AMD says it's sold over 200,000 Radeon RX 9000 series graphics cards since launch

AMD sells 200k RX 9000 GPUs, demand outstrips supply.

: AMD announced at the AI PC summit in Beijing that over 200,000 Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT cards have been shipped since their launch. Despite this, inventory is nearly depleted globally, and prices remain above MSRP due to high demand. AMD aims to restock as their board partner Yeston anticipates better availability by May. The unprecedented demand was highlighted by David McAfee, revealing shortages at leading retailers.

At the AI PC summit in Beijing, AMD revealed that its board partners have successfully shipped over 200,000 units of the Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT graphics cards since their debut earlier this month. This significant number showcases the popularity of the new GPUs, although the company acknowledged that they are almost out of stock worldwide, leading to scalpers exploiting the situation with inflated prices. Propelled by strong reviews, demand surged beyond expectations, resulting in major retailers like Newegg, Amazon, and Best Buy having limited availability, often with prices exceeding the MSRP drastically. The lack of availability at the MSRP prompted Frank Azor from AMD to assure customers that there are ongoing efforts to reach the set pricing goals, expecting better supply conditions to emerge by May.

Frank Azor, AMD’s chief architect of gaming solutions, provided insights on their strategy, stating, “Our priority is to ensure that our graphics cards are available at the MSRP.” A crucial aspect of this plan involves collaboration with board partner Yeston, currently focusing on the Chinese market, who predicts stabilization in supply following April. Yeston’s projections are based on increased manufacturing capacities anticipated from May, potentially offering relief to avid gamers frustrated by current pricing. Frank Azor’s comments are important against the backdrop of accusations related to price-gouging due to escalated prices driven by intense competition among buyers.

David McAfee, AMD’s Vice President of Product Marketing, characterized the demand for the RX 9000 series as “unprecedented” and “a pretty amazing couple of weeks.” This unprecedented demand situation resulted in swift sellouts across multiple major retail platforms where only one RX 9070 XT, priced precisely at the $599 MSRP, was discovered on Newegg, significantly below prices of other variants that scaled up to $859 for an overclocked model. Assessing availability on Amazon and Best Buy yielded similar results, reinforcing the dire state of availability aligned with MSRP.

The wider impact of AMD's sales success is part of a broader industry trend where 500 million devices globally now employ Radeon graphics solutions. Notably, these devices span across various categories, including laptops, gaming consoles such as the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, handheld devices like the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, and even Tesla models utilizing RDNA 2 GPUs for in-vehicle infotainment functionalities. This diversity showcases the wide-ranging application and adoption of Radeon technology in not just traditional PCs but a multitude of electronic segments.

Despite the challenges faced in balancing demand, AMD remains committed to addressing these supply chain constraints. The company is optimistic that with coordination among their network of partners, supply bottlenecks will dissipate over time. On TechSpot, discussion threads around these shortages and pricing outliers have spurred conversations on broader implications of GPU availability. For tech enthusiasts and gamers, the acuteness of this situation underscores a familiar narrative in current semiconductor market elements, wherein high-demand graphics cards attract both attention and premium pricing.

Sources: TechSpot, Newegg, Amazon, Best Buy

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