starting point. Across nearly all of our tests, the 9070 XT is significantly quicker than the RTX 5070, even in games with ray tracing enabled, and it has loads of shader power at its disposal as well. The fact that this GPU even beats the RTX 5080 in some tests is simply incredible for the price."
• TweakTown (94%): "When it comes to the Radeon RX 9070 XT, the $599 price point, alongside the performance of the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, makes it the GPU to get in 2025. You would have had to pay close to 40% more for this level of performance a year ago. The real kicker, though, is that ray-tracing performance is right up there. The only thing missing is the widespread adoption of FSR 4 and AMD's delivery of Path Tracing technologies in an actual game we can play."

• Gamers Nexus: "The 9070 XT and the 5070 Ti go back and forth a lot depending on the game, especially in rasterization; ray tracing, NVIDIA still holds an advantage. [...] At 4K rasterized without RT, for the recap, the 9070 XT and the 5070 Ti are often within 6% of each other on either side. [...] There's instances where the 9070 XT is getting really close to the 4080 Super."

• Hardware Unboxed: "Overall, what's on offer here in the current market is very good and worthy of recommendation. [...] It's offering almost 30% better value; you'd be mad not to buy it. But the other conclusion being, if the 5070 Ti manages to drop down to the MSRP, then the 9070 XT becomes 20% cheaper to purchase, and in terms of cost-per-frame it's just 15% better value."

• Linus Tech Tips: "[...] The 9070 XT is a winner. If AMD can keep this thing in stock and you have $600 to spend on a gaming GPU, you are going to love this thing. NVIDIA needs to respond now or AMD might actually take some real market share for a change."

AMD Radeon RX 9070 review roundup

• CGMagazine: "The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is a solid mid-range GPU for 1440p gaming. It offers some nice improvements over the previous generation’s RX 7900 and is priced quite competitively. It offers some solid performance and could even be used as a 4K gaming card if you are comfortable being reliant on frame generation."
• Engadget (82%): "AMD’s Radeon 9070 is a solid midrange GPU with excellent support for 1440p gaming and a bit of 4K. It has better ray tracing support than before, and it finally has AI upscaling to compete with NVIDIA’s DLSS."
• IgorsLab: "The overclocked Radeon RX 9070 XT offers performance on a par with the RX 7900 XTX in many games and is therefore in direct competition with a non-overclocked RTX 5070 Ti. The RX 9070 is around ten percent behind, but remains an interesting choice in WQHD and UHD for users who value sufficient VRAM and solid raster performance. However, the power consumption is noticeably higher than that of NVIDIA’s direct competitors, especially under load. In combination with FSR 4, the frame rate in supported games improves considerably, even if DLSS 4 still offers an advantage in terms of image quality and efficiency."

• Hardware Canucks: "Likely the most worrying thing for NVIDIA is how strong AMD has suddenly become in ray tracing. [...] The RX 9070 series is a leap forward versus the previous generation, and if they can deliver what's been promised for FSR 4 as being a good competitor for DLSS 4, well, things could get very interesting in the future."

RDNA 4 isn't perfect, but the RX 9070 XT is still my next GPU

Ahead of AMD's March 1 GPU reveal, I wrote about a few ways that Team Red could screw up the RDNA 4 launch.

Thankfully, most of those concerns were put to rest with the performance numbers shared by AMD, and the roster of third-party RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 reviews that went live today confirms my plans to put an RX 9070 XT into my gaming PC.

The RX 9070 XT isn't perfect. I'm still concerned that the RX 9070's $549 MSRP and RX 9070 XT's $599 MSRP won't actually be available on launch day.

Sure, there are plenty of cards that deserve a higher price due to exclusive hardware improvements, but there also deserves to be a solid amount of RDNA 4 GPUs available at MSRP.

The last thing I want to see is AMD's pricing inflate like we've seen from NVIDIA over the past few weeks.

With the RX 9070 XT coming close to the RTX 5070 Ti and even the RX 7900 XTX in plenty of benchmarks, I care less about efficiency, which remains in favor of NVIDIA.

AMD, by all means, seems to have made some massive improvements to ray tracing and FSR 4, which were two lacking points in previous generations.

AMD claims it has plenty of stock to sell on March 6, but the demand following all of the positive reviews will no doubt put a big dent in availability.

I'm keeping an eye on the best places to shop for the RX 9000 GPUs on launch day, and I urge you to check out the guide for a bit of help. Good luck!

Launch day has arrived! AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are set to go on sale at 9 AM EST on March 6, and I'm keeping a close eye on US and UK retailers.

As of 8:22 AM, I'm still not seeing listings live on US retailers like Best Buy, Newegg, and Amazon, but they should be appearing shortly.

In the UK, Overclockers notably has RDNA 4 listings up, and Scan is full of pre-built PCs with the new Radeon GPUs. Standalone cards should be arriving in the next little while.

The two new mid-range RDNA 4 GPUs represent a significant upgrade over the previous RDNA 3 hardware, bringing increased raw power, improved ray tracing, new FSR 4 capabilities, and more.

AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT is the more expensive card, with its $600 MSRP (about £570); the RX 9070 is set at $550 (about £520).

I'm expecting the new AMD GPUs to sell out despite promises of wide availability; that's why I've put together this guide to hopefully help you land the new hardware ASAP.

Here are the best retailers to check out during today's RX 9000 launch.

Where to buy AMD RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 in US: Quick links

• Best Buy: RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 GPUs from XFX are now listed.
• Newegg: Expect a mix of RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 GPUs at launch.
• B&H: Typically has new GPUs on launch day.
• Amazon: Usually has options pop up in the days following launch.

Where to buy AMD RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 in UK: Quick links

• Overclockers UK: Already has RX 9070 and 9070 XT listings available.
• Scan: Mostly pre-built PCs so far, but expect RX 9070 and 9070 XT GPUs on launch day.
• Ebuyer: No listings yet, but should appear closer to launch.
• Amazon UK: Same deal as Amazon US, with listings usually appearing after launch.

AMD RX 9000 review roundup

AMD's RDNA 4 review embargo was lifted on March 5, and the RX 9000 reviews are largely positive.

Those of you holding out for official performance numbers shouldn't be disappointed, especially with NVIDIA's RTX 5070 notably floundering with unimpressive results.

Here's a quick look at some of the notable reviews live now.

• TechRadar (90%): "AMD kicks off its latest generation of graphics cards with a stunning release in the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, delivering RTX 4080-levels of gaming performance at half that card's launch MSRP. While not perfect and not really a card for creative workers or AI research, for the gamers out there who have been...disappointed...by Nvidia's most recent RTX 50 series cards, the RX 9070 XT is nothing short of the graphics card everyone's been asking for—and you might even be able to find it in stock and within spitting distance of its MSRP."
• Hardware Unboxed: "Overall, what's on offer here in the current market is very good and worthy of recommendation. [...] It's offering almost 30% better value; you'd be mad not to buy it. But the other conclusion being, if the 5070 Ti manages to drop down to the MSRP, then the 9070 XT becomes 20% cheaper to purchase, and in terms of cost-per-frame it's just 15% better value."
• Gamers Nexus: "The 9070 XT and the 5070 Ti go back and forth a lot depending on the game, especially in rasterization; ray tracing, NVIDIA still holds an advantage. [...] At 4K rasterized without RT, for the recap, the 9070 XT and the 5070 Ti are often within 6% of each other on either side. [...] There's instances where the 9070 XT is getting really close to the 4080 Super."
• TechSpot (85%): "As things stand, the Radeon RX 9070 XT is a strong offering that we expect will sell extremely well at $600. However, whether that price holds long-term is questionable. We've also heard from multiple sources that supply is excellent. If that's the case, then AMD may end up selling more 9070 XT units than Nvidia has sold 5090, 5080, 5070, and 5070 Ti units combined – which would be crazy, and on that bombshell, we'll end this review right here."
• TweakTown (94%): "When it comes to the Radeon RX 9070 XT, the $599 price point, alongside the performance of the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, makes it the GPU to get in 2025. You would have had to pay close to 40% more for this level of performance a year ago. The real kicker, though, is that ray-tracing performance is right up there. The only thing missing is the widespread adoption of FSR 4 and AMD's delivery of Path Tracing technologies in an actual game we can play."
• Engadget (82%): "AMD’s Radeon 9070 is a solid midrange GPU with excellent support for 1440p gaming and a bit of 4K. It has better ray tracing support than before, and it finally has AI upscaling to compete with NVIDIA’s DLSS."

How much do AMD Radeon RX 9000 GPUs cost? RDNA 4 pricing explained.

AMD seriously undercut NVIDIA's $750 RTX 5070 Ti with its $600 RX 9070 XT competitor, and the XT version should be the more popular card on launch day.

Both the NVIDIA RTX 5070 — which is expected to launch a day ahead of the new Radeon cards on March 5 — and AMD's RX 9070 have a $550 MSRP.

Whether or not third-party manufacturers stick to the MSRP set by AMD remains to be seen.

NVIDIA has notably suffered severe stock shortages with the three RTX 5000 GPUs it has so far launched, and the MSRP seems to have only been a light suggestion.

The RTX 5070 Ti, despite a $750 MSRP, is approaching $1,000 at major retailers before any scalping, and there's not actually any stock to sell.

AMD unveiled its RDNA 4 GPUs with promises of wide availability on March 6. Even if the MSRP isn't met by third-party manufacturers, you should expect to see cheaper prices from Team Red compared to Team Green.

Should you buy an AMD Radeon RX 9000 GPU?

Despite worries that AMD would bungle its RDNA 4 announcement, the information shared in the official RX 9000-series presentation bodes well for the Radeon division.

Most of us were waiting to see how AMD priced its cards, and the revelation that the RX 9070 XT comes in at $150 cheaper than the RTX 5070 Ti is great news.

While I'm waiting for third-party reviews to share their performance findings, the graphs AMD shared point to the RX 9070 XT's performance as being comparable to the RTX 5070 Ti.

Indeed, the standout news from AMD's presentation is that the RX 9070 XT only drops about 2% in raw performance at a 4K resolution.

AMD, of course, cherry-picked the games it used to test the two GPUs, but with a mix of popular and demanding games on the chart, it's easy to see the improvements that AMD has made to its RDNA 4 architecture.

The graph above also shows that AMD continues to lag behind in ray tracing performance, but that's not much of a surprise.

NVIDIA has long been the go-to hardware for RT enthusiasts, and that section of the market should probably stick with Team Green.

However, for someone like me who doesn't care as much about ray tracing performance, the RX 9070 XT is looking quite attractive, and I'll be on the frontlines attempting to land a new GPU at the March 6 launch.

There's also the matter of AMD's new FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4) providing a much more significant performance boost compared to FSR 3.

AMD made the switch to machine learning for FSR 4, and the graph above demonstrates the performance gains available with the new upscaling technique.

Not only can FSR 4 quadruple frame rates in some games compared to the last-gen RX 7900 GRE, but it's also now much better at providing small but high-quality details, a weakness with FSR 3.

By all means, the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 should be the right choice for plenty of gamers who'd rather avoid the issues NVIDIA's had, including melting power cables, faulty drivers, missing ROPs, and more.

AMD finally unveiled its new RDNA 4 GPUs in an official presentation on February 28, which arrived full of performance and pricing metrics.

I won't lie. I was worried that AMD would bungle the RDNA 4 announcement, whether with unrealistic pricing, poor performance, or lackluster FSR 4 improvements.

The standout news from AMD, at least for me, is that the RX 9070 XT performs at roughly the same level as the RTX 5070 Ti, dropping 2% at 4K ultra settings.

That is, of course, raw performance without FSR 4 or DLSS 4 upscaling techniques involved.

So, did AMD hang itself once again with uncompetitive pricing? Quite the opposite.

The RX 9070 XT is confirmed to have a $599 MSRP. That's $150 less than the RTX 5070 Ti's MSRP, which in itself is more of a dream than a reality.

With NVIDIA's RTX 5070 Ti approaching $1,000 on the open market — that's without considering scalpers' prices — AMD's opportunity to seize a larger portion of the GPU market share has never been better.

AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs — including the RX 9070 XT and its more affordable $549 RX 9070 sibling — are set to launch on March 6 with "wide availability."

If that claim holds, I'll be one of the first to pick up what AMD calls "the world's best graphics card under $600." Here's why.

AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs reinvigorate the mid-range market

Many people, including myself, want a reasonably priced mid-range GPU that can handle modern gaming demands.

