Key Takeaways
1. A buyer obtained the Asus Prime RTX 5070 Ti OC GPU before its official launch, highlighting retailers’ disregard for embargo dates.
2. The RTX 5070 Ti was purchased for approximately $1250-$1350, significantly above its MSRP, but is currently not very useful due to the lack of available drivers.
3. Similar incidents have occurred with retailers like Proshop, which sold RTX 5090 GPUs to scalper bots without canceling the orders.
4. Anticipated supply for the RTX 5070 Ti is expected to be tight, leading to potential scalper issues and high prices for consumers.
5. The RTX 5070 Ti is projected to offer a 16-18% performance increase over its predecessor, raising questions about its value compared to upcoming AMD cards.
According to a recent post on Reddit, a buyer managed to get their hands on the upcoming Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti gaming GPU before its official launch. The specific model, Asus Prime RTX 5070 Ti OC, was purchased by the original poster (OP) for a price significantly higher than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), though the exact price details were not disclosed. With the RTX 5070 Ti scheduled to launch on February 20th, this situation demonstrates once again that many retailers seem to disregard embargo dates.
Similar Incidents
A comparable situation occurred with European retailer Proshop, which sold nearly all of its RTX 5090 GPUs to a scalper bot that completed the transaction before the embargo ended, and Proshop didn’t even attempt to cancel the orders. The Redditor acquired the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti two days before its official release, although some might contend that the card isn’t very useful to the buyer at this point since drivers aren’t available yet. From additional comments made by the OP, it seems the card was purchased for around $1250-$1350 after taxes.
Future Implications
For those planning to buy a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti on the 20th, they can probably expect the same situation witnessed last month with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 launches. Rumors suggest that the supply of the RTX 5070 Ti will be just as tight as that of its more expensive counterparts, putting gamers at the mercy of scalpers and pre-order lines. With several RTX 5070 Ti listings already appearing at prices over $800, those waiting to buy may need to dip into their savings for a taste of mid-range Blackwell.
Performance Expectations
Based on the information we have so far, the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is expected to show a 16-18% increase in raw gaming performance compared to its predecessor. Whether this improvement justifies the high pricing remains uncertain, especially with AMD preparing to launch its more reasonably priced RDNA 4-based RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT cards early next month.
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