It turns out that MSI has quietly increased the retail price of its RTX 50-series (Blackwell) GPUs, including models that were supposed to launch at MSRP (via Hardware & Co). This impacts all three Blackwell GPUs released thus far: the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti, though you’d be lucky to find any of the three in ready supply. Making matters worse, MSI’s lowest-priced RTX 5070 Ti is listed with a price tag of $820, with no model available at MSRP.
By definition, MSRP is a manufacturer’s suggested retail price, so Nvidia really has no way to enforce a consistent $749 price tag across all SKUs. AIBs, however, typically launch several MSRP and non-MSRP models, with the latter featuring premium features, enhanced cooling, and exotic designs. The problem is that the GPUs reviewed as MSRP models are no longer available at that price. The absence of a Founders Edition model from Nvidia further exacerbates this issue.
The MSI RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X launched two weeks prior at $749, compliant with Nvidia’s set MSRP. With MSI’s updated prices in effect, this SKU has climbed up to $899, 20% over MSRP, and that’s the lowest price you’ll see at resellers. It’s fair to say that the MSRP is no more than a suggestion. The cheapest model will set you back $820.
Imagine going through all that hassle only to find your GPU has missing ROP units, cutting performance by up to 11% in some scenarios. You fire up an older title only to find that Blackwell no longer supports 32-bit PhysX. At the same time, you’re constantly worried about whether your power connector is seated correctly since Nvidia cut back on failsafe measures for this generation.
AMD seems to be the answer with its $599 RX 9070 XT, which is within 2% of the elusive RTX 5070 Ti. Rumor has it that the RTX 5090 supply is expected to improve this month as Nvidia is reportedly shifting wafer supply from data centers to consumer-grade GPUs.