NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 FE Retail Launch Reportedly Pushed to Late March

As we anticipate the official unveiling of NVIDIA’s latest GPU, there’s a bit of a hitch in the launch plans for the GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition. Set to initially hit the shelves tomorrow, gamers will now have to wait until later this month to get their hands on it.

The announcement of the delayed release wasn’t broadcasted by NVIDIA through the usual channels. Instead, Andreas Schilling revealed the news after receiving an email directly from the tech giant. This comes just hours before the embargo on reviews for the RTX 5070 was lifted. Eager consumers who were planning to snag the Founders Edition might find themselves out of luck, at least for the time being. It’s still up in the air whether this postponement will trickle down to other variants, but given the ongoing rumors surrounding stock levels, it’s clear that availability might be tight.

With a tweet echoing the sentiment of many, Schilling shared, “You think you can buy a GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition tomorrow? No, NVIDIA told us 2 1/2 hours before review drop: ‘The RTX 5070 Founders Edition will be available later in March.'”

This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen NVIDIA execute a so-called paper launch, reminiscent of their previous releases like the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti. Despite mixed reviews cropping up online, positioning the RTX 5070’s performance as roughly on par with the RTX 4070 Super, it still offers decent value at a price point of $549.

For those who might miss this release, patience may pay off. The Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are just around the corner, set to launch on March 6th, with reviews going live a day earlier. These cards come with price tags of $599 and $549 respectively, setting the stage for a head-to-head battle with NVIDIA’s offering.

As for the reason behind the delay of the RTX 5070, there’s speculation about technical glitches impacting performance and whispers of supply chain hiccups. Yet, NVIDIA remains silent on these issues, leaving everyone guessing.

While the delay is not what potential buyers wanted to hear, there’s hope that customized AIB versions might still scatter across the globe sooner rather than later. Just yesterday, the GPU popped up on sites like B&H Photo Video, priced right at $549. But if the custom models climb above $600, it might be wiser to look elsewhere unless no other GPUs match its prowess and availability in your area.