AMD’s RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are strong contenders among top-tier graphics cards, yet the RX 9070 faces a challenging position in the current GPU landscape. With the recent launch of the RX 9070 GRE, the standard variant may be at risk. Recent leaks indicate that the pricing for the two cards will be strikingly similar, which could spell trouble for both models.
The RX 9070 GRE (Great Radeon Edition) has officially debuted in China, as noted by IT Home. This graphics card does feature some downgraded specifications compared to both the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070, which was expected, similar to the RX 7900 GRE that turned out to be quite impressive.
AMD’s RX 9070 GRE is equipped with 3,072 cores (or 48 compute units), a peak clock speed of up to 2.79GHz, and 12GB of GDDR6 memory over a 192-bit interface, purportedly clocked at 18Gbps (according to VideoCardz). This choice raises eyebrows, especially since the majority of the RDNA 4 lineup boasts 20Gbps memory speeds. If accurate, these 18Gbps modules would yield an effective bandwidth of 432GB/s.
The specifications place the RX 9070 GRE squarely between the RX 9070 and the anticipated RX 9060 XT. AMD claims that it will be 6% faster than the RX 7900 GRE. While this margin may seem minimal, the RX 7900 GRE is often sold out or priced excessively, giving the RX 9070 GRE an opportunity to excel, even without major performance improvements.
The current GPU market conditions may pose challenges for the RX 9070 non-XT as well. The RX 9070 GRE is anticipated to be a step down, but its price point is rumored to hover just below that of the RX 9070. In China, the RX 9070 is priced at 4,449 Chinese yuan (RMB), while the RX 9070 GRE may start at 4,199 RMB—making it only 7% cheaper.
Given that the RX 9070 is priced closely to the RX 9070 XT, it could soon face another competitor in the RX 9070 GRE. With their prices so closely aligned and performance likely not significantly differing, many gamers might prefer the GRE option. However, it’s worth noting that all three GPUs are currently performing well in the market despite being priced above their suggested retail prices (MSRP).
Currently, AMD has not confirmed a global release for the RX 9070 GRE. Yet, with the last-gen model being a China-only launch before going global, it’s likely that the same path will occur for the RX 9070 GRE. For now, we’ll have to wait for further developments.
