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AMD’s upcoming top-tier graphics cards appear to be imminent, but without concrete details, pinpointing when that moment will arrive remains challenging. Nevertheless, a fresh leak from the Chiphell forum suggests that the anticipated launch date for AMD’s RX 9000 series GPUs might have undergone a revision. Intriguingly, the informant suggests that Nvidia could have influenced this alteration.
Before we proceed further, keep in mind that all of this is speculative. At its CES 2025 keynote, AMD scarcely mentioned RDNA 4, leaving the release timelines uncertain. In the past few days, some insiders reiterated a rumored launch date of January 23, but according to Napoleon on the Chiphell forums, that may no longer hold true.
It seems AMD is exercising patience, awaiting Nvidia’s next move. What exactly does that entail? We are aware that the graphics cards are prepared, with two of AMD’s collaborators already presenting them at CES — thus, it is almost certainly not a technical hurdle.
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RDNA4 delay
Waiting for NVIDIA to play their cards firsthttps://t.co/VHwGT2MBuc
— HXL (@9550pro) January 13, 2025
However, it might be related to performance relative to cost. AMD might wish to better understand the capabilities of Nvidia’s RTX 5080 or perhaps even the RTX 5070 to competitively price its own products. Additional information from the Chiphell forums last week hinted that the RX 9070 XT might be priced between $480 and $550, a competitive range considering the card’s purported capabilities. Current leaks suggest it performs similarly to the RTX 4070 Ti or even the RTX 4080, both of which are more expensive.
Determining the validity of this particular leak is challenging. There is no clear evidence that the January 23 date was accurate initially, complicating any evaluation. Nevertheless, we do possess some insights into RDNA 4.
Initially, the GPUs were seen listed at B&H with preorder availability beginning January 23. Consequently, several individuals speculated January 22 as the date for lifting the review embargo, lending credence to the January 23 preorder date. The listings have, however, since vanished from B&H’s platform.
Furthermore, AMD informed us that RDNA 4 would be launched within several weeks. This timeline remains open-ended but clarified it would occur within the first quarter of 2025 — indicating a release prior to March’s conclusion but “not March 31,” as specified by AMD executive Frank Azor.
If the January 23 release date were accurate, AMD could have outpaced Nvidia. The initial RTX 50-series graphics cards are scheduled for release on January 30, with the RTX 5070 Ti and the RTX 5070 following at some point in February. Presently, AMD might not have the urgency to introduce its products before Nvidia, given that the RX 9070 XT is unlikely to compete directly with either. AMD’s offerings occupy a different category in terms of both performance and pricing. We await an official announcement from AMD for the definitive release date.