However, NVIDIA's RTX 5000 "Blackwell" generation effectively decimated the mid-range GPU market despite launching with a mid-range MSRP.

A combination of severe stock shortages, high third-party prices, and scalpers has caused the RTX 5070 Ti to approach $1,000 despite the $749 MSRP, putting it out of reach of many PC gamers.

There is still, of course, the $549 RTX 5070 that's expected to launch on March 5 following a delay. Will it be more readily available? No one knows.

The same can be said for the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 that are set to launch on March 6; will there be plenty of stock to sell?

Considering there have been rumors of retailers receiving RDNA 4 GPUs to sell as far back as December 2024 — as well as AMD's claims of "wide availability" in its RDNA 4 presentation — it's looking good.

Having two more next-gen GPUs sitting in the mid-range tier is nothing but a positive for PC enthusiasts, and NVIDIA has received the competition it so desperately needs.

The 9070 XT's raw performance roughly matches that of NVIDIA's RTX 5070 Ti, and that's despite a $150 price difference. As AMD points out, that's a 23% better performance-per-dollar ratio.

If you've been waiting for a mid-range GPU to slot into your gaming PC, the RX 9070 XT appears to be the new superstar.

NVIDIA is still the best for ray tracing, but AMD is no longer as far behind

I'm not someone who needs to have ray tracing enabled in everything I play, and I know I'm not the only one.

As it stands now, I'm happy with a GPU that can meet ray tracing requirements in games where it's not an option to turn off. The RX 9070 XT appears to meet those demands.

AMD's ray tracing performance continues to lag behind NVIDIA's capabilities, but it's clear that AMD wasn't sitting back and ignoring the tech in between RDNA 3 and RDNA 4 architectures.

AMD shared some 4K RT performance metrics in its presentation, putting the 9070 XT lower than all but two games — Spider-Man 2 and Far Cry 6 — compared to the 5070 Ti.

Compared to the last-gen RX 7900 GRE, on the other hand, the RX 9070 XT offers up to 66% better ray tracing performance at 4K ultra settings.

At 1440p, the resolution I use to game, the numbers look even better, with the 9070 XT offering up to 68% improved ray tracing performance compared to the 7900 GRE.

I'm eager to see real-world RT results once RDNA 4 reviews go live, but I don't foresee there being enough of a discrepancy between AMD's claims and reviewer results to scrap my buying plans.

FSR 4 is the generational change I was hoping for

FidelityFX Super Resoltution (FSR) is AMD's answer to NVIDIA DLSS, and it's about to receive the most significant upgrade in its history.

AMD made the switch to machine learning for FSR 4 — older FSR versions use spatial algorithms — bringing it more in line with NVIDIA's DLSS that has, from the start, used AI to upscale.

In tandem with RDNA 4's improved hardware, FSR 4 appears to be the generational improvement I was hoping for.

With FSR 4 enabled on the RX 9070 XT, AMD claims up to 4.4x better performance at a 4K resolution.

In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, for example, frame rates jump from 43 FPS to 191 FPS with FSR 4 enabled. Spider-Man 2 is almost as good, jumping 4x from 48 FPS to 192 FPS at 4K.

Even the newly-released Monster Hunter Wilds picks up a 3.5x improvement with FSR 4, going from 42 FPS to 147 FPS at 4K.

As discovered by Hardware Unboxed shortly after AMD's pulled CES 2025 presentation, FSR 4 isn't just about boosting frame rates.

FSR 3.1 notably struggles with small but high-quality details, especially as you raise the resolution. That issue appears to have been smoothed out with FSR 4.

Quality frames and lots of 'em? I'm sold, even if DLSS 4 remains the premier upscaling technology.

NVIDIA finally gets some real competition

AMD's RX 9070 XT reveal couldn't come at a better time despite nearly a two-month delay.

In that time, I've gone from being enthused about the RTX 5070 to firmly siding with AMD regarding my next PC upgrade. The jump from an RX 6800 to an RX 9070 XT will be a massive change, and it'll pair well with my Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU.

NVIDIA has been busy harming itself since the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 launched on January 30, and there are plenty of good reasons why you shouldn't buy an RTX 5000 GPU.

From melting RTX 5090 power cables to missing ROPs in all RTX 5000 cards to outrageous prices and unavailable hardware, NVIDIA has undoubtedly tarnished its reputation in the eyes of many PC gamers.

While Team Green continues to offer the most powerful GPUs on the market, AMD's re-entry with RDNA 4 is shaping up to be a massive win for anyone who wants to spend around $600.

Are you on board for the RX 9070 XT? Let me know in the comments section!

AMD officially revealed its new RDNA 4 graphics cards — including the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 — today after a lengthy delay full of rumors and leaks.

The February 28 presentation, hosted on AMD's YouTube channel, finally cleared up a lot of disinformation spawned from those rumors, with actual performance and pricing laid out.

The more powerful Radeon RX 9070 XT is expected to launch on March 6, 2025. AMD has set the RX 9070 XT's MSRP at $599.

The Radeon RX 9070 will also launch on March 6, 2025. The more affordable card has a $549 MSRP.

Whether or not you'll be able to buy the new RDNA 4 GPUs at MSRP remains to be seen; anything better than what NVIDIA has so far offered with the RTX 5000 cards will be welcome.

AMD claims there will be "wide availability" on March 6, which makes sense considering the company has had nearly two extra months to build up stock.

Let's dig into the performance metrics shared by AMD.

AMD RDNA 4 performance — RX 9070 XT and RX 9070

The reveal, hosted on AMD's YouTube channel, provided plenty of information regarding RDNA 4 performance in the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070.

Here's a look at the specs as laid out by AMD.

The RX 9070 is pegged at offering 21% faster average performance compared to the RX 7900 GRE when gaming at 4K with ultra settings.

At 1440p, you can expect a similar 20% uplift compared to the 7900 GRE. That's notably raw performance without considering FSR 4's advancements.

The Radeon RX 9070 XT was introduced as "the world's best graphics cards under $600."

Compared to the 7900 GRE, you can expect up to 42% better performance in 4K games with ultra settings without FSR 4. That falls to 38% at 1440p.

With FSR 4 enabled, on the other hand, the RX 9070 XT can deliver between three and four times better performance compared to the 7900 GRE.

The biggest news is how the RX 9070 XT fares against the RTX 5070 Ti. Despite a $150 price difference in favor of AMD, the Radeon card manages a 2% raw performance drop at 4K ultra settings.

That's about a 23% performance-per-dollar ratio in favor of AMD.

Even better, AMD states that its third-party OC cards from partners will actually improve 4K ultra performance by about 2% compared to the RTX 5070 Ti.

How does AMD's RDNA 4 pricing compare to NVIDIA RTX 5000?

With the official RDNA 4 MSRP now cleared up by AMD, you're going to see plenty of comparisons between Radeon RX 9000 and NVIDIA RTX 5000 that hinge on pricing alone.

Here's how the current mark stands. Note that I included the Radeon RX 7900 GRE and RX 7900 XTX from the last-gen RDNA 3 cards for comparison.

• AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: $599 MSRP
• AMD Radeon RX 9070: $549 MSRP
• NVIDIA RTX 5090: $1,999 MSRP
• NVIDIA RTX 5080: $999 MSRP
• NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti: $749 MSRP
• NVIDIA RTX 5070: $549 MSRP
• AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE: $549 MSRP
• AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX: $999 MSRP

NVIDIA's MSRP is but a dream due to severe stock shortages, third-party price hikes, and opportunistic scalpers, so take these numbers with their due salt.

A quick look at Newegg's listings shows the RTX 5070 Ti ranging in price all the way up to $999, the MSRP of the RTX 5080.

👉 Where to buy RTX 5090 and RTX 5080

The RTX 5080 itself goes as high as $1,650, which is dangerously close to the RTX 5090's MSRP.

With AMD promising "wide availability" when the cards launch on March 6, I can only hope that buyers won't have to play the same game as has been the case with RTX 5000.

What is AMD RDNA 4?

RDNA 4 is AMD's latest GPU architecture, and it's the successor to RDNA 3 which launched in 2022.

RDNA 4 is expected to bring faster command processing, advanced shader programming, improved ray and path tracing, enhanced memory compression, improved Radiance display and media engines, and, for the first time, rendering with assistance from machine learning.

Altogether, AMD says its RDNA 4 architecture can perform >40% better than RDNA 3, making these the most powerful GPUs that AMD has ever released.

According to AMD, updated ray accelerators will offer a "transformational change in the efficiency of ray tracing, making great performance available to more gamers at compelling price points, and delivering twice the ray tracing performance of RDNA 3 per compute unit."

AMD RDNA 4 also heralds the arrival of AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4), which now uses machine learning rather than upscaling algorithms.

AMD notably showed off Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 performance at 4K with FSR 4 enabled, effectively tripling the FPS.

What's more exciting is how there's far less loss of detail with FSR 4, which was one of the bigger problems with FSR 3.1.

FSR 4 is expected to be available in more than 30 games at launch, with more than 75 extra games picking up support in 2025.

The wait for AMD's new RDNA 4 graphics cards is nearly over. David McAfee, Corporate VP and GM at AMD, recently stated on X (formerly Twitter) that his team is busy preparing the official reveal of new Radeon RX 9000 Series GPUs; it's expected to happen on February 28 at 8 AM EST. Furthermore, McAfee reaffirmed that the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are expected to officially launch in "early March."

After weeks of delays — the RDNA 4 reveal was originally supposed to happen at CES 2025 but was pulled for reasons related to timing and NVIDIA's own RTX 5000 reveal — it seems like AMD is finally ready to give gamers another option when it comes to high-end desktop graphics.

The reveal really can't come soon enough. NVIDIA hasn't had an easy go with its "Blackwell" GPU launch. Minimal availability had scalpers already listing insane prices before the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 even launched. Raw performance gains weren't nearly as impressive as expected, with the new NVIDIA GPUs relying heavily on DLSS 4 to boost performance with what many are calling fake frames — aka those that are rendered using AI.

Slightly more serious is an issue involving faulty drivers released alongside the RTX 5000 cards, causing black screens and unrecognizable hardware. The most damning, though, is the tendency for NVIDIA's most power-hungry card, the RTX 5090, to draw so much power that it's melting power cables, PSUs, and the GPUs themselves.

AMD has the perfect opportunity to claw back a significant chunk of the GPU market with its upcoming RDNA 4 hardware. Gamers and enthusiasts are eager to upgrade, but that doesn't mean that AMD can't release a sub-par product. I'm a longtime AMD user and am generally satisfied with its products (especially its gaming CPUs like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D we reviewed), but Team Red has a bit of a reputation for unsatisfying product launches.

I sincerely hope the RDNA 4 reveal on February 28 goes off without a hitch. NVIDIA needs strong competition in the GPU market to keep it honest. However, I'm imagining five ways AMD can fumble the RDNA 4 GPU launch.

1. No RDNA 4 stock to sell at launch

The last thing the GPU market needs is more opportunities for scalpers to take advantage of limited stock. If AMD can't come out of the gate with high numbers at major retailers, the rest of this list is effectively moot, as no one will be able to get the hardware anyway.

Good news. Rumors have it that AMD has been busy bolstering its stock since early January, when the original RDNA 4 reveal was supposed to happen. That gives it roughly two months of production and shipping as a head start, which should translate into plenty of options on launch day.

I'm still expecting to see most retailers sell out on launch day or shortly after. That's the reality when new GPUs are in such high demand. The RTX 5000 series won't be out of stock forever, so AMD needs to capitalize early with a steady supply of restock shipments if it hopes to compete.

2. Uncompetitive RDNA 4 pricing

A bit part of AMD's RDNA 4 mystery is pricing, but some recent leaks and rumors have given me an idea of what the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 will cost at launch. Videocardz picked up a leak from X user momomo_us, in which XFX Swift Radeon RX 9000 GPUs were briefly listed at Amazon.

Nothing is confirmed as being true, but it looks like the Radeon RX 9070 could start as low as $649, with the RX 9070 XT coming in at $100 more than its sibling. These are, of course, XFX's Swift, Mercury, and Quicksilver prices, so they don't exactly represent MSRP.

In another leak found by Videocardz originating from the AnandTech forums and user Tomasz Gawroński, Canada Computers listed a bunch of RDNA 4 GPUs from PowerColor and XFX. With the CAD to USD exchange rate undoubtedly adding some wonk, it appears that the non-XT RX 9070 will start at around $586, with the XT version starting at about $697.

