AMD's 9000-series GPUs sell for up to $2,000 as opportunistic scalpers take control

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AMD's just-launched RDNA4 GPUs are now hitting marketplaces at over three times the MSRP.

screenshot of AMD RX 9070XT listing on Amazon listed at more than $2,000
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

AMD announced its latest RDNA 4 GPUs last week, with the cards on sale just a few days ago. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 graphics cards deliver excellent value, and given that Team Red had weeks, if not months, to prepare for it, we expected these GPUs to have ample supply. Some retailers claimed they have thousands of RX 9070 XT GPUs of a single model in stock and are ready to sell come March 5.

However, it seems that the alleged good supply of AMD’s RDNA4 GPUs is not enough to satisfy the demands of gamers. We looked around major PC retailers like Micro Center and Newegg only to find almost all listings out of stock. Even Best Buy is mainly sold out, so even if you know where to buy AMD Radeon RX 9070 series GPUs, you’ll likely not find them available now.

On the other hand, when we checked listings for these GPUs on Amazon, we found some stores selling them at prices way beyond the MSRP of $549 and $599. For example, we saw a listing for an XFX Mercury RX 9070 XT OC Magnetic Air White Edition for $2,024.99 — more than three times the suggested retail price. We also saw an Asus TUG Gaming RX 9070 XT OC Edition selling for $1,795.00.

Image 1 of 2
out of stock AMD RX 9070XT on best buy
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Note that major retailers or manufacturers don’t sell these items; instead, they’re offered by third-party shops with an online storefront on the e-commerce platform. Surprisingly, scalpers on eBay and Facebook Marketplace are a bit more reasonable, with many asking between $700 and $1,500 for an RX 9070 XT.

Of course, we are disappointed to see ‘Out of Stock’ signs again on GPU listings, with scalpers putting them up for sale at ridiculous prices. Intel launched the Arc B580 entry-level GPU to great acclaim late last year, but it’s still mostly out of stock even after several months. Nvidia has had it worse, admitting a GPU shortage for its 50-series GPUs.

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overpriced AMD RX 9070XT listings in ebay
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

We can hardly blame AMD for the situation, though, as it seems the company had more stock at launch than Nvidia or Intel ever had. It could be that the pent-up demand for mid-range GPUs that neither Team Blue nor Team Green could satisfy finally burst like a dam and gobbled up all available RDNA 4 GPUs.

Until these companies announce how many chips they’ve produced and poured into the market before a launch, we can’t explain why these shortages happen, especially as we’re already over the supply chain crisis caused by the 2019 global pandemic. But remember, no matter how excited you are for a new GPU, you should never purchase from these scalpers.

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Jowi Morales
Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer

Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

48 Comments Comment from the forums
  • DS426
    I think I'm going to switch to console gaming... LOL!
    Reply
  • A Stoner
    DS426 said:
    I think I'm going to switch to console gaming... LOL!
    Maybe i am too rich for my own good, but I detest consoles, or more realistically, the controllers that are required to run them enough, I am willing to pay significantly more for a powerful PC than use them. I am good with a keyboard/mouse, and terrible at using the controllers.
    Reply
  • A Stoner
    At pcpartpicker I see plenty of sub $2000 RTX 5080 cards available. While the 9070 XT might be better than the 5070 and close enough to the 5070TI and certainly better with the MRSP price difference, I do not think it is a match at all for the RTX 5080 with price parity at $2000 or even if you are looking at the less drastic scalper prices in the post $1500 range.
    Reply
  • Giroro
    Scalping is big business. I hear some of these scalping companies have hundreds of employees. It takes organization, investors, and automation to manipulate a market - not just a bunch of random people trying to make a few hundred bucks on ebay.

    I'm suspicious that, this time around, the scalping industry had enough capitol to buy out the entire market of cards - including last gen. They become more powerful every time a big product launch or concert makes people lose their minds and forget the value of money.

    It sucks for freelance workers and small businesses who have to buy retail GPUs to do their jobs, but for everybody else? Just ignore it. You don't need these GPUs. You won't die if you play a game at 1080p60 Medium instead of 4k144 Ultra, you probably won't even notice that much of a difference.
    You're not a professional gamer nor streamer, and constantly chasing bleeding-edge gear is not going to change that.

