It's GeForce RTX 5070 Launch Day But The Founders Edition Will Arrive Late

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NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 officially launches today in its various guises and custom third party models. However, the Founders Edition variant, which comes directly from NVIDIA, will be missing at launch. This is notable because the Founders Edition is sold at MSRP, the lowest price for the GPU. In this case, that's $549, with custom third party models going up from there to some being over $700. Why is it missing on launch day?

According to The Verge, the GeForce RTX 5070 launch was initially slated for a February 28th release. Due to the current market situation, it was then moved to the current March 5th date. The site spoke with Ben Berraondo, NVIDIA's Global GeForce PR direction, who said Founders Edition of the GeForce RTX 5070 will be available only in later March. 

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The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, launched earlier, is the only GPU thus far that does not have a Founders Edition variant. It will come only in third party custom versions, such as those from ASUS, MSI, et al. The launches thus far have not been without issues, however, with driver problems cropping up early on and other annoyances (like missing ROPs).

The Founders Edition is typically anticipated by gamers, and it's not only because of the MSRP price adherence it has. NVIDIA's designs are also unique and often have some of the best quality PCBs for the particular GPU model, allowing overclockers and open-loop custom water cooling enthusiasts a shot at great silicon. And they look great.

Models such as the GeForce RTX 5090 also perform well thermally with slim 2-slot designs. This means that this particular GPU can be placed in small form factor (SFF) setups, such as the Falcon Northwest Tiki. The RTX 5070 is also small, especially in its Founders Edition guise. Availability for Founders Edition models can also be scarce, especially months after release. As price creep occurs, most models tend to end up being the more expensive variants from the various board partners. Here's hoping when the GeForce RTX 5070 FE does arrive after the confirmed short delay, it will have some decent stock availability.