It's expected that the Radeon RX 9070 XT will align with the RTX 5070 Ti ($749 MSRP), while the RX 9070 will align with the RTX 5070 ($549 MSRP). It's important to point out that the MSRP is only for the Founders Edition of the GPUs, with custom cards from third-party builders coming in at higher prices.

Nevertheless, it looks like AMD's pricing could be higher than NVIDIA's. That's a situation I've seen play out before, and I hope AMD doesn't make the same mistake with RDNA 4.

3. Poor RDNA 4 ray tracing performance

AMD's ray tracing capabilities have never been on par with NVIDIA's, with Team Red playing catch-up for years. But with modern games relying more and more on ray tracing to illuminate games, it's no longer a problem that AMD can ignore. Not having strong ray tracing abilities will undoubtedly hamper AMD's success.

I'm not asking for any miracles here. RDNA 4 ray tracing should be better than RDNA 3, but by how much remains to be seen. If AMD is truly hoping to launch its GPUs with a higher price than NVIDIA, it had better have some notable improvements to better compete with Team Green.

4. Poor FSR 4 performance

AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) is akin to NVIDIA's DLSS; both are upscaling techniques that provide more frames than the raw hardware could produce on its own. FSR 3.1 is the latest standard, relying on advanced spatial upscaling algorithms to perform its magic.

That's expected to change with FSR 4, which AMD now says is based on machine learning. That's a big step toward truly competing with NVIDIA's DLSS, which has so far proven to be the superior technology and will only get better as Multi Frame Generation reaches its full potential.

Not a lot is known yet about FSR 4, but Hardware Unboxed has a great video looking at the differences. From the brief analysis, it looks like FSR 4 has solved some of FSR 3.1's issues rendering smaller high-quality details in fast-moving scenes.

If AMD can wow us with FSR 4 at its February 28 reveal, I know it will seal the deal for plenty of potential customers.

5. Not enough VRAM

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a stellar game, but its launch highlighted a growing issue for GPUs. NVIDIA's RTX 4060, with 8GB of VRAM, notably struggles to run the game at a high framerate. It's even bested by the older RTX 3060, and its 12GB of VRAM.

NVIDIA claims that it's solved some of the VRAM problems with DLSS 4, which relies less on VRAM and more on Tensor cores to achieve desirable frame rates. However, 12GB and 16GB of VRAM for the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, respectively, continue to not sit well with everyone.

Judging by some of the leaks I've already mentioned, it appears that both the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT have 16GB of VRAM. That's a good sign, and I hope it to be true. The 16GB of VRAM in my RX 6800 has treated me well over the years, and I don't want to buy a GPU with less for the next generation.

Wrapping up

Many of my most pressing questions will, hopefully, be answered on February 28 when AMD finally hosts an official reveal of its RDNA 4 GPUs. Whether you're a fan of Team Green or Team Red, I think we can all agree that there needs to be more competition in the GPU market to keep everyone honest.

I'm certain I missed a point or two on how AMD can screw up its RDNA 4 GPU launch, and I'd love to hear in the comments section what you think about the upcoming reveal.

The prolonged wait for new Radeon RDNA 4 graphics cards will soon be over: AMD's next-gen GPUs are launching in "early March" according to AMD CEO Lisa Su in the most recent AMD Q4 2024 Earnings Call.

With NVIDIA's recent launch of RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 flagship GPUs without any real availability — not to mention relatively minor gains in terms of raw performance compared to RTX 40-series hardware — AMD's opportunity to capture the mid-range market has never been better.

In the call, Su specifically called out AMD's GPU revenue decline in 2024 as the company sold off its last-gen RDNA 3 stock to make room for the new Radeon hardware. Here's the full section regarding RDNA 4:

"In Gaming Graphics, revenue declined year over year, as we accelerated channel sellout in preparation for the launch of our next-gen Radeon 9000 series GPUs. Our focus with this generation is to address the highest volume portion of the enthusiast gaming market with our new RDNA 4 architecture. RDNA 4 delivers significantly better rate tracing performance and add support for AI-powered upscaling technology that will bring high-quality 4K gaming to mainstream players when the first Radeon 9070 series GPUs go on sale in early March."

This news, spotted by PCGamer, comes just a couple of weeks after AMD VP and GM of Ryzen and Radeon David McAfee took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a similar launch date. McAfee only mentioned "March" as a launch time, so at least we now know we won't have to wait quite as long. That's especially great news for anyone who's been waiting to upgrade and didn't manage to land an NVIDIA card.

This all comes on the heels of AMD's modified CES 2025 presentation that didn't end up mentioning RDNA 4 at all despite press kits being sent out to media outlets. In the press kit, RDNA 4 was revealed with new Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 desktop GPUs. AMD even had a booth at CES showing off improvements in FidelityFX Super Resolution 4, which has changed over to a machine-learning approach to better compete with NVIDIA's DLSS. FSR 4 looks like quite an improvement over its FSR 3.1 predecessor, and it's one of the main reasons why I might opt for a new RDNA 4 GPU when the time comes.

Rumors have it that retailers have been building up RDNA 4 stock since early 2025, and some cards have apparently even made it into the hands of reviewers. My initial reaction to McAfee's launch news was positive, and I surmised that AMD would likely benefit from the delay.

NVIDIA isn't doing itself any favors with severely limited RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 stock, which will likely still be plaguing shoppers in early March. Of course, NVIDIA is still expected to launch its RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 in February, which could come with better availability. Regardless, AMD's new Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are expected to go toe-to-toe with NVIDIA's 5070-series cards.

AMD has two avenues to success, and both will likely hinge on what NVIDIA does with its February launch. If the RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti outperform AMD's new GPUs, AMD can lower the price and draw in value-conscious consumers. If AMD's new GPUs come out ahead of NVIDIA's mid-range cards, they'll likely sell themselves as long as there's solid availability.

AMD's gaming division needs a win

NVIDIA is in dire need of stronger GPU competition, especially in the mid-range market. Intel's "Battlemage" GPUs are mighty impressive, but they target the budget range of the market. That leaves AMD to go up against the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti with new RDNA 4 hardware.

Beyond giving NVIDIA some competition, AMD desperately needs a win for its gaming division. As Lisa Su mentions in the earnings call, "revenue declined 59% year over year to $563 million" in the gaming segment.

Su notes that part of the decline comes from declining console sales:

"Semi-custom sales declined as expected as Microsoft and Sony focused on reducing channel inventory. Overall, this console generation has been very strong. Highlighted by cumulative unit shipments surpassing $100 million in the fourth quarter. Looking forward, we believe channel inventories have now normalized and semi-custom sales will return to more historical patterns in 2025."

Heading into 2025, AMD plans to "combine the client and the gaming segment into one single reportable segment to align with how we manage the business."

AMD needs to make a positive impression with its RDNA 4 GPUs, not just to appease shareholders, but also to give consumers more choice on the open market. NVIDIA's RTX 5000 GPUs so far stand unopposed, and that needs to change in March.

Get your money ready — NVIDIA launched the flagship GeForce RTX 5090 and the sibling GeForce RTX 5080 earlier today at 9 AM ET / 3 PM CET, and finding where to buy these elusive GPUs is proving tricky. I'm here to help you buy the new "Blackwell" cards, but I'm warning you that it won't be easy as the initial stock sold out in minutes, and there continues to be a short supply.

NVIDIA's new GPUs have received a lot of attention since they were announced at CES, and not all of it has been positive. Evidence continues to pile up regarding stock shortages, to the point where some retailers only have single-digit stock. While the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 might not be as tempting for those already on a 40-series card — especially with the $1,999 and $999 Founders Edition MSRPs — demand will be high from any enthusiasts looking to upgrade an older GPU.

I've been keeping a close eye on stock listings in the week leading up to launch, and I've found the best retailers with NVIDIA RTX 5000 GPUs listed and ready to go.

My colleagues and I are here for launch day to provide live prices, ongoing availability, and any other pertinent news that can help you land a new RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 on launch day.

Where to buy RTX 5090 in US: Quick links

• NVIDIA Store: Still listed as "Coming Soon."
• Newegg: Best for ASUS, MSI, ZOTAC, and more
• Best Buy: Founders Edition listed, others "coming soon"
• B&H: ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, etc., available on launch day
• Amazon: A mix of custom cards on launch day

Where to buy RTX 5090 in UK: Quick links

• NVIDIA Store: Best for Founders Edition RTX 5090
• Newegg: So far, no UK listings, but check closer to launch
• Overclockers UK: A mix of RTX 5090 custom cards
• Scan: More RTX 5090 custom cards have listings
• Ebuyer: RTX 5090 listings from ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI
• Amazon: No listings yet, but expect some closer to launch

Fans of NVIDIA's Founders Edition cards — the hardware that board partners tweak and build on to create their own versions — should have the best luck on launch day by shopping at NVIDIA's official website in the US and UK or Best Buy for US shoppers.

A limited supply means you might have the most competition in this area. If you don't manage to snag an FE version of the RTX 5090, there are plenty of custom cards also launching on January 30. Availability will differ depending on the retailer. I've been sure to note which retailers have third-party cards, as well as which brands are on offer.

Where to buy RTX 5080 in US: Quick links

• NVIDIA Store: RTX 5080 Founders Edition on launch day
• Newegg: An assortment from ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte
• Best Buy: RTX 5080 Founders Edition listed
• B&H: RTX 5080 cards from ASUS, Gigabyte, and PNY
• Amazon: Expect RTX 5080 custom cards

Where to buy RTX 5080 in UK: Quick links

• NVIDIA Store: Founders Edition RTX 5080 at launch
• Newegg: No listings yet, but expect custom cards
• Overclockers UK: Custom cards from partners listed
• Scan: Cards from ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, PNY, ZOTAC, and more
• Ebuyer: Cards from ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, PNY listed
• Amazon: No RTX 5080 listings yet, but expect some at launch

As with the RTX 5090, the RTX 5080 is launching with a Founders Edition available at NVIDIA's store as well as at certain third-party retailers.

You can also expect some custom RTX 5080 cards available at third-party retailers. I've included them here, along with the listed brands. I start with US retailers before laying out the UK retailers stocking the RTX 5080.

What to expect at NVIDIA's RTX 50 Series launch

NVIDIA's RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 are both launching on January 30, 2025. If you're hoping to land one of the new GPUs as soon as possible, prepare to temper your expectations. As I wrote in a separate news piece, RTX 5000 stock shortages are rumored to be serious.

In fact, some insiders from system integrators and major retailers are claiming that it'll be the worst-ever launch for NVIDIA GPU availability. Overclockers UK, for example, apparently has only single-digit stock of the RTX 5090, with the RTX 5080 sitting in the hundreds. It's not looking much better in the US, with as few as four (4) RTX 5080s stocked in some stores.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 retailers (US)

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 retailers (UK)

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 retailers (US)

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 retailers (UK)

Should you buy an RTX 5090?

My colleague, Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson, reviewed the RTX 5090 favorably, scoring it a full five stars and handing it a Windows Central Best Award. However, the $1,999 MSRP is certainly going to keep it out of the hands of most PC users. Wilson states:

"While NVIDIA's admirable efforts to redesign and slim down its flagship GeForce RTX graphics card have paid off with a performance bump comparable to its MSRP, it's still practically impossible to recommend the RTX 5090 FE to any levelheaded PC gamer. Sure, it's technically the best in its category; this stands as the world's best consumer GPU, but the RTX 5080 remains a more sensible high-end pick for anyone who isn't in a professional field working with AI. Even if you found it at MSRP, I'd still recommend a third-party RTX 5090 with a more robust triple-fan setup to avoid the Founders Edition's increased temperatures."

With the RTX 5080 launching on the same day for half the price, it should prove to be a lot more sought-after than the RTX 5090.

Should you buy an RTX 5080?

The RTX 5080 is the other GPU launching on January 30, and its much more reasonable $999 MSRP should make it far more attractive for gamers than the RTX 5090. Whether or not you're able to buy one on launch day will come down to timing and luck.

As Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson mentions in his NVIDIA RTX 5080 review, the new Blackwell GPU isn't worth it if you already own an RTX 4080 Super or RTX 4090. That's especially true if you prefer "brute force rendering" rather than heavy reliance on upscaling and frame generation from new DLSS 4 features.