    Use what you have, buy a gaming laptop, or just find another way to entertain yourself. Maybe cards will get cheaper, or maybe they won't. You're not missing out, so don't worry about it. Every other PC gamer is in the same boat as you, including a lot of the more interesting developers.
    Reply
  • Giroro
    A Stoner said:
    Maybe i am too rich for my own good, but I detest consoles, or more realistically, the controllers that are required to run them enough, I am willing to pay significantly more for a powerful PC than use them. I am good with a keyboard/mouse, and terrible at using the controllers.
    Keyboard/Mouse support on consoles is better than you might expect.
    Reply
  • kaalus
    Stop blaming the mythical "scalpers" for the shortages. Thanks to them, at least you can still buy the GPU if you really need it. For its true market price of course. If not for them, there would be no GPUs available at all, at any price.

    The MSRP reminds me of state-controlled prices in eastern Europe behind the iron curtain before 1989. The government would set an official price for the meat, or shoes, or anything. Then the shops, selling at that price, would run out within minutes of being supplied, with massive queues forming. To buy anything you'd have to get it from the "black market", where everything was available, although at the true market price, not the state-mandated one.

    At least we don't call it "black market" anymore, and don't try to ban it. It is the real market. The guys who buy and sell these cards are not "scalpers". They are normal traders. Stop demonising and blaming them.
    Reply
  • Heat_Fan89
    Amazon has been listing the 9000 series the last two days, although at prices higher than MSRP. As of an hour ago they were directly selling the XFX 9070 for $669.
    Reply
  • baranlai
    kaalus said:
    Stop blaming the mythical "scalpers" for the shortages. Thanks to them, at least you can still buy the GPU if you really need it. For its true market price of course. If not for them, there would be no GPUs available at all, at any price.
    What do you mean? If it weren't by the scalpers, all those cards would have been bought by actual consumers at their price, not inflated, and maybe, some cards would still be available.
    kaalus said:
    The MSRP reminds me of state-controlled prices in eastern Europe behind the iron curtain before 1989
    Dude, the MSRP is determined by the owner of the product, a private company.
    Reply
  • Heat_Fan89
    Giroro said:
    Scalping is big business. I hear some of these scalping companies have hundreds of employees. It takes organization, investors, and automation to manipulate a market - not just a bunch of random people trying to make a few hundred bucks on ebay.

    I'm suspicious that, this time around, the scalping industry had enough capitol to buy out the entire market of cards - including last gen. They become more powerful every time a big product launch or concert makes people lose their minds and forget the value of money.

    It sucks for freelance workers and small businesses who have to buy retail GPUs to do their jobs, but for everybody else? Just ignore it. You don't need these GPUs. You won't die if you play a game at 1080p60 Medium instead of 4k144 Ultra, you probably won't even notice that much of a difference.
    You're not a professional gamer nor streamer, and constantly chasing bleeding-edge gear is not going to change that.

    Use what you have, buy a gaming laptop, or just find another way to entertain yourself. Maybe cards will get cheaper, or maybe they won't. You're not missing out, so don't worry about it. Every other PC gamer is in the same boat as you, including a lot of the more interesting developers.
    And as long as people show no self restraint that practice will continue. One of the reviews "verified purchase" on Amazon for an RTX 5080 said it was tough dealing with OCD so he/she purchased a $2200, RTX 5080.
    Reply
  • Shiznizzle
    Giroro said:
    Scalping is big business. I hear some of these scalping companies have hundreds of employees. It takes organization, investors, and automation to manipulate a market - not just a bunch of random people trying to make a few hundred bucks on ebay.

    I'm suspicious that, this time around, the scalping industry had enough capitol to buy out the entire market of cards - including last gen. They become more powerful every time a big product launch or concert makes people lose their minds and forget the value of money.

    It sucks for freelance workers and small businesses who have to buy retail GPUs to do their jobs, but for everybody else? Just ignore it. You don't need these GPUs. You won't die if you play a game at 1080p60 Medium instead of 4k144 Ultra, you probably won't even notice that much of a difference.
    You're not a professional gamer nor streamer, and constantly chasing bleeding-edge gear is not going to change that.

    Use what you have, buy a gaming laptop, or just find another way to entertain yourself. Maybe cards will get cheaper, or maybe they won't. You're not missing out, so don't worry about it. Every other PC gamer is in the same boat as you, including a lot of the more interesting developers.
    The amount of people that play in 4k is tiny according to steam charts. Tiny.

    I wont pay scalpers that kind of money even if i had enough to throw around like its trash. It is the principle of the matter that concerns me. They are ripping you off.

    I have no issues with staying on my 3060 12GB till supplies are at a point where MSRP or near MSRP will be reached. There will come a point where most people have a new card and stuff starts appearing in stores en mass. When stock levels are higher than sales then prices will come down. It is simple economics.
    Reply