In an unexpected turn, AMD's highly anticipated Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT graphics cards—initially priced at a tantalizing $550 and $600, respectively—are already seeing substantial price increases from several key retailers. Major outlets like Newegg, Overclockers UK, and Micro Center have quietly upped prices by $50 to $130, raising eyebrows among eager gamers and tech enthusiasts.

Last Thursday, AMD confirmed reports that its partners had the liberty to adjust prices beyond the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) as market demand surged. This week, we are witnessing these price hikes materialize faster than many expected.

Our analysis focused on ten specific models of the Radeon 9070 and 9070 XT that were introduced with those enticing MSRP tags. Shockingly, all of the mentioned models are currently out of stock at all retailers surveyed. However, price changes have already been implemented in anticipation of new shipments. Here’s a breakdown of the observed price adjustments:

AMD Radeon 9070 XT:

- Newegg lists PowerColor’s 9070 XT Reaper at $700, a $100 increase.

- XFX’s 9070 XT Swift is now priced at $730 on Newegg, marking a steep $130 rise.

- ASRock’s 9070 XT Steel Legend is now listed at $670 on Newegg, up $70 from the MSRPs.

- Overclockers UK lists PowerColor's 9070 XT Reaper and Sapphire Pulse 9070 XT at £650, an £80 increase.

- The ASRock 9070 XT Steel Legend has been marked up to £669 at Overclockers UK, which amounts to a £99 increase.

AMD Radeon 9070:

- Micro Center has increased the price of XFX’s 9070 Swift OC to $630, up $80.

- Gigabyte’s 9070 Gaming OC is now priced at $670, reflecting a $130 price hike.

- Overclockers UK has set the price for PowerColor's 9070 Reaper at £570, an increase of £40.

- Sapphire’s Pulse 9070 is also priced at £570, with a £40 increase.

Curiously, not all retailers have adjusted prices yet. Best Buy, which initially listed only one model of the 9070 and 9070 XT at MSRP, has not yet modified its prices, although its stock remains depleted. Micro Center also still features some models listed at MSRP, albeit all of which are out of stock.

On the Nvidia side of the spectrum, things are looking quite different. Currently, there is no similar price gouging noticeable among major U.S. retailers for the Nvidia cards. We’re tracking the RTX 5070 models priced at $550, RTX 5070 Ti at $750, and the RTX 5080 currently priced at $1,000—all still listed at their MSRPs at retailers like Best Buy, Newegg, and Micro Center.

AMD had previously stated their expectation for vendors to offer the new cards at the originally announced prices of $549 and $599, indicating that more inventory would be arriving soon. However, there was no clarification on which partners would honor those prices or how low the stock of these cards would need to dip before prices changed further.

With the graphics card market as volatile as ever, will you take the plunge on these freshly marked-up prices, or wait it out for the chance to snag an AMD 9070 or 9070 XT at their originally intended prices? The clock is ticking!