Assuming you can find an RTX 5080 at MSRP and you're coming from an older generation (or a lesser card), it starts to look more attractive. Wilson remarks:

"Even an RTX 4080 SUPER will drain your account of around $1,000, so choosing a current-gen card makes more sense, especially one with a slim redesign and modified power connectors that should, in theory, remedy the issue of melting cables. In a pure numbers game, the RTX 5080 Founders Edition comes out as the new king of the hill for sane gamers, offering a reasonable high-end without needing to spring for the absurd $1,999 MSRP of an RTX 5090 FE."

Keep in mind that NVIDIA still plans on launching the $749 RTX 5070 Ti and $549 RTX 5070 in February.

What about pre-built PCs with RTX 5090 and RTX 5080?

With rumored stock shortages in play, those who don't manage to land a standalone RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 on launch day — or in the weeks following — might be tempted to instead buy a pre-built gaming PC with the desired RTX 50 Series hardware inside.

Maingear and iBuyPower, two brands with which I've had a positive experience, currently have pre-built RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 PCs for sale.

Maingear has custom MG-1, custom Zero, and custom North PCs with the RTX 5080 inside — it doesn't yet look like there's an RTX 5090 option. iBuyPower, at the time of writing, is featuring four different pre-built PCs with the RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 inside.

The pre-built PCs aren't launching any sooner than the standalone RTX 5000 GPUs, but you might find better availability after the standalone cards sell out.

In the UK, Scan and Ebuyer are now also listing pre-built desktop PCs with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5090 inside. You'll have to wait for the GPU launch just like the standalone cards, but they might turn out to be the best way to get the new hardware at launch.

• ^ Back to the top

It's the early hours of launch day, and though stock hasn't appeared for sale just yet, I expect that to change around 9 AM ET. Retailers in the UK seem to be aiming for 2 PM GMT, which matches up. Availability seems extremely limited in some stores, especially for the RTX 5080 — Ben Wilson

NVIDIA's official US store still has the RTX 50 Series listed as "coming soon" and Newegg US seems to have its entire RTX 5080 AIB card stock wiped out within seconds; no sign of the RTX 5090.

Best Buy immediately sold out of RTX 5090 Founders Edition cards, and lists some AIB cards as "coming soon." B&H, on the other hand, is sticking to waiting lists.

Last chance for now is this ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 at Amazon for $5,499.99. — Ben Wilson

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition is in stock at Best Buy for $999.99! Better be fast — Ben Wilson

And it's gone. RTX 5080 FE sold out at Best Buy in literal minutes. Still watching other retailers — Ben Wilson

"There was a problem adding to your cart" is the phrase of the day — Ben Wilson

So much for checking the official NVIDIA UK storefront, multiple people reporting the same issues with refreshes breaking the whole thing — Ben Wilson

AIB cards at Best Buy were (unsurprisingly) swept clean in minutes, including the extra-expensive ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5090 at $2,499.99. Checking for hints of restocks absolutely anywhere else — Ben Wilson

Rumblings of pre-ordered RTX 5090 AIB cards being "cancelled for low stock" around socials. This is not a good launch, even for GeForce RTX standards — Ben Wilson

Feeling desperate in the UK? If you're willing to splash out on an entirely new rig, Lenovo allows an RTX 5080 build for at least £2,880 in its Legion Tower 7i (Gen 10) configurator — Ben Wilson

Is this the worst GeForce launch so far? Maybe. Reactions are mostly negative across socials, but what else is new? — Ben Wilson

Two more pre-build options appear on Amazon with RTX 5080 GPUs: a Cobratype at $3,099 paired with a Ryzen 9 9900X and another from CLX at $3,529.99 with a more powerful Ryzen 9 9950X — Ben Wilson

Gamers across the pond, be aware — the MSI Ventus 3X OC RTX 5080 is creeping up to £1,439.99 after selling out at Overclockers for £1,399.99. Double-check amounts before checking out — Ben Wilson

If you're feeling flush (and maybe a little crazy,) there is one ASUS TUF RTX 5080 (made with military-grade components!) available at Amazon US for $5,499.99. Pocket change — Ben Wilson

Using my imagination for whatever MSI's latest pre-built gaming PCs might look like, but it's promising at least two rigs with RTX 5090 GPUs: the Infinite RS AI at $4,999 and a "limited quantity" Vision Elite RS AI at $5,499, though neither have confirmed launch dates — Ben Wilson

More hollow hope and stock shortages, I'm afraid. Even if you can load NVIDIA's Marketplace without secure connection errors, the links lead to third-party retailers with the usual dead-end messages. Did anyone actually manage to buy an RTX 50 Series GPU? — Ben Wilson

Two more pre-built gaming PCs appear on Amazon as opportunities to get your hands on an RTX 5080 with suitable components wrapped around it: Cobratype's Mangrove with a Ryzen 9 9900X at $2,999.99 or a much more vibrant Venom with a Ryzen 7 9700X, also at $2,999.99 — Ben Wilson

Amazon (US and UK) is by far the worst source for RTX 50 Series cards so far, particularly for the 5090. Not that other retailers are loaded up with stock, but there are listings to look at — Ben Wilson

NVIDIA had one of the biggest announcements out of CES 2025, revealing its new 50-series RTX graphics cards. The new GPUs came with some bold claims, including RTX 5070 performance that could match the RTX 4090's power for a fraction of the price.

Of course, those claims were based heavily on boosted AI abilities via DLSS 4, and NVIDIA left us without many concrete performance numbers. That didn't sit well with a lot of PC enthusiasts who are wary about putting such a large emphasis on super-resolution and frame generation. Even I was convinced I'd be upgrading to an RTX 5070 before the CES fallout, but as I wrote in a separate piece about next-gen Radeon cards, AMD might be the way to go for my personal PC.

NVIDIA's Editor's Day at CES has, however, revealed a lot more details regarding native RTX 5000 performance compared to previous cards. Our friends at Tom's Hardware were on the ground to soak up the info, which has given me a better look at what to expect from NVIDIA's RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070.

If you are keen on landing a new RTX 5000 GPU on launch day, have a look at my guide on where to buy RTX 5090 and RTX 5080.

NVIDIA shares native RTX 5000 performance comparisons

As everyone suspected, the biggest performance claims made by NVIDIA in its CES 2025 keynote speech rely heavily on DLSS 4's new Multi Frame Generation, which is only available for the new Blackwell cards and their enhanced architecture with improved neural rendering abilities. This left everyone wondering about actual native performance with the cards when DLSS is not enabled.

The NVIDIA RTX 5070, which I have my eye on and which will undoubtedly prove very popular with its $549 price, is compared against its RTX 4070 predecessor in the above slide. NVIDIA performed this test with a 1440p resolution and max settings.

Without any DLSS enabled — in other words, the card relies on its natural hardware abilities — the RTX 5070 is pegged at about a 20% improvement compared to the RTX 4070 in games. That number stays flat when you add DLSS 3 without ray tracing. Once DLSS 4 kicks in, we start to see massive improvements to frame rates even with full ray tracing enabled.

Considering the RTX 4070 launched with a $599 MSRP, a 20% performance gain with an 8% price drop is all in favor of the RTX 5070.

The RTX 5070's Ti sibling represents a similar performance uplift compared to its RTX 4070 Ti predecessor. It's worth pointing out that performance with DLSS 4 enabled climbs higher than the non-Ti version (as expected), peaking at a 2.9x performance increase in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

The RTX 4070 Ti launched at a $799 MSRP, and again NVIDIA has lowered the price by $50 for its upcoming RTX 5070 Ti.

Turning now to the heavy hitters, NVIDIA moved to a 4K resolution for its RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 comparisons.

Looking at the 5080 first, NVIDIA claims about a 15% performance increase compared to the RTX 4080 when DLSS is disabled. The story is the same with DLSS 4 running, with select games tipping the 2x performance comparison. The RTX 5080 is expected to launch at the same $999 MSRP as the RTX 4080, so it's not quite as impressive of a jump as compared to the 5070-class cards.

Closing the comparisons is the RTX 5090. NVIDIA is claiming a 30% performance increase compared to the RTX 4090 with DLSS disabled. That's the biggest jump out of all the 50-series GPUs, but it doesn't come cheap.

While the RTX 4090 launched at a $1,599 MSRP, the RTX 5090 will show up on shelves with a $1,999 price tag. That's roughly a 22% price bump compared to its predecessor. Of course, the RTX 5090 comes with some huge improvements, including more (and improved) Tensor Cores, completely new Streaming Processors, and more (and improved) RT Cores. It also boasts 32GB of faster GDDR7 VRAM, up from 24GB of GDDR6 in the RTX 4090.

NVIDIA seems to have latency in check

Multi Frame Generation means a lot more frames are being created by AI, and a lot of people are concerned about what that means for latency. It doesn't matter how many frames your GPU creates if it can't deliver them on time.

In a separate slide, NVIDIA quelled some fears on this front. Using the RTX 5090 as an example, the company shows how significantly latency drops when DLSS 4 is running. I'm talking drops from around 135ms to around 30ms in Cyberpunk 2077, with Black Myth: Wukong not far behind.

All of the information NVIDIA shared here is appreciated, and it no doubt puts some fears to rest. However, we'll ultimately have to wait for real reviews to see how the new RTX 5000 cards fare in the wild.

Intel's processor division might have had its fair share of difficulties in the last year, but the same can't be said for its graphics cards. Intel announced its second-gen "Battlemage" desktop GPUs on December 4, 2024, and since then it's been surrounded by (mostly) good news.

The Arc B580 debuted on December 13 with a $249 price tag. In a GPU market dominated by NVIDIA and its pricey cards, Intel's Battlemage option sold out everywhere almost immediately. It received praise from countless tech journalists, and a majority of the initial reviews were very positive. Tom's Hardware gave it a perfect 5 stars, calling it "A spectacular success for Intel and a gateway to 1440p for gamers on a budget."

Since then there has been some rumbling about Arc B580 performance when paired with older CPUs, which I cover in more detail below. However, the general consensus remains positive, with the B580 now offering PC gamers an affordable option that can handle 1440p. With 12GB of VRAM on board, it's looking a lot more future-proof than even the NVIDIA RTX 4060 with 8GB.

With the sibling Arc B570 scheduled to launch on January 16 at $219, many are wondering if the B580 was a one-off success. This new performance leak is limited in scope, but it suggests that Intel could have another sellout on its hands.

Intel Arc B570 "Battlemage" leaks in Geekbench

First reported by Wccftech, Geekbench numbers from the upcoming Arc B570 GPU have leaked. It comes from X (formerly Twitter) user @GawroskiT, who spotted the Geekbench entry on January 12.

It's no surprise to see the Arc B570 sitting at about 10% less performance than the Arc B580; the former card is meant to be an even cheaper alternative that nevertheless retains 1440p capabilities. With a price that's roughly 12.8% lower than the B580, it seems like you're getting exactly what you pay for.

Visiting the Geekbench result page directly reveals more information. The test was run on a system using Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, an MSI MEG Z890 ACE motherboard, and 48GB of DDR5 RAM. Geekbench lists the Arc B570 as having 144 compute units, a 2,750MHz maximum frequency, and 9.64GB of VRAM.

These numbers align with what Intel has listed on its B570 product page, but the boost frequency at 2,750MHz is new information. Intel only lists a 2,500MHz base frequency on the page.

These Geekbench results are ultimately a small look at the B570's potential, and as we now know, Battlemage performance seems to differ greatly depending on the CPU with which you pair it.

What's up with Battlemage performance on older CPUs?

Intel's Battlemage launch was mostly surrounded with positive vibes, but it didn't take long for some performance drawbacks to surface. The general idea is that while modern CPUs don't affect the modern GPU negatively, performance wasn't measuring up when the B580 is paired with older chips.

Hardware Unboxed published a great video tackling the subject. It was believed at first to be an issue with CPUs that don't support Resizable BAR, which came to the forefront with Intel's 10th Gen and AMD's Zen 3 desktop CPUs.

However, as Hardware Unboxed discovered in testing older chips (like the Ryzen 5 2600 that can have Resizable BAR manually enabled), the Arc B580's drop in performance on older CPUs can't be solely blamed on a lack of the tech.

The ultimate conclusion of the Hardware Unboxed video is muddy. It doesn't seem like there's an easy answer as to why the GPU drops performance when it isn't paired with a modern CPU. There's clearly some sort of overhead issue plaguing the card, but how to fix it remains to be seen.

