- Asus has given us the main points of its RTX 5070 launch fashions
- Three variations of the RTX 5070 are being launched, and one is at MSRP
- Nonetheless, the opposite two RTX 5070 variants look steeply priced, and there are hints that inventory is perhaps scarce (on high of rumors saying the identical)
Asus has revealed particulars of its RTX 5070 graphics playing cards for the launch day of this new Nvidia GPU – which is right this moment, in case it escaped your consideration – and it’s not excellent news. Sadly, it roughly confirms our fears across the potential shortage of inventory, and probability of inflated pricing.
VideoCardz was keen-eyed sufficient to note the submit from Asus on Reddit outlining the RTX 5070 launch particulars, and there shall be three fashions in the stores later right this moment (in below a few hours, in idea).
The optimistic information is that there’s a mannequin from Asus which debuts on the official MSRP set by Nvidia, which is $550 within the US. That is the entry-level Prime taste of the RTX 5070 (and presumably it’ll be in step with Nvidia’s really helpful pricing in different areas, too).
If you need the Prime OC mannequin, although – the overclocked model of this baseline graphics card – Asus has jacked up the asking value to $700.
You’ll want a fatter pockets nonetheless to avail your self of the Asus TUF Gaming version of the RTX 5070, which ideas the scales at $740 – which I ought to notice is barely simply shy of the MSRP of $750 for the RTX 5070 Ti, a far superior graphics card.
These are the costs you’ll discover on the Asus on-line retailer within the US, and at different retailers which ought to comply with these MSRPs. Moreover, these are the one three fashions launching right this moment, which as I’ll talk about subsequent, is one other ominous signal.
Evaluation: Prime mover, however Prime OC – not a lot
The truth that Asus is barely kicking off with three RTX 5070 fashions is a fairly hefty trace that inventory goes to be very gentle, as are the solutions dropped elsewhere in that Reddit submit. There’s an Asus ROG Strix model of the RTX 5070, we’re instructed, nevertheless it isn’t going to be on sale from the get-go.
Asus states that: “Sadly, the ROG Strix playing cards is not going to be accessible Day 1. There’s at present no ETA for when these playing cards shall be accessible.”
That sounds fairly gloomy, then, and Asus doesn’t appear hopeful that the top-end mannequin shall be out anytime quickly. When you think about this within the chilly gentle of all of the rumors concerning the RTX 5070 having poor ranges of provide, as soon as once more it appears to be like like this is perhaps an Nvidia Blackwell launch of the paper-thin sort. A discipline day for scalpers and bots, if you’ll (once more).
The pricing from Asus is worrying right here, too, pushing what ought to be a mid-range GPU into upper-mid-range territory. Okay, so that is to be anticipated with some top-tier customized graphics playing cards, however what concerning the distinction between the Asus Prime and Prime OC right here – which is $700 vs $550 for a little bit of an overclock on the latter. A 27% value enhance, in different phrases.
Granted, we don’t know the way a lot of an overclock it’s – Asus nonetheless hasn’t listed the increase speeds for these playing cards, they’re nonetheless ‘TBD’ on the official specs pages – however nonetheless, we are able to take a look at the identical Prime and Prime OC variants of the RTX 5080 to get a good suggestion of what to anticipate.
So, what must you count on? Within the case of the RTX 5080, the overclocked Prime heaps on a complete 45MHz to the max clock pace (reaching 2685MHz versus 2640MHz). Okay, so you may be getting a greater construct high quality with the board, little question, and possibly extra overclocking headroom for lovers – however a value hike of 27% with the RTX 5070’s overclocked model of the Prime feels… opportunistic at greatest, cynical at worst.
As a result of Asus is aware of that these graphics playing cards are going to fly off the cabinets, and so folks will in all probability pay a sizeable premium to safe one (and keep away from paying way more of a premium from a scalper, probably).
At the least the entry-level Prime is at its MSRP, however there’s some doubt round that too, with VideoCardz being skeptical about whether or not a value hike is perhaps utilized in brief order following right this moment’s launch. Will this card maintain on the MSRP degree past this week? Nicely, possibly, to be honest, as the bottom Prime mannequin of the RTX 5070 Ti remains to be holding at $750 (on the Asus on-line retailer, and at Newegg, for instance).
However that raises the query I already touched on: why purchase the Asus TUF incarnation of the RTX 5070, which bear in mind is pitched at $740, when you possibly can get the Prime 5070 Ti variant as a substitute, for simply ten bucks extra? (If it wasn’t out of inventory, that’s).
The Ti spin is so significantly better, in any case, and it completely wouldn’t make sense to get the TUF 5070. Except, after all, it’s the one mannequin truly accessible, and also you’re determined to get a slice of Nvidia’s Blackwell motion. That mentioned, inventory of the RTX 5070 is just about assured to be shaky at this level, given all of the rumors, and so this query will in all probability be completely theoretical later right this moment, when gross sales of the RTX 5070 are dwell for just a few milliseconds – after which stock runs dry.
We will see, however the way in which Asus has lined up pricing for these RTX 5070 fashions doesn’t make a whole lot of sense (other than the attitude of pushing earnings).
