Best Buy lists most RX 9070 XT GPUs at well above MSRP with price hikes possible

Best Buy shoppers hoping to score an RX 5070 or RX 5070 XT at MSRP are having a frustrating launch day. The U.S. retailer only has a handful of the AMD GPUs listed at $549.99 or $599.99. Even worse, there are indications that prices may rise further after initial supplies run out.

Many buyers focus on the RX 9070 XT since its performance rivals the $750 or higher Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti. AMD announced that the RDNA 4 GPU would sell for as low as $599. However, with no reference card to set the market, manufacturers have flexibility with custom RX 9070 XT prices. Sure enough, overclocked models with fancy RGB lighting are listed for as high as $849.99.

XFX SKUs currently dominate Best Buy's RDNA 4 inventory. The least expensive RX 9070 XT is the XFX Swift with stock clock settings. There is a massive jump up to the next GPU, with the same XFX card priced at $749.99, but in white. The overclocked Mercury varieties with higher power draws are even more expensive.

At Newegg and Micro Center, there are more options for RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT GPUs at MSRP. Buyers can find Gigabyte, Asus, and ASRock cards at $549/599. Not all these models have come in stock at all retailers, so prices easily change. Not surprisingly, the more expensive RDNA 4 GPUs have been easier to obtain so far.

EU retailers have suggested that MSRP opportunities will be short-lived. The Swedish Inet.se explained that to remain profitable, retailers can only sell a limited number of cards before raising prices. North American customers may face the same unpleasant pricing reality. This will likely send many RX 9070 XT models well above the under $700 threshold AMD discussed during its announcement. The only positive news is that RDNA 4 stock levels appear relatively high compared to Nvidia's Blackwell launch.