Hardware Unboxed followed up with a re-review of the Arc B580 alongside both the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 5 5600, ultimately demonstrating that the cost per frame climbs slightly from about $4.38 to $4.80 when paired with the older CPU. Regardless, the Arc B580 remains one of the best cards on the market for budget shoppers. I'd normally suggest checking out some retailers to see what's in stock, but at the time of writing you won't find anything but scalpers demanding astronomical prices.

AMD has been tight-lipped regarding its unannounced RDNA 4 graphics cards, but some major information was leaked over the weekend. If the leaks turn out to be true, AMD will be hitting us with a new naming convention and a handful of new RX 9000 desktop GPUs.

The info stream kicked off with X user and leaker All_The_Watts posting a list of new AMD Radeon GPUs. An RX 9070 XT sits at the top of the list, and it's accompanied by RX 9060, 9050, and 9040 cards.

All_The_Watts followed up the initial post with a further breakdown of the rumored AMD RDNA 4 GPUs. As Tom's Hardware reported, AMD is expected to shake up naming to better differentiate its different generations of GPU tech. RDNA 3.5 tech should come under the RX 8000 banner, while RDNA 4 should stick with RX 9000.

According to the leak, AMD's Radeon 9070 XT may be roughly on par with the existing Radeon RX 7900 GRE from the RDNA 3 lineup. The last-gen RX 7900 XT may continue to reign supreme even after the RDNA 4 cards launch, but that's not a huge surprise; AMD is focusing more on mid- and low-end cards for this generation, leaving NVIDIA at the top of the heap with its X080 and X090 cards. Also listed in the leak are Radeon RX 9070M XT, RX 9070, RX 9070M, and RX 9070S GPUs.

The initial major leak was backed up by X user momomo_us shortly after, who grabbed a screenshot from French retailer GrossbillPro listing AMD's new Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 GPUs.

There's still not a lot of hard evidence surrounding specific specs for these cards, and we'll have to wait until AMD makes an official announcement to find out more. That could come at CES 2025, which is where NVIDIA is expected to reveal its RTX 5000 GPUs.

Looking at all of the leaks currently out there, it seems like the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 could have 16GB of VRAM with a 256-bit bus. The RX 9060 could drop that down to 12GB on a 192-bit bus. Again, these specs are far from confirmed.

As for pricing, again, nothing is confirmed. Rumors point to a $649 RX 9070 XT, with prices dropping as low as $179 for what is assumedly the RX 9040.

Has AMD's RDNA 4 GPU design been hiding in plain sight?

Another recent leak might have come from AMD itself. Reported by Videocardz and backed up by X user (and reputable leaker) AnhPhuH, it seems like a render of an RDNA 4 GPU was posted by AMD a few weeks ago as part of an advertising campaign.

AnhPhuH claims the card in question is the RX 9070 XT, though they don't clarify whether it's a look at a reference card — the GPUs that AMD produces itself — or a custom card from a partner. There's not much more info to be gleaned from the render, and we'll have to wait for finalized card designs.

Can AMD pull an Intel and shake up the GPU market?

With AMD reportedly abandoning the high-end GPU market and NVIDIA focusing on the high-end GPU market, Intel swooped in to deliver the best budget GPU in recent memory.

Intel's Arc Battlemage cards were announced on December 4, 2024, and the Arc B580 began shipping about 11 days later. Coming in at a $249 price tag, its 12GB of VRAM has propelled it into the minds of every budget PC builder out there. It's so popular that despite a promise from retailers of weekly restocks, the scalping market has taken off.

AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs are still living in a world of rumors and leaks, and it will be interesting to see how the company positions its entry into the market following Intel's surprisingly effective surprise.

What you need to know

• Intel's Arc Control app has been renamed to "Intel Graphics Software" as it receives a significant overhaul.
• The new software is timed perfectly with Intel's recent next-gen Battlemage GPU announcement.
• The recent overhaul of Intel's Graphics Software brings it more in line with similar offerings from NVIDIA and AMD.
• The new software is expected to be released with the new Intel Arc B580 GPU on December 13, 2024, but no official confirmation.

Intel has had a busy stretch recently, with the announcement of CEO Pat Gelsinger's retirement, the unveiling of its Arc Battlemage gaming GPUs, and now a new software suite to complement the upcoming cards.

What was previously known as "Arc Control" has been rebranded as "Graphics Software" on Intel's website, where the product page has been completely changed over to highlight the app's new features and looks. The new name isn't nearly as cool sounding as the old title, but the app has received a serious glow-up.

Intel is calling it an All-in-One hub, and like AMD and NVIDIA's similar software, it's designed to be the only stop you need to update drivers, optimize or monitor performance, and improve or tweak graphics settings.

All that Intel has released so far are some screenshots from the new app, and there's no mention of when it will make its way to PCs with an Arc GPU inside. If I'm making a guess, the update will coincide with the December 13, 2024 launch of the new Arc B580 Battlemage GPU.

What exactly is new with Intel's Graphics Software?

Until I get my hands on the new software I won't know exactly what Intel has cooked up, but the screenshots provided do offer some insight into the notable changes.

Profiles appear to be configurable with individual game settings, there's a more comprehensive performance metrics page, and the performance tuning tab looks to provide straightforward overclocking for the GPU, VRAM, and fans. As spotted by Videocardz, there's even a manual toggle for XeSS Low Latency mode now included.

My colleagues who've used Intel's Arc Control in the past didn't have any major complaints, but it's clear that Intel wants its software appeal to match that of its new GPUs. The overall design hasn't changed that much, but it definitely appears to be more modern with the added bonus of being easier to navigate.

Below is a look at the Arc Control suite as it stands right now; you can compare it to the new "Graphics Software" screenshots from Intel in the gallery above.

Intel isn't the only company coming out with app rebrands. NVIDIA recently launched its new "NVIDIA App" to replace GeForce Experience. Like Intel's Graphics Software app, NVIDIA's new software comes with an updated look and streamlined controls.

But with the impending launch of Intel's Arc B-Series GPUs in December and January, Intel is clearly trying to give its adopters a fresh canvas with which to work. If what Intel is claiming is true regarding its new Battlemage GPUs — up to 70% improved performance per core and 50% more performance per watt compared to its previous generation of Arc cards — AMD and NVIDIA are about to get some much-needed competition in the budget market.

Of course, NVIDIA is also expected to reveal its RTX 5000 GPUs in the near future, which will undoubtedly shake things up even further as older cards hopefully drop in price.

Which Battlemage GPUs is Intel launching?

Intel plans to launch the first Battlemage GPU, the Arc B580, on December 13, 2024 priced at $249. It is expected to be followed up by the Arc B570 on January 16, 2024 with a starting price of $219.

Despite the budget pricing, the cards have 10GB and 12GB, respectively, of GDDR6 VRAM to better keep up with demanding games in 2024. Intel is focusing the cards on 1440p gaming, but of course, they'll also do wonders at a lower 1080p resolution. Not bad at all for under $350.

The addition of XeSS 2 will help the new GPUs keep up with NVIDIA's DLSS 3 and AMD's FSR 3 when it comes to super resolution, frame generation, and low latency. Intel also says the cards have second-gen ray tracing and XMX AI engines. I'm excited to see how well these cards perform when we get our hands on them.

What you need to know

• Intel Arc B-Series graphics cards, also known as Battlemage, have been announced.
• The Intel Arc B580 and B570 aim to deliver 1440p gaming at prices that are more affordable than competing cards from NVIDIA and AMD.
• The Intel Arc B580 will start shipping on December 13, 2024, with a starting price of $249, and the Intel Arc B570 will become available on January 16, 2024, with prices starting at $219.

Intel just unveiled its Arc B580 and Arc B570 GPUs. The new graphics cards, which are codenamed Battlemage, are built on Intel's Xe2 graphics architecture. Both GPUs are built for gamers who want 1440p performance without having to spend a ton of money. The Intel Arc B580 starts at $249 and will be available on December 13, 2024, and the Intel Arc B570 launches a bit later on January 16, 2024, with a starting price of $219.

As the names suggest, the Arc B580 is a bit more powerful than its sibling. The Arc B580 has 20 Xe-cores, 20 ray tracing units, and 12GB of DDR6 memory. The Arc B570 has 18 Xe-cores, 18 ray tracing units, and 10GB of GDDR6 memory. Notably, even the more affordable Arc B570 has more memory bandwidth than the NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT. Those graphics cards from NVIDIA and AMD also target 1440p gaming.

"The new Intel Arc B-Series GPUs are the perfect upgrades for gamers," said Intel Vice President and General Manager of Client Graphics Vivian Lien. "They deliver leading performance-per-dollar and great 1440p gaming experiences with XeSS 2, second-generation ray tracing engines and XMX AI engines. We’re delighted to be joined by more partners than ever so that gamers have more choice in finding their perfect design."

Intel Battlemage performance and features

Both of Intel's new graphics cards are built on the Intel Xe2 graphics architecture, which promises improved efficiency and higher performance per core than the previous generation. Those Xe2 cores also have XMX AI engines, are better at ray tracing, and perform mesh shading better than their predecessors.

XeSS, which is Intel's answer to NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR, has received upgrades as well.

XeSS 2 has three technologies to improve the gaming experience: XeSS Super Resolution, XeSS Frame Generation, and Xe Low Latency. XeSS Super Resolution, which was also available with the first generation of XeSS, uses AI to upscale games. The feature supports over 150 titles at the moment.

XeSS Frame Generation adds interpolated frames to make games more fluid, while Xe Low Latency results in faster responses to gamer inputs. When you use all three of the technologies that are part of XeSS 2, you should see up to 3.9x better performance in the best PC games.

Intel claims that its Arc B-Series GPUs offer 70% better performance per core and 50% more performance per watt than the previous generation of graphics cards. Specifically, the B580 is 24% faster on average at 1440p gaming than the Intel Arc A750. The company notes that the B580 is up to 78% faster than the Arc A750 in some games, though most titles won't see that level of performance increase.

1440p gaming at ultra settings should be more affordable, assuming Intel's new GPUs deliver in real-world usage.

The announcement of the new Battlemage graphics cards comes at a tumultuous time for Intel. The company's CEO just retired abruptly, though reports suggest he was forced out.

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• 🎮Xbox Series X Digital Edition (1TB) | $399.99 at Best Buy (Save $50!)

🍁More great Black Friday deals🦃

• Best Buy: Big savings on video games, accessories, and more
• Amazon: Constantly rotating sales on everything you can imagine
• Walmart: Early savings on practically everything
• Target: Live deals on a huge range of products
• Dell: Top deals on laptops, gaming PCs, accessories, and more
• HP: Save big on laptops, desktops, accessories, and more
• Lenovo: Doorbuster deals on all Lenovo PCs, monitors, accessories, and more
• Newegg: Save on PC gaming accessories, components, and more
• Razer: Take advantage of free shipping for a limited time
• Samsung: Holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more are live

This is the graphics card I use, and it rules

MSI actually sent me a sample unit of this STALKER 2 RTX 4070 Ti SUPER earlier this month ahead of the game's recent November 20 launch, and ever since I replaced my RTX 3070 with it, I've been very impressed with the massive performance improvements it's brought to my PC gaming experience. It's perfect for gaming at 1440p or ultrawide resolutions with extremely high triple-digit framerates and settings — ideal for my 34-inch ultrawide setup — but also has plenty of headroom to overcome the challenge of 4K gaming, too. It's often neck and neck with AMD's Radeon RX 7900 XT in terms of raw performance, but while Team Red's offering is generally a bit less expensive, Team Green's is far superior for ray tracing and also has better-looking upscaling and frame generation tech in DLSS 3.

The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is positioned as a replacement for the now-discontinued RTX 4070 Ti, offering horsepower that falls between that GPU's and the original RTX 4080's for the same $799.99 MSRP. Most partner-produced versions are between that price and the $900 mark; at $849.99, this one is priced in the middle of the spectrum, though this deal brings it down to $819.99.

Aside from its top-tier performance, you're also getting the unique STALKER-themed design of the card itself you can view above with this RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. Featuring an olive drab color scheme with black and yellow accents, a radiation symbol, and STALKER 2 markings on one of the fan casings and the backplate, the GPU does a great job of evoking the overall style and imagery of GSC Game World's popular FPS series.

And hey, speaking of STALKER 2, let's not forget the fact you'll get a free copy of the $79.99 Deluxe Edition of it when you purchase this RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, along with a preorder for the upcoming $69.99 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle scheduled to release on December 9, 2024. STALKER 2 has reviewed very well (I gave it a 4/5 in my own review, with many of my criticisms now having been addressed in a new patch) and sold over 1 million copies in just a few days, while Indiana Jones looks to be one of 2024's greatest action/adventure titles. Both Xbox and PC exclusives are some of the biggest games of the year overall, and while you can play them both on Xbox Game Pass, there's a lot of value in owning games permanently and not having to stay subscribed to a service to access them.

