Excitement is building as the launch of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 series GPUs draws near. Speculation and leaks are swirling around this anticipated mid-range graphics card lineup, with recent buzz surrounding a benchmark leak for the RX 9070 XT. However, AMD has made an official revelation that’s stealing the spotlight. In a recent post, the company has confirmed that its reference designs for the RX 9070 and 9070 XT won’t be available for public purchase.
This announcement follows a mishap where AMD accidentally revealed its GPU shroud design in a Reddit advertisement ahead of schedule. While this isn’t the first time AMD has taken a step back from offering direct-reference cards—it’s a notable shift from their strategy with the RX 7000 series, which saw reference cards on the market, albeit briefly.
Despite AMD’s decision to refrain from selling reference boards, this doesn’t eliminate the possibility of finding these designs on the shelves. Add-in board partners (AIBs) are expected to release graphics cards based on AMD’s reference models. However, this move could possibly lead to a higher price point in the RX 9070 series market as AMD won’t be setting the MSRP baseline.
Reference designs often appeal due to their slimmer form factors, and while they won’t be directly from AMD, some AIBs are anticipated to release dual-slot versions of the RX 9070 and 9070 XT. AMD has also confirmed that the RX 9070 series will officially debut on February 28.
For those planning a gaming rig upgrade, consider pairing these GPUs with the dynamic AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Its price tag currently stands at $548.98 on Amazon. Julian, a tech aficionado, and a fan of hands-on tinkering with open-source projects, emphasizes the importance of tech being user-centric, a firm believer that technology should always be designed with people in mind.
