MSI raising RTX 5070 Ti prices as RX 9070 XT release date approaches

With the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT price starting at $599, the RTX 5070 Ti looks less appealing. Despite comparable specs, manufacturers are hiking prices on the Nvidia GPU. As one example, MSI is now asking for more custom RTX 5070 Ti cards than on their February 20 debut. The situation is reminiscent of the RTX 5080, which jumped in price only a week after release.

The RTX 5070 Ti does not have a Founders Edition, but Nvidia set the price of the non-overlocked GPUs at $749.99. Buyers only had a few opportunities to score the Blackwell card at that mark. Most RTX 5070 Ti options were already above MSRP, and now MSI is demanding more for all its models.

With frequent restocks, the MSI Store has become a popular target for scalpers and gamers. Updated prices show the basic RTX 5070 Ti 16G Shadow 3X now at $819.99 rather than $749.99. The RTX 5070 Ti 16G Ventus 3X OC and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16G Gaming Trio OC Plus have also increased by $70-80. With low stock levels, these GPUs sell for well over $1000 on eBay.

MSI is likely the first of many companies to adjust RTX 5070 Ti prices upwards. Asus received similar condemnation after the price of its $999 Prime RTX 5080 GPU jumped by over $200. Meeting Nvidia's MSRP before release dates allows sites to include the cards in their first batch of reviews. Some analysts believe manufacturers planned to price the GPUs higher before receiving official word from Nvidia.

When the RX 9070 XT arrives, consumers will decide whether the RTX 5070 Ti is worth paying such a premium for. Buyers anxiously await the first full reviews of the RDNA 4 GPUs, including the $549 RX 9070. Of course, if AMD's cards meet expectations, shortages will lead to more inflated pricing.