At the end of the day, you're getting a fairly priced RTX 4070 Ti SUPER with a unique design and two free games with a combined value of $150 for just $819.99 on the MSI Store, which is pretty darn awesome if you ask me. I know this isn't the biggest graphics card deal you can find this Black Friday, but it's still a great one, and I think many will agree that it's definitely the coolest.

Black Friday was a perfect time to buy a new graphics card, and PC gamers upgrading their rigs found plenty of discounted options. Many of the best deals are now expiring, but the major discounts on NVIDIA's RTX 3060 are live for one more day. I expect to see some new deals pop up for Cyber Monday, but anyone who wants a great GPU for 1080p and 1440p gaming can still get all-time low prices right now.

I highlighted the MSI Ventus 3X OC RTX 3060 for $264.99 at Newegg as well as the GIGABYTE Gaming OC RTX 3060 for $279.99 at Best Buy. These are both awesome cards for those shopping on a tight budget, but for gamers who want more power, I've included a bunch more NVIDIA GPU deals up to an RTX 4080 Super.

🔥The hottest Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals🔥

• 🎮Lenovo Legion Go (Z1 Extreme) | $472.97 at Amazon (Save $227!)
• 🕹️Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months) | $27.99 at CDKeys (Save $12!)
• 🎮ASUS ROG Ally (Z1) | $349.99 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
• ⌨️Surface Pro Flex Keyboard | $279.99 at Best Buy (Save $70!)
• 🖥️Beelink Mini PC (Ryzen 5) | $279 at Amazon (Save $70!)
• 📺xScreen for Xbox Series S | $159.99 at Amazon (Save $40!)

NVIDIA's RTX 3060 hit a new low, but there are huge discounts on more powerful GPUs

NVIDIA's RTX 3060 is a few years old at this point, but it remains one of the most popular GPUs on the market thanks to its balance of performance and affordability.

It's the GPU I recommended that a budget-conscious friend keeps an eye on during Black Friday, and indeed the MSI Ventus 3X model has dropped to the lowest price I've seen. At Newegg, it's down to $264.99 after all discounts are considered, including $10 off with the code BFDDY2A623 at checkout.

If it sells out or you'd rather go with a different brand, GIGABYTE's Gaming OC RTX 3060 has dropped to $280 at Best Buy. No mail-in rebates or discount codes are required.

The RTX 3060 is an older GPU, but it still keeps up very well at a 1080p resolution. It can make the jump to 1440p as long as you don't mind lowering some in-game specs, and 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM certainly helps with more modern games.

But what about PC gamers craving more power with a bit more money to burn? Fret not, for there are a bunch of other great deals to consider. The NVIDIA RTX 4060 is on sale, but it's not that much of an upgrade over the RTX 3060 to warrant paying so much more money. I've nevertheless included some major discounts.

The NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti, RTX 4070 Super, 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4080 Super are all on sale, giving enthusiasts a bunch of great options. Here are the best NVIDIA RTX GPU deals I found from various major retailers.

🍁More great Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals🦃

• Best Buy: Big savings on video games, accessories, and more
• Amazon: Constantly rotating sales on everything you can imagine
• Walmart: Major savings on practically everything
• Target: Live deals on a huge range of products
• Dell: Top deals on laptops, gaming PCs, accessories, and more
• HP: Save big on laptops, desktops, accessories, and more
• Lenovo: Doorbuster deals on all PCs, monitors, accessories, and more
• Newegg: Save on PC gaming accessories, components, and more
• Razer: Discounts and free gifts for Razer hardware, gear, and more
• Samsung: Holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more are live

NVIDIA's graphics cards always garner a lot of attention on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and this year it seems like everyone is talking about the Zotac Gaming AMP RTX 4080 Super. It's sitting at $1,019.99 $1,059.99 at Newegg, and despite the $60 price drop, it remains out of the price range of many gamers.

My original alternatives, MSI's Ventus 2X E1 OC and 3X E1 OC RTX 4070s have now returned to full price, but I found a great Cyber Monday deal on an RTX 4060 Ti. It's down to $450 at Amazon, which is the lowest price I've seen in its history.

🔥The hottest Black Friday deals🔥

• 🎮ASUS ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1) | $349.99 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
• 💻Surface Pro 11 (X Plus) | $899.99 at Best Buy (Save $300!)
• 📺HP Curved Ultrawide (34-inches) | $299.99 at Best Buy (Save $180!)
• 💽WD_Black Xbox Series X|S Card (1TB) | $99.99 at Best Buy (Save $50!)
• 💽AMD Ryzen 5 7600X + free SSD (1TB) | $194.99 at Newegg (Save $74!)
• 🖱️Razer Basilisk V3 Wired | $39.99 at Best Buy (Save $30!)
• 💽WD_BLACK M.2 2230 SSD (2TB) | $179.99 at Best Buy (Save $60!)

Why I recommend the RTX 4070 rather than the RTX 4080 Super

NVIDIA's RTX 4080 and the Super variant are out of my price range, but that doesn't keep me from salivating over the specs. It's a GPU that is rightfully at the top of many Black Friday shopping lists, with the ability to run your favorite games at a 4K resolution with relatively smooth framerates.

👉 See the top Black Friday deals according to our readers

If you've already earmarked $1,000+ for a GPU, the Zotac Gaming AMP RTX 4080 Super is currently the best Black Friday deal I've found on this level of performance. It's down to $1,019.99 at Newegg, with a free copy of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle thrown in to sweeten the deal.

However, the deal that's going to make sense for most people will be a lot easier on the wallet. Most gamers aren't playing at a 4K resolution or need 1440p framerates beyond 200Hz, in which case an RTX 4080 Super starts to seem like expensive overkill.

In steps the RTX 4070. Its performance is similar to the RTX 3080, but it adds DLSS 3 Frame Generation and improves on the 30-series efficiency. While I'd usually say something like the RTX 4060 Ti is the sweet spot for most gamers, this RTX 4070 deal at Newegg is too good to pass up.

MSI's Ventus 3X E1 OC RTX 4070 is a compact card with a dual-fan setup, 5,888 CUDA cores, boost clock up to 2,505MHz, and a 200W power draw. It's from the same series as the awesome RTX 2060 I used to have in my personal gaming PC, which gave me no problems in terms of cooling or reliability.

The GPU's 12GB of VRAM is an improvement over the bare minimum 8GB I'd recommend in 2024, and as mentioned you get access to all of the latest NVIDIA advancements that boost performance in games. Working with 1080p or 1440p? You'll love its capabilities.

Pricing history shows this GPU rarely dips below $500, and that milestone has been shattered with Newegg's deal. Right now you can pick it up for $479.99, and Newegg adds a $15 Uber gift card and a copy of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for free. Newegg is showing it as backordered on Black Friday proper, but you can still nab the deal before it goes out of stock for good.

If you do decide to grab the discounted MSI GPU, be sure to have a look at my recommendations for the perfect CPU to pair with the RTX 4070. I already wrote about why the Ryzen 7 7800X3D isn't the best CPU to buy on Black Friday, with some discounted recommendations in tow.

🍁More great Black Friday deals🦃

• Best Buy: Big savings on video games, accessories, and more
• Walmart: Savings on practically everything
• Target: Live deals on a huge range of products
• Dell: Top deals on laptops, gaming PCs, accessories, and more
• HP: Save big on laptops, desktops, accessories, and more
• Lenovo: Doorbuster deals on all Lenovo PCs, monitors, accessories, and more
• Newegg: Save on PC gaming accessories, components, and more
• Razer: Take advantage of free shipping for a limited time
• Samsung: Holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more are live
• Amazon: Constantly rotating sales on everything you can imagine

What you need to know

• Elon Musk's xAI team reportedly set up a powerful supercomputer featuring 100,000 H200 Blackwell GPUs in 19 days.
• NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang claims the same process would ordinarily take up to 4 years to execute, prompting him to call Elon Musk "superhuman."
• Huang also indicated that NVIDIA played a significant role in the process, offering their networking expertise to xAI as NVIDIA gear is complicated compared to traditional data center servers.

Earlier this year, Tesla owner Elon Musk announced that xAI has begun training Grok AI with the world's most powerful AI cluster powered by 100,000 liquid-cooled NVIDIA H100 graphic processing units (GPUs) connected with a single RDMA. The cluster could make X's Grok AI chatbot "the world's most powerful AI by every metric" by the end of this year.

And now, the billionaire's vision has seemingly come to fruition. While recently speaking to Tesla Owners in Silicon Valley on X, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang lauded Elon Musk's efforts after setting up a supercluster featuring 100,000 H200 Blackwell GPUs in 19 days to power xAI's advances.

For context, Huang describes setting up xAI's supercomputer as a tedious and daunting task that requires well-versed professionals. He further indicated that transitioning the project from the concept phase to the final output could conventionally take up to 4 years — a feat that Elon Musk achieved in 19 days. The CEO breaks down the highlighted time into 3 years of planning and a year of shipping equipment, installation, and getting the entire project to work.

Related: Elon Musk's xAI developed Colossus in just 122 days

According to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang:

"As far as I know, there's only one person in the world who could do that; Elon is singular in his understanding of engineering and construction and large systems and marshaling resources; it's just unbelievable."

The process included the construction of infrastructure for the supercomputer, which is fully equipped with liquid cooling and power to support the cutting-edge components, including 200,000 GPUs. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang also indicated that his team collaborated closely with xAI during the project across engineering, networking, infrastructure, and software. He admitted that NVIDIA's equipment is rather sophisticated, making the networking process a tad complicated compared to traditional data center servers.

🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃

• 💻Dell XPS 16 (RTX 4060) | $2,299.99 at Best Buy (Save $750!)
• 📺LG Curved OLED Monitor (32-inches) | $849.99 at Amazon (Save $650!)
• 🎮Amazon Fire TV Xbox Game Pass bundle | $74.99 at Amazon (Save $62!)
• 🔊2.1ch Soundbar for TVs & Monitors | $44.99 at Walmart (Save $55!)
• 💻Dell G16 Gaming Laptop (RTX 4070) | $1,299.99 at Dell (Save $450!)
• 🎧Sennheiser Momentum 4 ANC | $274.95 at Amazon (Save $125!)
• 📺LG C4 OLED 4K TV (42-inches) | $949.99 at Best Buy (Save $450!)
• 💻Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge (X Elite) | $799.99 at Best Buy (Save $550!)
• 🎧Baseus Hi-Fi Bluetooth Headphones | $69.99 at Amazon (Save $80!)

More Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals

We at Windows Central are scouring the internet for the best Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals, but there are plenty more discounts going on now. Here's where to find more savings:

• Xbox controller deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Xbox SSD storage deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Gaming headset deals: Walmart | Dell | Target | Best Buy | Amazon
• MicroSD storage deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Gaming handheld deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Laptop deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Copilot+ AI laptop deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Monitor deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Mini PC deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Gaming keyboard deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell | Newegg
• Gaming mice deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell | Newegg

Update, October 8, 2024 — Unfortunately, the excellent $349.97 deal on PowerColor's Radeon RX 7700 XT is sold out on both Amazon and Newegg — no doubt the result of buyers swooping in to take advantage of that killer price. The good news, though, is that there are still discounts on the GPU for Prime Day, including a $369.99 Amazon deal and a $379.99 markdown at Newegg that still includes Space Marine 2 and Unknown 9: Awakening. Act fast and you can still get the card for less than it costs normally!

Original article: When AMD's mid-range Radeon RX 7700 XT GPU launched last year, it was met with a very mixed reception, as while the card's performance impressed, its steep $450 MSRP made it difficult to recommend with the beefier 7800 XT just $50 more at $500. Over time, though, its price has reduced considerably, with AMD officially slashing the MSRP down to $420 in February and further retail adjustments bringing it to around $390-400. 

Ahead of next week's October Amazon Prime Day, however, it's fallen to an all-time low of just $349.97 at Amazon — a massive $50 discount off its usual cost, and $100 cheaper than what the GPU went for on release. That's already an amazing deal, but AMD has sweetened it even further by including a copy of Warhammer 40,00: Space Marine 2 and a preorder for the upcoming Unknown 9: Awakening with every purchase. 

🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃

• 💾Seagate Xbox Expansion Card (1TB) | $129.99 at Best Buy (Save $70!)
• 📺Amazon Fire TV Stick | $24.99 at Amazon (Save $25!)
• 🎮ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme) | $499.99 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
• 💻Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (Ryzen 5) | $329.99 at Best Buy (Save $250!)
• 💽AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU (8-core) | $164 at Amazon (Save $285!)
• 📺LG C4 OLED 4K TV (42-inches) | $899.99 at Best Buy (Save $500!)
• 💻Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge (X Elite) | $799.99 at Best Buy (Save $550!)
• 💻Dell XPS 13 (X Elite) | $999.99 at Best Buy (Save $500!)
• 🎧Sony ANC Wireless Headphones | $228 at Walmart (Save $122!)
• 💻HP Envy 2-in-1 14 (Ryzen 7) | $649.99 at Best Buy (Save $400!)

More Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals

We at Windows Central are scouring the internet for the best Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals, but there are plenty more discounts going on now. Here's where to find more savings:

• Xbox controller deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 
• Xbox SSD storage deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 
• Gaming headset deals: Walmart | Dell | Target | Best Buy | Amazon 
• MicroSD storage deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 
• Gaming handheld deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 
• Laptop deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 
• Copilot+ AI laptop deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 
• Monitor deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 
• Mini PC deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 
• Gaming keyboard deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell | Newegg 
• Gaming mice deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell | Newegg

Get a great 1440p GPU and one of 2024's best games

This isn't the first time the Radeon RX 7700 XT has dropped to this $350, but it's not something that happens often, and I've never seen AMD throw in not one, but two free games to make the markdown even more enticing. Therefore, this is unquestionably the best time there's ever been to get the GPU, especially since at this price it's undercutting NVIDIA's RTX 4060 Ti — a card the 7700 XT generally outperforms, and one of its direct competitors in Team Green's lineup.

Offering performance that typically falls right between what NVIDIA's RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4070 are capable of, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is one of the best Team Red GPUs available for PC gamers looking to play at 1440p with excellent visuals and smooth, stable framerates. In the latest AAA releases, you can expect around 60-80 FPS at 1440p with your settings maxed out, with that number shooting well into 100+ territory if you go down to High, make use of upscaling tech, or play older or less-demanding titles. As you'd expect, switching ray tracing on cuts those numbers in half, though things like FidelityFX Super Resolution and AMD's newly released Fluid Motion Frames 2 — a driver-level answer to NVIDIA's DLSS 3 Frame Generation — can help you claw some of that performance back.

Overall, the 7700 XT has become a very attractive option for 1440p gaming with its gradual price reductions in 2024, and it's decent — albeit not ideal — for 4K, too. While this deal is available, it's undoubtedly one of the best graphics cards in the mid-range territory that money can buy, though I'd either look for less expensive or more premium alternatives if you're after something for 1080p or 4K, respectively.

I'd recommend buying the card even if copies of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Unknown 9: Awakening weren't thrown in, but they are, which results in even more bang for your buck. The former is one of this year's best PC games and a must-play for shooter fans, co-op lovers, and Warhammer diehards (read our review), while the latter comes out on October 17 and looks to be one of this year's most visually impressive action-adventure titles. Space Marine 2 retails for $59.99 and Unknown 9: Awakening preorders are $49.99, meaning that by taking advantage of AMD's offer, you'll save $110 you'd have to spend on buying these games otherwise. The offer lasts until November 2 or until supply runs out, so make sure you buy your 7700 XT before then.

What you need to know

• Youtuber mryeester was recently challenged by a viewer to test a GPU frozen in a solid block of ice.
• After freezing the GPU in tap water in the first video, mryeester returned to share results from the encased card.
• Thanks to the inclusion of a PCIe riser and monitor cable frozen with the GPU, mryeester connected the card to a PC without issue.
• Despite being frozen solid, the card was able to output video to a monitor.

As a long-time resident of central Canada, where winter temperatures regularly drop to -31°F and beyond, I've toyed with the idea of building a small, contained gaming PC on the outside of my house. I'm cheap and free cooling is free, but I've never actually followed through due to 1) the absurdity and 2) the fact that I'd also have to go outside in the cold weather to troubleshoot or connect accessories.

PC build enthusiast and Youtuber mryeester has long been a master of ... unorthodox tests on PC hardware, and mryeester was recently asked by a viewer whether it's possible to freeze a GPU in a solid block of ice and still get some functionality from it.

As the original video above explains, a PCIe riser and video output cable are connected to the GPU before it goes into the freezer. Mryeester says that the water used is regular tap water instead of distilled and that there are no hydrophobic sprays in use.

Many viewers were quick to point out that the lack of distilled water would cause problems. Tap water is much more conductive due to its inclusion of free ions and particles, whereas distilled water is free of the same impurities. This is as raw as a frozen GPU can get, in other words.

A few days after the original video, mryeester followed up with an exciting conclusion. The GPU was completely frozen in a huge chunk of ice, with only the cables sticking out to be plugged into the PC. 

Surprisingly, despite the built-in GPU fan being encased and unable to move, the lack of distilled water used, and the natural tendency for frozen water to expand (and, you'd think, push all the small components inside the GPU apart), mryeester is able to use the GPU connected to a PC.

As mryeester points out, the CPU fan kicks on immediately; the same can't be said for the GPU fan, which is completely covered. Nevertheless, the GPU is able to send out a signal to the monitor, albeit with some squiggles and glitches apparent on the screen.

The size of the ice block keeps the card cool long enough for mryeester to run a graphics benchmark test, in which it appears in the video the card gets about 4 frames per second running at 2°C. The video ends at about 30 minutes of elapsed time for the GPU. Best part? It's still running the graphics benchmark even after 30 minutes, at which point there is undoubtedly some warmed water around the GPU.

Microsoft recently canceled its underwater data center tests in the North Sea, but I don't think chunks of ice are going to come into vogue anytime soon despite mryeester's findings.

Please don't freeze your GPU in a chunk of ice

The GPU selected to be encased in ice appears to be the GeForce 8400 GS, which you can usually find pre-owned for about $20. It's a mid-range card from 2007, so the 4 FPS achieved in the modern graphics benchmark can't all be blamed on the fact that the GPU is encased in ice. It might even be performing better than if it was air-cooled as intended.

If you, like me, watched this video and immediately began looking around your office for spare PC components to freeze, just be sure you can live without the hardware going forward. Mryeester has yet to provide a third video (we probably won't ever get another follow-up), but I can't imagine the GPU is still running even if the water surrounding it was kept frozen. Electronics and water don't mix, even when the latter is in a different state.

And if you are still using a GeForce 8400 GS as your main gaming GPU, you might consider making an upgrade to a modern graphics card. Prime Day 2024 is happening July 16 and 17, and there are already some tempting Prime Day discounts on GPUs going live. The same goes for Prime Day deals on all other PC components.

At the very least, set the water (even distilled) aside and give the old GPU a thorough cleaning with some 99% isopropyl alcohol that evaporates to prevent lasting dampness. You might see a bump from 4 FPS to 5 FPS in your favorite games.

What you need to know

• The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (Golden Rabbit Edition) launches on February 27th. 
• The card features 80 RDNA 3 compute units and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory.  
• The Radeon RX 7900 GRE is releasing below price expectations at $549 to compete with NVIDIA's 4070 and 4070 Super options. 

Team Red (AMD) punches back after the recent successful launch of NVIDIA's Super line of GPUs for its 40 series of cards. The resounding response around the new AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE is that it's a great card for an unbeatable price. It's quite impressive to see these specs in a card for $549 when I just bought the NVIDIA 4070 Super FE for $599 and it only comes with 12 GB of RAM. 

Let's take a look at what comes with the Radeon RX 7900 GRE and if it's worth picking up on day one. 

Is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE good? 

While we have yet to get our hands on a review unit here at Windows Central, the consensus online seems to be that the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE is the best RDNA 3 GPU ever as far as performance for the price. The price also came in under what was expected compared to the cost of the card in its previous markets. 

While the 7900 GRE is not as powerful as the 7900 XT, it's not that far behind especially considering the price. It also has a lower power consumption than the 7900 XT with the new graphics card rated for a 260W TGP. Here is a list of the specifications for the new-to-the-west GPU.

• Compute Units - 80
• Boost Frequency - Up to 2245 MHz
• Game Frequency - 1880 MHz
• Ray Accelerators - 80
• AI Accelerators - 160
• Peak Half Precision Compute Performance - 92 TFLOPs
• Peak Single Precision Compute Performance - 46 TFLOPs
• Stream Processors - 5120
• Transistor Count - 54 B
• AMD Infinity Cache Technology - 64 MB
• Memory Speed - Up to 18 Gbps
• Max Memory Size - 16 GB
• Memory Type - GDDR6
• Memory Interface - 256-bit
• Memory Bandwidth - Up to 576 GB/s
• Effective Memory Bandwidth - Up to 2250
• DisplayPort - 2.1
• HDMI - 2.1
• USB Type-C - Yes

How does the RX 7900 GRE perform?

According to reports from awesome outlets like Gamers Nexus, the RX 7900 GRE from Sapphire that they were testing seems to be outperforming both the RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 Super in a lot of games when Ray Tracing is off. Once Ray Tracing is enabled though the AMD card seems to lag behind. Give their video a watch for a full breakdown and keep your eyes peeled here at Windows Central for our review in the future. 

Just to give a few benchmark results from the above Gamers Nexus video, the Radeon RX 7900 GRE was able to achieve an average of 91 FPS in Starfield at 1440p, 156.8 FPS at 1440p in Resident Evil 4, and even 106 FPS in GTA 5 at 4K resolution. If you're looking to play your library of AAA games in 1440p at 60 FPS or higher, this card should be able to do that for you.

That being said, in the Cyberpunk 2077 Ray Tracing tests, the RX 7900 GRE doesn't hold up as well. At 1080p medium settings with Ray Tracing enabled in Cyberpunk 2077, the RX 7900 GRE was only able to average 57 FPS. So be aware if you want to push the best visual fidelity, you're better off going with an RTX 4080 Super or RTX 4090.

Should you buy an AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE?

Honestly, if you're in the market for a new GPU and ray tracing isn't a super big factor in your gaming experience, this is one of the best cards you can pick up in the $500 range. I have a 4070 Super FE and while it does everything I need it to, the 12GB of RAM might end up being a limiting factor in a couple of years as games get more VRAM-dependent. 

"The Radeon™ RX 7900 GRE graphics card is ready to render the games of today and tomorrow at max settings with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. Featuring 80 unified AMD RDNA 3 compute units, harness the power of advanced AI technology and raytracing accelerators to enable an incredible gaming and streaming experience at 1440p and 4K," says AMD's website. 

I have several friends that have the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT and absolutely love it, and while the 7900 GRE isn't as powerful as the 7900 XT it's also $150 cheaper but should still perform amazing in most games at 1440p. 

I don't see any negatives or cons with the RX 7900 GRE and based on all of the reviews online, it should be a great pick-up that will be viable for years to come. 

What you need to know

• AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution will soon support upscaling videos on YouTube and within VLC.
• AN upcoming Radeon Adrenaline Software update will add support for FSR when watching YouTube videos.
• A future update to VLC will add FSR upscaling and hardware-based noise reduction at some point in Q1 2024.
• NVIDIA has a similar feature that uses RTX Video Super Resolution for upscaling videos.

AMD is about to roll out its video upscaling tech for both online and offline playback. As reported by TweakTown, AMD is working on FidelityFX Super Resolution support for upscaling videos through YouTube and VLC. The news came from AMD's presentation at CES 2024.

The support of video upscaling by FSR is both a welcome addition for anyone who has an AMD GPU that supports the feature and welcome competition for NVIDIA. NVIDIA's RTX Video Super Resolution stands mostly unchallenged at the moment when it comes to video upscaling. Hopefully, AMD rolling out competing tech will drive the companies to push each other.

What is FidelityFX Super Resolution?

FidelityFX Super Resolution, or FSR for short, is an upscaling technology that improves image sharpness and clarity. It's primarily a gaming feature that can upscale supported titles to higher resolution.

AMD is on its third generation of FSR and the library of supported titles continues to grow. The feature also improves frame rates quite a bit on supported games, though results vary based on your system's hardware and the game you're playing.

While FSR is on its third version, AMD did not specify which version of the upscaling technology will roll out for video playback.

