A Promising Debut Meets Supply Chaos

The highly anticipated AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT hit the market today, March 6, 2025, promising a revolution in mid-range gaming with its $599 price tag and 16GB of GDDR6 memory. Touted as a 1440p powerhouse with near-RTX 4080 performance, the GPU—part of AMD’s RDNA 4 lineup—launched alongside the $549 RX 9070, aiming to outshine Nvidia’s freshly released RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti. Yet, within hours, the triumph of its debut was overshadowed by a familiar tale in the GPU world: sold-out shelves and frustrated buyers.

Retailers across the US, UK, and Europe reported depleted stock by mid-afternoon. Newegg’s listings flipped to "out of stock" before 11:00 AM PST, while Overclockers UK, which started the day with over 1,000 Sapphire Pulse RX 9070 XT units at £569 (roughly $599 USD), exhausted its inventory by 2:30 PM GMT. Amazon and Best Buy faced similar fates, with some buyers alleging that bots and scalpers snapped up cards within minutes. By evening, eBay listings surged, with RX 9070 XT units fetching $850–$950—nearly 60% above MSRP.

Performance That Wows, Supply That Worries

The RX 9070 XT’s specs have gamers and reviewers buzzing. With 64 compute units (4096 cores), a 2.5 GHz boost clock, and a 304W total board power, it delivers impressive 1440p performance and solid 4K results in many titles. AMD’s new FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4), leveraging AI-driven upscaling, has been a standout, narrowing the gap with Nvidia’s DLSS 3. Benchmarks show the RX 9070 XT outperforming the $549 RTX 5070 by 15–20% at 1440p and trading blows with the $749 RTX 5070 Ti, all while boasting 4GB more VRAM than its Nvidia rivals.

“It’s a game-changer for the price,” said tech YouTuber Kyle Grayson, who posted an early review showcasing the card running Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p ultra settings with ray tracing, averaging 85 FPS. “FSR 4 is a leap forward, and 16GB of VRAM future-proofs it for years.” However, Grayson noted weaker ray tracing performance in titles like Black Myth: Wukong, where the RX 9070 XT lagged behind Nvidia’s offerings—a persistent Achilles’ heel for AMD.

Despite the praise, the rapid sell-out has tempered enthusiasm. AMD had touted “unprecedented launch inventory,” with some retailers claiming up to 15 times more RX 9070 XT units than RTX 5070 cards. Yet, the reality fell short. “We saw massive demand—beyond even our highest projections,” an AMD spokesperson told TechPulse, requesting anonymity pending an official statement. “More stock is in the pipeline and should hit stores within days, but we’re working to confirm exact dates.”

A Tale of Two Launches: AMD vs. Nvidia

The RX 9070 XT’s launch comes hot on the heels of Nvidia’s RTX 5070 debut on March 5, which faced its own supply woes and criticism for a $549 price paired with just 12GB of VRAM. AMD’s aggressive pricing and higher memory capacity have won over many gamers, but the sell-out suggests that neither company has fully cracked the supply code in 2025’s GPU race. “AMD had a chance to dunk on Nvidia here, and they half-did it,” said industry analyst Mark Rivera. “Better stock than the RTX 5070, sure, but not enough to meet this hype.”

Adding fuel to the fire, some AIB partners like Asus and MSI released premium RX 9070 XT models at $649–$699, drawing accusations of price gouging. AMD has distanced itself from these hikes, noting that it isn’t offering reference designs for direct sale—a decision some argue leaves pricing vulnerable to partner whims. “MSRP is our target, but partners set their own prices based on cooling, overclocks, and market conditions,” the AMD spokesperson added.

Community Reaction and Market Impact

On X, reactions range from elation to exasperation. “RX 9070 XT is a beast—worth every penny if you can get it,” one user posted alongside a screenshot of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at 120 FPS. Another lamented, “Sold out in 10 minutes? AMD’s ‘supply advantage’ feels like PR spin.” Scalpers, meanwhile, bragged about flipping cards for double the MSRP, reigniting calls for anti-bot measures.

Analysts see the RX 9070 XT as a potential turning point for AMD if supply stabilizes. “This could be their biggest win since the RX 580,” Rivera said. “Nvidia’s stumbling with pricing and stock, and AMD’s got the value proposition nailed. They just need to deliver the goods—literally.” TSMC’s 4nm process, which powers RDNA 4, should help, but global chip demand remains a wildcard.

What’s Next?

AMD has promised restocks “soon,” with rumors pointing to March 10 as a target for major retailers. In the meantime, the RX 9070 XT’s launch has cemented its status as a must-have for budget-conscious gamers—assuming they can find one. As the dust settles, all eyes are on AMD to see if it can turn a chaotic debut into a sustained victory over Nvidia’s faltering mid-range lineup. For now, the GPU wars are heating up, and the RX 9070 XT is at the center of the battlefield.