The $1000 RTX 5070 Ti could be the standard moving forward.

      Nvidia's vendor partners aim to maintain high prices for its 50-series graphics cards. Recent reports have noted that MSI has quietly raised the prices of the newly announced RTX 5070 Ti GPU above its recommended MSRP, with some models reaching $1,000. While it has been observed that third-party retailers can set their own prices for components, complaints seem to have prompted a quick adjustment from the vendor. Following initial reports, MSI has changed its pricing for the RTX 5070 Ti 16G Vanguard SoC to $920. Although this remains significantly above the $749 MSRP set by Nvidia at launch, it may help address some concerns raised by critics.

      MSI

      The 50-series graphics cards from Nvidia have faced several issues regarding different launches and stock availability, but the most pressing concern has been the pricing of various GPUs. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti has been on the market for about two weeks since its launch on February 20.

      With high-end models like the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 already experiencing delays and limited availability, many consumers may have considered the RTX 5070 Ti as a more affordable mid-range option. Seeing price increases so soon in the launch period could be worrying for buyers looking to explore options.

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      It is noteworthy that MSI attributed its price increases to its custom retailer-exclusive branding, which could include features like higher clock speeds compared to the standard chip. The vendor is offering this version of the GPU at the standard price, alongside several special edition models of the RTX 5070 Ti priced well above the MSRP. These include the RTX 5070 Ti 16G Shadow 3X at $820 and the RTX 5070 Ti 16G Vanguard SoC, which was previously listed at $1,000.

      MSI

      Wccftech pointed out that the price of the RTX 5080 Founders Edition matches that of the overpriced custom RTX 5070 Ti from MSI, despite the latter being less powerful, which raises concerns about its value. This likely alarmed enthusiasts, especially since MSI's base model had a price increase without any specific enhancements.

      Meanwhile, the RTX 5070 Ti is not the only Nvidia graphics card facing price hikes amid high demand and limited stock. The RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 have been available since January and are also difficult for consumers to obtain, likely due to market inflation by scalpers. Nvidia announced the RTX 5080 at $1,000 and the RTX 5090 at $2,000, but MSI is selling the RTX 5080 Ventus 3X starting at $1,140 and the RTX 5080 Suprim Liquid SoC for $1,500. Likewise, the RTX 5090 Ventus 3X is priced at $2,400, while the RTX 5090 Suprim Liquid SoC goes for $2,800.

      Additional vendor challenges

      In addition to complicated pricing practices, vendors are currently facing quality assurance issues with some of the latest GPUs. Although some customers have acquired 50-series graphics cards, these components have encountered various hardware issues. Recent reports revealed a specific functionality problem in which the GPU may possess fewer ROPs (Raster Operations Pipeline units) than necessary to adequately render 3D images. This problem has mainly affected the RTX 5090 graphics chip and also the RTX 5090 / 5090D and 5070 Ti GPUs.

      While it appears to impact a limited number of units, reports have noted that GPUs from brands such as Zotac, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, Palit, and Nvidia have experienced issues. Nvidia has publicly acknowledged the problem; however, it ultimately falls on the individual vendors to resolve the issues and provide servicing options to consumers. Component problems are common, but the simultaneous push for higher prices by official vendors raises suspicions.

      Consumer preference

      The rollout of the RTX 50-series has encountered numerous obstacles. Nonetheless, consumers have remained loyal to the RTX brand, with older and more affordable Nvidia GPU models gaining popularity. A recent Steam Hardware and Software Survey revealed that users are favoring predecessor components, with the RTX 4060 being the most popular graphics card among users on the platform. Launched in June 2023, this graphics card retails between $300 and $350, making it both competitively priced and readily available. Other popular choices for Steam users include the RTX 3060 and the RTX 4060 Ti.

      As Nvidia looks to phase out certain legacy functions, like PhysX on 32-bit CUDA for newer graphics cards, enthusiasts are attempting to pair older GPUs like the RTX 3050 with newer models such as the RTX 5090 that lack those capabilities. Critics have remarked that the newer components are excessively priced given their lesser functionality compared to older models. However, Nvidia and its partners likely hope that consumers will overlook these factors and