NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 FE Retail Launch Pushed to Late March

The buzz around NVIDIA’s latest graphics card is in full swing as we approach its official release tomorrow, but there’s a catch: you won’t find the Founders Edition on store shelves until the end of March.

NVIDIA has decided to postpone the retail launch of the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition. Although this update hasn’t come directly from NVIDIA’s official channels, it’s been reported by Andreas Schilling. According to him, NVIDIA reached out via email to inform about this delay. Just a few hours before the scheduled lift of the review embargo for the RTX 5070, this unexpected news landed.

The NVIDIA RTX 5070 Founders Edition, which many were hoping to snag soon, is temporarily off the table for immediate purchase. There’s uncertainty around whether this delay also affects the AIB (Add-In-Board) versions. Considering recent supply updates, it seems the GPU might not be readily available any time soon, potentially leading to another limited-run launch similar to its predecessors—the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti.

Various tech outlets have issued their evaluations of the GeForce RTX 5070, crediting it with performance akin to the RTX 4070 Super. While it might not represent a major leap forward, it delivers more at a fair price point of $549, making the delay even more of a frustration for eager buyers.

If you’re eyeing a powerful new GPU, and the RTX 5070 isn’t available at the suggested retail price, hold off a bit. AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are set to hit the market on March 6 with reviews slated for March 5. Priced at $599 and $549 respectively, these cards will likely pose a solid challenge for the RTX 5070.

As for what led to this availability hiccup for the RTX 5070 Founders Edition, it could be tied to an earlier reported performance bug or supply chain woes with the chips, though NVIDIA hasn’t officially confirmed these issues.

Hope isn’t lost for those seeking the RTX 5070—they might still find the AIB custom editions scattered across the globe. The card was recently spotted on retailer sites like B&H Photo Video, priced at $549 for both standard and overclocked models. However, if the AIB versions creep above the $600 mark, it might be wise to sit tight for other viable alternatives within your region.