- AMD's RX 9070 XT is likely to be as low as it'll get in terms of pricing
- Demand for GPUs (and other components) is expected to spike later in the year
- On top of the effects of tariffs, this could mean substantial price hikes for graphics cards, a YouTube leaker tells us
Now might be the perfect time to pounce and buy one of AMD's RX 9070 XT graphics cards, given that the price of this GPU has dropped recently, and it's likely to rise later in 2025.
That's the theory floated by Moore's Law is Dead (MLID), a regular leaker on YouTube, who discusses RX 9070 XT pricing - and the looming specter of GPU price rises more broadly - in the second half of his latest video.
MLID observes that the price tags on the RX 9070 XT have dropped significantly (from nearly $900 down to around $700), coming closer to the MSRP (although still not quite there - the recommended price is $600). It's a similar story in other regions, such as the UK, too, with pricing having dipped a good deal.
That is, of course, good news for potential buyers, but MLID reached out to various sources at retailers and uncovered the other not-so-good news about those possible price increases.
MLID explains that pricing has dipped right now due to slow summer sales - as is expected at this time of year - but that we've likely reached the lowest point. Those retail sources indicate that prices may drop just a touch more, but they're probably more likely to stabilize at the level they're now at.
Going into the final quarter of 2025, we're apparently going to see price hikes, though, beyond the normal seasonal (holiday sales) reasons, that is. The latter will still be a factor here, naturally, but MLID asserts that there will be extra pressure on all PC components - including GPUs - due to businesses being forced to upgrade to Windows 11.
Remember that Windows 10 will reach end of support in October 2025, so this will be a factor in Q4, as organizations place orders for new hardware, driving up demand. Consumers will also play into that demand to a lesser extent.
The third factor in play with potential price increases is that during the third quarter of 2025, we're told the pre-tariff stockpiles of components are set to run dry. All this adds up to a bleak picture for Q4 supply and demand, spiking prices on not just the RX 9070 XT, but all GPUs, and indeed many other components.
What if there are deals struck and all of Trump's tariffs go away later in 2025? Even in that case, due to the nature of shipping electronics and the lengthy transport times associated with cargo ships, we can't expect any stock or pricing relief to materialize in 2025.
Analysis: The bottom line
MLID's bottom line, based on all the talks he has had with sources in retail and distribution, is that we're likely looking at price hikes of 10% to 30% across various tech goods, including GPUs. That's a rather generalized assertion, but nonetheless, a somewhat worrying one - take some seasoning with it, naturally, although the logic behind the YouTuber's thinking makes some sense.
So, we come back to the RX 9070 XT - if you're looking at buying an upper-mid-range GPU for 1440p or 4K gaming, it would seem that July is a good time to buy. Furthermore, remember that we just discovered that the RX 9070 XT is now almost 10% faster than it was at launch, thanks to improvements AMD has ushered in with subsequent versions of its graphics driver.
This means the RX 9070 XT looks a more tempting prospect, especially if you consider that this month may see the cheapest price you're going to get for this excellent AMD GPU. Although yes, the fact that it's still over MSRP may be annoying, I don't deny that - but the 9070 XT is still a whole lot cheaper than the rival RTX 5070 Ti, and a much better value proposition overall.
And speaking of that (also highly rated) Nvidia graphics card, MLID notes that retail sources indicate the RTX 5070 Ti is selling better now, too, and is apparently equaling the 9070 XT at some retailers (though AMD is still ahead at others). That's still a victory for AMD, of course, which in terms of overall desktop GPU market share is way behind Nvidia.
Another thought that may occur to you is: what about Black Friday deals for the RX 9070 XT later this year? Given all this chatter, I wouldn't bank on anything compelling happening there, especially as graphics cards are never one of the strongest areas for price slashing in that sale. The imminent Prime Day, however, is certainly worth keeping a close eye on.
You might also like
- Where to buy AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070: the best retailers in the US and UK to check for stock
- AMD warns its RX 9070 GPUs are strictly ‘UEFI-only’ – but don't panic, here's why this probably doesn’t affect you
- I've reviewed three generations of 3D V-cache processors, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the best there is
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