The disappointing “paper launch” continues. Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti is just a couple of days away from launch, but whether it’ll actually be readily available is another thing entirely. Although it could rival some of the best graphics cards, the GPU is said to be hard to come by, much like the RTX 5090 and the RTX 5080.
It appears that my worries might be about to come true — the RTX 5070 Ti will only be available on paper and not in reality, at least if this new leak is to be believed. Channel Gate shared an update on the predicted pricing and stock levels for the RTX 5070 Ti, and it’s grim news all around.
According to sources “close to the supply chain,” it seems that the demand for the RTX 5070 Ti will be higher than what Nvidia’s partners are prepared to meet. That’s been the case with the other two RTX 50-series cards that are currently out, too. They were sold out within minutes of the launch, and are still unavailable outside of expensive prebuilts right now. Some sources claim that the RTX 5090 won’t be back until Junethe RTX 5090 won’t be back until June, and the RTX 5080 faces a similar wait ahead.
Meanwhile, the RTX 5070 Ti may appear on the shelves, but at highly inflated prices. Channel Gate expects the RTX 5070 Ti to be far pricier than the RTX 5080, with prices reaching up to $1,100.
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Some U.S. retailers have already listed the card, and VideoCardz spotted the RTX 5070 Ti with prices ranging from $750 to $1,009. Every model, bar one, was priced at $900 and up — a whopping $150 above the recommended list price (MSRP). Best Buy currently has a few different Asus models, and the cheapest one is priced at $900.
Now, with reports of limited supply, it seems that there’ll be little incentive for these prices to drop. The RTX 5080 is currently unavailable at most retailers, and even when it does appear, models sold at way over MSRP are not unusual. The RTX 5070 Ti is likely to face the same fate, with low stock levels and high prices.
Gamers in need of upgrades should probably hold off instead of paying scalper premiums (or even an extra $250 at legitimate retailers). The prices may drop over time, although I don’t see the situation improving for a good few months. Rumor has it that stock levels should improve by April, so if you’re in no rush, you might be better off waiting, as even the RTX 4070 Ti Super is overpriced right now in response to the “paper launch” of the new generation.
