Asus reveals Nvidia RTX 5070 launch pricing, and while one model is at MSRP – thankfully – the others make me want to give up my search for a next-gen GPU

Asus Prime OC RTX 5070 graphics card with three fans, shown at an angle
(Image credit: Asus)

  • Asus has given us the details of its RTX 5070 launch models
  • Three versions of the RTX 5070 are being launched, and one is at MSRP
  • However, the other two RTX 5070 variants look steeply priced, and there are hints that stock might be scarce (on top of rumors saying the same)

Asus has revealed details of its RTX 5070 graphics cards for the launch day of this new Nvidia GPU – which is today, in case it escaped your attention – and it’s not good news. Unfortunately, it more or less confirms our fears around the potential scarcity of stock, and likelihood of inflated pricing.

VideoCardz was keen-eyed enough to notice the post from Asus on Reddit outlining the RTX 5070 launch details, and there will be three models available to buy later today (in under a couple of hours, in theory).

The positive news is that there is a model from Asus which debuts at the official MSRP set by Nvidia, which is $550 in the US. This is the entry-level Prime flavor of the RTX 5070 (and presumably it’ll be in line with Nvidia’s recommended pricing in other regions, too).

If you want the Prime OC model, though – the overclocked version of this baseline graphics card – Asus has jacked up the asking price to $700.

You’ll need a fatter wallet still to avail yourself of the Asus TUF Gaming edition of the RTX 5070, which tips the scales at $740 – which I should note is only just shy of the MSRP of $750 for the RTX 5070 Ti, a far superior graphics card.

These are the prices you’ll find on the Asus online store in the US, and at other retailers which should follow these MSRPs. Furthermore, those are the only three models launching today, which as I’ll discuss next, is another ominous sign.


Angry PC gamer sitting at a gaming desktop PC and losing

(Image credit: Friends Stock / Shutterstock)

Analysis: Prime mover, but Prime OC – not so much

The fact that Asus is only kicking off with three RTX 5070 models is a pretty hefty hint that stock is going to be very light, as are the suggestions dropped elsewhere in that Reddit post. There is an Asus ROG Strix version of the RTX 5070, we’re told, but it isn’t going to be on sale from the get-go.

Asus states that: “Unfortunately, the ROG Strix cards will not be available Day 1. There is currently no ETA for when these cards will be available.”

That sounds pretty gloomy, then, and Asus doesn’t seem hopeful that the top-end model will be out anytime soon. When you consider this in the cold light of all the rumors about the RTX 5070 having poor levels of supply, once again it looks like this might be an Nvidia Blackwell launch of the paper-thin kind. A field day for scalpers and bots, if you will (again).

The pricing from Asus is worrying here, too, pushing what should be a mid-range GPU into upper-mid-range territory. Okay, so this is to be expected with some top-tier custom graphics cards, but what about the difference between the Asus Prime and Prime OC here – which is $700 vs $550 for a bit of an overclock on the latter. A 27% price increase, in other words.

Granted, we don’t know how much of an overclock it is – Asus still hasn’t listed the boost speeds for these cards, they are still ‘TBD’ on the official specs pages – but still, we can look at the same Prime and Prime OC variants of the RTX 5080 to get a good idea of what to expect.

So, what should you expect? In the case of the RTX 5080, the overclocked Prime heaps on a whole 45MHz to the max clock speed (reaching 2685MHz versus 2640MHz). Okay, so you will be getting a better build quality with the board, no doubt, and maybe more overclocking headroom for enthusiasts – but a price hike of 27% with the RTX 5070’s overclocked version of the Prime feels… opportunistic at best, cynical at worst.

Because Asus knows that these graphics cards are going to fly off the shelves, and so people will probably pay a sizeable premium to secure one (and avoid paying far more of a premium from a scalper, potentially).

At least the entry-level Prime is at its MSRP, but there’s some doubt around that too, with VideoCardz being skeptical about whether a price hike might be applied in short order following today’s launch. Will this card hold at the MSRP level beyond this week? Well, maybe, to be fair, as the base Prime model of the RTX 5070 Ti is still holding at $750 (on the Asus online store, and at Newegg, for example).

But that raises the question I already touched on: why buy the Asus TUF incarnation of the RTX 5070, which remember is pitched at $740, when you could get the Prime 5070 Ti variant instead, for just ten bucks more? (If it wasn’t out of stock, that is).

The Ti spin is so much better, after all, and it absolutely wouldn’t make sense to get the TUF 5070. Unless, of course, it’s the only model actually available, and you’re desperate to get a slice of Nvidia’s Blackwell action. That said, stock of the RTX 5070 is pretty much assured to be shaky at this point, given all the rumors, and so this question will probably be entirely theoretical later today, when sales of the RTX 5070 are live for a few milliseconds – and then inventory runs dry.

We shall see, but the way Asus has lined up pricing for these RTX 5070 models doesn’t make a lot of sense (aside from the perspective of pushing profits).

You might also like...

TOPICS

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Nvidia RTX 5070 Founders Edition GPU shown against a green and black backdrop
Nvidia RTX 5070 early pricing hints at plenty of GPUs at the MSRP – but I’ll believe it when I see it
ASUS ROG Astral LC GeForce RTX 5090 OC Edition liquid cooled graphics card against a blue background
Some RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs have seriously inflated price tags, climbing as high as 70% over MSRP in the case of one Asus model
ASUS ROG Astral LC GeForce RTX 5090 OC Edition liquid cooled graphics card against a blue background
Get ready to pay $1360 more for the RTX 5090 - Asus just raised prices yet again, and AMD's RX 9070 XT is also affected
A closeup of the Nvidia GeForce RTX branding on the 5070 Ti
Nvidia's RTX 5000 GPUs continue to face severe supply issues, with RTX 5070 Ti reportedly being even worse for launch stock than the RTX 5080
MSI RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio OC Side Angle
Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti early pricing rumors are making me fear the worst for the cost of this mid-range GPU
The GeForce RTX logo on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090
Another gloomy Nvidia RTX 5000 rumor suggests next-gen GPUs will be price hiked over the MSRP in many cases, and I’m getting worried now
Latest in GPU
Nvidia logo
Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti could be delayed to mid-April and RTX 5060 to mid-May – is AMD starting to look like a clear winner in the battle of Blackwell vs RDNA 4 GPUs?
An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 leaning against its retail packaging with the RTX 5080 logo visible
Nvidia RTX 5000 series GPUs are finally getting price drops – but there's a catch
AMD RX 9070 GPU models
We won't be seeing any Radeon RX 9000 series GPUs from MSI - AMD prioritizes other board partners instead
PowerColor Red Devil AMD RX 9070 XT graphics card shown side-on
Your next GPU could be from AMD, not Nvidia, if Team Red’s success with PC gamers continues
The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 could power the latest generation of powerful mini PCs
This prototype mini PC demonstrates a massive leap forward for integrated graphics in a console form factor
ASUS ROG Astral LC GeForce RTX 5090 OC Edition liquid cooled graphics card against a blue background
Get ready to pay $1360 more for the RTX 5090 - Asus just raised prices yet again, and AMD's RX 9070 XT is also affected
Latest in News
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Friday, March 21 (game #1152)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, March 21 (game #383)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, March 21 (game #649)
The ASSC Assassin's Creed collection.
The Assassin's Creed x Anti Social Social Club drop includes gaming merch that I wouldn't be embarrassed to wear
Lock on Laptop Screen
Data breach at Pennsylvania education union potentially exposes 500,000 victims
Boston Dynamics all electric Altas
This robot can do a cartwheel better than me and now I'm freaking out – but in a good way