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- AMD’s RX 9070 and XT versions offer significantly better performance under $600 but still need a price cut to stay competitive.
- Nvidia’s new GPUs hit $2,000, with supply shortages continuing to frustrate gamers.
- Intel’s Arc B-series is outperforming its rivals in the budget segment, potentially pushing AMD and Nvidia to offer better deals in the future.
In 2025, the way we experience games has changed significantly due to ultra-realistic graphics, thanks to advancements in hardware and software technologies. At CES 2025, Nvidia introduced many new GPUs and DLSS advancements, while AMD revealed the Radeon RX 9070 and its XT version.
Despite these advancements, one thing remains stagnant, the high price of GPUs. This is a big issue for PC gamers, as many prefer PC gaming, but with GPUs costing over $600, affordability is becoming a major concern. The competition between Nvidia and AMD isn’t leading to the price cuts that gamers need.
RX 9070 Series Under $600: Still Overpriced
According to our testing, AMD is offering better performance with the RX 9070 compared to Nvidia’s RTX 5070 at the same price of $550. However, its XT version is significantly better than the 9070 with only a small price difference, featuring 16GB of VRAM, which is excellent for gaming at higher resolutions.
The RX 9070 is a solid card compared to Nvidia, but when comparing the card with its XT version, the major downside is the pricing strategy. We tested both and found the XT version is offering much better performance with only $50 more, making it a more appealing choice for consumers.
This isn’t the first time AMD has applied this strategy. Previously, with the RX 7900 XT and 7900 XTX, AMD did the same thing. Our testing indicates that the XT version significantly underperforms compared to the XTX version. However, their prices were too similar, making the XTX the better value. The same issue is now happening with the RX 9070.
Last time, AMD had to lower the price of the RX 7900 XT to counter Nvidia’s GPUs. According to our evaluation, RX 9070 is better than RX 7900 XT in performance at a cheaper price. Lowering its price below $500 would challenge Nvidia and make the 9070 a clear choice over the XT version for budget-conscious gamers.
Nvidia’s Pricing Strategy Needs A Reality Check
There’s no doubt that Nvidia has been dominating the GPU market for years, and with the GeForce RTX 50 series, it is pushing the boundaries of gaming visuals even further. However, Nvidia’s latest GPUs are facing supply shortages and pricing issues.
We tested some of Nvidia’s latest GPUs and found the RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti good cards, but they are too expensive for many PC gamers to justify spending on a single component. Additionally, the RTX 5090, the most powerful GPU on the market hit $2,000, making it unaffordable for gamers.
Nvidia should rethink its pricing strategy, as most gamers won’t overspend on a single component. Moreover, unlike AMD, Nvidia isn’t producing enough stock, leading to availability issues. If AMD continues selling the RX 9070 XT at a competitive price, Nvidia will have to respond, otherwise, the company risks losing customers.
We don’t recommend gamers spend more than $500 on a GPU for great gaming visuals, as upscaling technologies now enhance performance and gaming experience. Moreover, AMD is researching a new upscaling technology to further improve performance and visual quality.
The GPU Market Needs Fairer Prices
Graphics card prices have skyrocketed in recent years. The community is shocked by how much inflation is affecting PC part prices, but the biggest factor remains Nvidia and AMD’s pricing strategy. Both companies refuse to lower prices, knowing that a major portion of gamers will still buy their products.
A high-end GPU now costs more than an entire PlayStation console or Xbox Series X. If someone is willing to invest in an expensive GPU, they won’t want to compromise on other components like the monitor, power supply, or cooling system, making the overall cost unaffordable.
Looking ahead, Intel is also entering the GPU market with its new Arc B-series. While not targeting high-end models yet, according to benchmark results, the Arc B580 outperforms its rivals. With strong budget GPUs Intel could push AMD and Nvidia to offer better deals in the future.
Gamers have been paying too much for too long, and it’s time for a change. We have already stopped upgrading Nvidia’s GPU further. One thing is clear: more gamers will start looking for alternatives if AMD and Nvidia don’t start offering better deals.
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[Wiki Editor]
Ali Rashid Khan is an avid gamer, hardware enthusiast, photographer, and devoted litterateur with a period of experience spanning more than 14 years. Sporting a specialization with regards to the latest tech in flagship phones, gaming laptops, and top-of-the-line PCs, Ali is known for consistently presenting the most detailed objective perspective on all types of gaming products, ranging from the Best Motherboards, CPU Coolers, RAM kits, GPUs, and PSUs amongst numerous other peripherals. When he’s not busy writing, you’ll find Ali meddling with mechanical keyboards, indulging in vehicular racing, or professionally competing worldwide with fellow mind-sport athletes in Scrabble at an international level. Currently speaking, Ali has completed his A-Level GCEs with plans to go into either Allopathic Medicine or Business Studies, or who knows, perhaps a full-time dedicated technological journalist.
Get In Touch: alirashid@tech4gamers.com
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