NVIDIA enthusiasts eagerly awaiting the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition launch might need to keep their excitement on hold a bit longer. While it was initially expected to hit the shelves tomorrow, NVIDIA has pushed its retail availability to later in March. Although the company hasn’t officially announced this delay, a report from Andreas Schilling indicates that NVIDIA communicated the postponement to him just hours before the review embargo was lifted.
This sudden change means fans anticipating the Founders Edition of the RTX 5070 might find it elusive for a few more weeks. Whether this delay extends to the custom AIB editions remains uncertain, although speculation suggests a limited initial availability based on recent reports.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time such delays have occurred, with previous releases like the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti undergoing similar hurdles. Recent reviews of the RTX 5070 highlight that it delivers performance comparable to the previous RTX 4070 Super. Priced at $549, it still holds reasonable value despite not showcasing major generational advancements.
In the meantime, it might be worth considering alternatives like the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, launching on March 6th, with reviews available the day before. The RX 9070 series offers competitive pricing, making them worthy contenders against the RTX 5070.
The underlying reasons for the RTX 5070’s delayed release remain vague. There have been whispers about bugs impacting performance and supply chain issues with the chips, yet NVIDIA has remained silent on these matters.
Though the Founders Edition is set for a slight delay, the custom AIB versions may still appear soon in various regions. Some online retailers have listed the GPU at an MSRP of $549 for both standard and OC models. However, should prices climb beyond $600 for these versions, it might be wise to consider other options unless availability is severely constrained.