Of course, today's announcement isn't about playing games. Instead, AMD's latest news is about video playback. The company only shared a single image of FSR in action for video playback, so we'll have to wait to see how it does in real-world testing. A still frame doesn't really show much when discussing a video upscaling feature.

To use AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, you need a system with supported graphics. Notably, several NVIDIA GPUs are on the list:

• AMD Radeon 6000 Series
• AMD Radeon 6000M Series
• AMD Radeon 5000 Series
• AMD Radeon 5000M Series
• AMD Radeon VII Graphics
• AMD Radeon RX Vega Series
• AMD Radeon 600 Series
• AMD Radeon RX 500 Series
• AMD Radeon RX 480/470/460 Graphics
• AMD Ryzen Desktop Processors with AMD Radeon Graphics
• AMD Ryzen Mobile Processors with Radeon™ Graphics
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20 Series 
• NVIDIA GeForce 16 Series
• NVIDIA GeForce 10 Series

Offline video upscaling

Upscaling YouTube videos is a welcome addition, but I'm particularly excited for upscaling offline content by using VLC. The Radeon Adrenaline Software update that adds video upscaling should ship within the first three months of 2024, so we don't have to wait long.

VLC is a popular app for playing videos. It supports a wide library of standards and file formats. The app has an impressive feature set, especially considering that it's free. VLC already works with NVIDIA RTX Video Super Resolution. Soon, it will feature AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution as well. That broadens the pool of how many PCs can upscale offline content.

While streaming videos online is king in 2024, offline content still has a place. Personal and professional videos are often stored offline and played locally. My PC has an NVIDIA RTX 3070 inside, so I can already upscale local videos. I'm curious to see how AMD's similar software feature compares.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is potentially looking into a new technique that will allow it to use a "specialized liquid" to cool its AI chips.
• The company unveiled an advanced AI chip in November dubbed Maia 100 chip, which ships with a cold plate with cool water tucked beneath it to prevent it from frying.
• This is amid local water supply concerns, as the technology consumes up to one water bottle for cooling per query.

Generative AI is probably one of the most discussed topics this year across the board in the tech world. Many organizations have shifted focus to the tech in the past few months, with Microsoft at the forefront after its multi-billion dollar investment, which extended its partnership with OpenAI.

Admittedly, Microsoft has achieved incredible milestones by integrating AI across most of its products and services. Barely a month after the company debuted Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) Bing crossed 100 million daily active users. 

While all this is impressive, running an AI-powered chatbot is no easy feat. We already know OpenAI spends up to $700,000 on a daily basis to keep ChatGPT running. Not forgetting the local water supply concerns, as Copilot and ChatGPT consume an entire water bottle for cooling per query. 

Microsoft addresses local water supply concerns with specialized liquids for cooling its AI chips

With this in mind, both OpenAI and Microsoft have heavily invested in fans as well as a steady water supply to ensure that operations run seamlessly. Without an adequate supply of water and fans, the AI chips will simply fry due to the enormous amount of heat produced throughout the entire process.

This is both a daunting and expensive venture, which prevents companies like Microsoft from realizing the full potential of AI. According to a spot by Bloomberg, Microsoft is well on its way to pulling itself out from under this hazardous rug. While making its debut in advanced chip making for AI last month, the company unveiled its brand new Maia 100 chip.

READ MORE: Microsoft enters the chip game with its own Arm processors for AI and computing workloads

The Maia 100 chip is designed to take on NVIDIA's top-of-the-line products. And unlike previous chips used in AI ventures, Microsoft's flagship AI chip ships with a cold plate. As the name suggests, it's designed to ensure that the semiconductor remains cool at all times. The cold plate features a cold fluid tucked at the bottom of the chip to prevent it from overheating.

Per Bloomberg's report, this could just be the starting point, as Microsoft could potentially explore full immersion cooling if everything goes according to plan. The servers will essentially be immersed in a "specialized liquid" to ensure that operations run smoothly without any fear that the chips might overheat.

Do you think the specialized liquid approach for cooling AI chips is a permanent solution for Microsoft? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

What you need to know

• NVIDIA's revenue for Q3 2023 currently stands at $18.12 billion, with profits at $10.42 billion, which makes it the most profitable semiconductor chip brand ahead of Intel and Samsung.
• This translates to a 206% year-over-year increase due to the high demand for AI chips.
• Microsoft and Meta are its biggest clients, buying 150,000 H100 GPUs each.

The US government recently imposed new exportation rules on chipmakers like NVIDIA, banning them from shipping AI chips to China over security concerns. This happened shortly after President Biden issued an Executive Order addressing AI safety and privacy concerns, which consequently blocked a shipment worth $5 billion headed to China.

Biden's administration insists that the move isn't in place to run down China's economy but to ensure safety guardrails are in place to ensure the technology isn't leveraged for ill purposes. However, China has seemingly found a workaround for this via its GPU recycling factories. The move has negatively impacted China and chipmakers shipping the components.

But despite all these setbacks, NVIDIA has seemingly emerged victorious, taking the crown as the most profitable semiconductor chip brand in the world ahead of Samsung and Intel, according to Tom's Hardware.

Rising demand for AI turns lucrative for NVIDIA

This doesn't come as a surprise, given the high demand for chips due to the rapid growth of generative AI-related ventures. In Q1 2023, NVIDIA came in at fourth place, but it has since climbed the ropes and is now the largest semiconductor firm in Q3 2023.

RELATED: Microsoft enters the chip game with its own Arm processors for AI and computing workloads

According to Taipei-based financial analyst Dan Nystedt's findings, NVIDIA's revenue for Q3 2023 currently stands at $18.12 billion, while its profit is $10.42 billion. This translates to a 206% year-over-year increase, with most of the profit stemming from AI chip sales. 

Per a report by Omdia (which specializes in market tracking), Meta and Microsoft are NVIDIA's largest purchasers of H100 GPUs. Each company bought approximately 150,000 H100 GPUs from the chipmaker, which is significantly more than what Google, Amazon, Oracle, and Tencent purchased when combined — each purchased  50,000 processors. 

TSMC, on the other hand, generated $17.28 billion in revenue and made a $7.21 billion profit. Intel staggered behind it with $14.16 billion and $8 million in losses. Finally, Samsung generated $12.52 billion in revenue and made significant losses of $2.86 billion. Samsung is arguably the largest memory chipmaker, but it's facing losses due to the drop in price for memory chips and the fact that potential customers have become more cautious when making purchases of these components.

Do you think NVIDIA will be able to meet the rising demand for AI chips? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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What you need to know

• The US government recently imposed new exportation rules preventing chipmakers from shipping graphic cards to China, citing concerns over uncontrolled military AI advances.
• While chipmakers like NVIDIA have since pulled their products from Chinese websites,  Chinese graphics card recycling factories are dismantling GeForce RTX 4090 gaming cards and repurposing them into AI accelerators.
• Following the imposed exportation rules, the price of these cards has skyrocketed.

The US government recently imposed export rules preventing chipmakers like NVIDIA from shipping chips to China (including the GeForce RTX 4090), citing AI safety concerns. However, the US government highlighted that the move wasn't designed to run down China's economy, further indicating that it was a safety measure to prevent using the chips in military advances.

While it's evident that the rules have heavily impacted China, this hasn't hindered or deterred advances in other areas, particularly when it comes to AI workloads. A user from Tieba Baidu forums recently visited a Chinese factory specializing in recycling graphic cards. The user witnessed the workers at the plant tear the RTX 4090, allowing them to extract the AD102 silicon and GDDR6X memory modules. 

According to a spot by our sister site, Tom's Hardware, the workers could repurpose these components onto a "special reference" PCB with a blower-style cooler. Tom's Hardware states that the entire process is similar to "organ traffic" since the factory only preserves the GPU and GDDR6X chips during disassembling, dumping the rest of the components to second-hand markets.

The goal is to reduce the GeForce RTX 4090's footprint and eventually replace it with a compact blower style capable of converting them into AI accelerators. Admittedly, you can already use the GeForce RTX 4090 for AI workloads, but it's huge and can occupy up to four PCI slots. As such, it makes much more sense to go the blower-style cooler way, as it only takes up two PCI slots. This ultimately allows you to add more RTX 4090 GPUs into the clusters.

Before the US government's newly imposed exportation rules, accessing RTX 4090 blower graphics cards was next to impossible. But with the graphics card recycling factories in place, getting one in China is now possible.

The exportation ban's costly implication on China

Following the US government's newly imposed exportation rules, chipmakers like NVIDIA have pulled their products from Chinese websites. This has forced vendors to price the remaining GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards exorbitantly, shooting to even $2,700. The impact cuts across the board have also affected the price of the Ada Lovelace graphics cards and the GeForce RTX 3090.

President Biden recently issued an Executive Order designed to help put guardrails and safety measures in place to help govern AI use. It's unclear if the recycling and repurposing of these graphic cards to serve as AI accelerators falls within this bracket.

Do you think the US government's exportation ban on China is justified? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.  

What you need to know

• A computer science student deciphered a single word from the Herculaneum scrolls using AI.
• The model was trained on an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070.
• The Herculaneum scrolls are heavily charred, making them almost impossible to decipher.

The NVIDIA 1070 may not be one of the best graphics cards anymore, but it managed to earn one scientist $40,000. Luke Farritor, a computer science undergrad at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and former SpaceX intern, used the graphics card to decipher ancient Roman scrolls, which earned him a pretty penny for completing the Vesuvius Challenge. Nat Friedman, the CEO of GitHub, organized the challenge to drive historical breakthroughs using technology.

The Herculaneum scrolls look more like a piece of ash than ancient scrolls, which is exactly the problem. The artifact is so heavily damaged that it's practically impossible to read. X-rays provide some insight, but the resulting images are difficult to interpret due to the ink on the Herculaneum scrolls appearing similar to the burned pages.

Farritor trained an AI model with an GTX 1070 to detect "crackle patterns" that show where ink used to be. NVIDIA shared a blog post on the discovery and Tom's Hardware provided further insight.

The AI model deciphered the word πορφυρας (or porphyras) which means either "purple" or purple dye used in clothing. Discovering that word alone earned Farritor $40,000.

Looking at the charred remains of the Herculaneum scrolls, it's impressive that anything of value can be deciphered. Others have earned smaller prizes of $10,000 for confirming the appearance of πορφυρας (or porphyras) and demonstrating that "significant amounts of ink were waiting to be discovered within the unopened scrolls," as explained by NVIDIA.

Now that a single word has been deciphered, the next challenge is to find passages that are 144 characters long. That figure was chosen to match the original length of a tweet, though X (formerly Twitter) now allows longer posts. Anyone who retrieves four distinct passages from the scrolls will earn a prize of $700,000.

What you need to know

• NVIDIA will announce up to three GeForce RTX 40 Super graphics cards at CES 2024, according to recent reports.
• NVIDIA usually holds a GeForce Special Address in January, but it appears the company will focus its efforts on CES 2024 instead.
• An RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4070 Super are the expected GPUs.

NVIDIA usually has something special, or rather super, in store for January. The company held its GeForce Special Address in January 2023, at which it announced its RTX 40 Series laptop CPUs. Rather than at its own event, NVIDIA is now expected to announce another wave of RTX 40 GPUs at CES 2024.

A report by VideoCardz shares that NVIDIA is expected to announce the RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4070 Super at CES 2024. It's not confirmed that all three GPUs will be announced, but up to three graphics cards will reportedly make an appearance.

It's also not known if NVIDIA will announce the three graphics will be announced and shipped together or separately.

What are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX Super GPU specs?

Specs for some NVIDIA GeForce RTX Super GPUs appeared online late last month. According to the leak, the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super will potentially bump up its memory from 12GB to 16GB. That same graphics card will also increase from 192-bit 192-bit 21 GT/s GDDR6X to 256-bit 22.4 GT/s GDDR6X, based on the report. Additionally, that GPU will reportedly feature 8448 CUDA Cores, up from the 7680 seen in the non-Super version.

The RTX 4080 Super is also expected to have increased specs but will reportedly have fewer differences when compared to its non-Super counterpart. The recent leak states that the RTX 4080 Super will have 10240 CUDA cores, which is a jump from the 9728 seen in the RTX 4080. The memory specs of the RTX 4080 Super will be the same as the RTX 4080, according to the leak.

Similarly, the RTX 4070 Super is only expected to see a CUDA core count increase when compared to the RTX 4070. The RTX 4070 Super should have 7168 CUDA cores if the leak proves accurate. The RTX 4070 has 5888 CUDA cores.