ASRock revealed its Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC flagship card at CES 2025—at the time, TechPowerUp staffers quickly realized that this design was outfitted with a 12V-2x6 power connector. Up until early 2025, this connection standard was mostly associated with NVIDIA GeForce 40 and 50-series graphics cards. ASRock and Sapphire have taken the unusual step of deploying premium RDNA 4 GPU-based models that sport 12V-2x6 connectors; breaking away from a traditional usage of 8-pin power delivery channels. The Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC SKU arrived with a new aesthetic; consisting of various gunmetal gray shades, gear graphics, and ARGB lighting zones. Visitors to the company's Computex 2025 booth were dazzled by plethora of new products—most notably: brand-new Radeon RX 9060 XT models.

Unfortunately, TPU's photographer did not notice a very special current-gen Taichi spin-off. Apparently, the Taiwanese manufacturer has absorbed some inspiration from a nearby rival's "Spectral White" line: PowerColor. ASRock's "Taichi White 16 GB OC Concept Card" seems to stick with existing overclocked Radeon RX 9070 XT specifications (including a 3.1 GHz boost clock), but the firm's engineering team has integrated an LCD information window. This built-in-display was not powered up—for obvious reasons—but industry watchdogs reckon that (speculative) finalized retail examples will demand higher prices of entry, due to this extra provision. Company representatives—in attendance at last week's Computex event—have disclosed only a bare minimum of details. Top brass could be weighing up Taichi White's future; with an escape beyond concept phases—maybe in limited edition form.

Roughly a month ago, Vastarmor debuted its "Super-less" Radeon RX 9070 XT Alloy SKU. The Chinese manufacturer's barebones spin-off—derived from a triple-fan flagship design—was stripped of fancy ARGB trimmings. Additionally, this sober-looking alternative option was deemed unworthy of sporting 3.1 GHz boost clock credentials—instead, making do with a mere 3010 MHz setting. A brand-new "Super Alloy Ultra" model retains elite-tier membership; as demonstrated by a recently published specification sheet. The Vastarmor design team has opted into using a louder and wider color palette; clearly demonstrated by their fresh RX 9070 XT Super Alloy Ultra's zany pearlescent rainbow-spectrum shroud setup. Unfortunately, this bright aesthetic treatment did not extend to the new flagship's backplate. The AIB's Super Alloy White option was appropriately decorated; on the front and back. Vastarmor's latest offering is not expected to break retail barriers beyond Chinese markets. ASRock's premium Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC card is—perhaps—the closest to being a visually "eccentric" option for global audiences. Fittingly, its factory overclocked talents include a 3.1 GHz boost clock.

Just before the official launch of Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics cards, members of the Chiphell forum expressed concerns about unnamed evaluation samples exhibiting worrying memory module temperatures. Days later, Western review outlets published similar findings across several board partner specimens. Typically, pre-launch and retail units have utilized SK hynix GDDR6 VRAM modules—TechPowerUp's W1zzard uncovered numerous examples of the manufacturer's "H56G42AS8DX-014" model during teardown sessions. Curiously, Chinese PC hardware enthusiasts have happened upon Radeon RX 9070 XT cards that utilize Samsung GDDR6 memory modules. It is not clear whether Yeston has outfitted its flagship Sakura Atlantis OC SKU with Samsung components from the very beginning, but one owner documented a GPU-Z diagnostics session—late last month—showing "GDDR6 (Samsung)" onboard. Earlier this month, insiders posited that NVIDIA was in the process of changing its main GDDR7 memory vendor—from Samsung to SK hynix—for the GeForce RTX 50-series.

According to a recent Guru3D news piece, additional cases were reported. Online conjecture points to "higher end" custom models being updated with "cooler" modules. Hilbert Hagedoorn—Guru3D's head honcho—has gathered compelling information via community feedback channels: "the transition to Samsung memory has yielded noticeable thermal advantages. Early reviews and comparisons indicate that the new memory modules help lower temperatures significantly. Custom RX 9070 XT models running demanding benchmarks like Furmark have demonstrated memory temperatures of 75°C or lower without necessitating an increase in voltage or a reduction in clock speeds. Notable manufacturers, including Sapphire, XFX, and GIGABYTE, have already integrated Samsung's GDDR6 into their custom variants. However, as of now, AMD has not authorized its partners to explicitly differentiate between models with SK hynix and Samsung memory, likely to avoid confusion among consumers and maintain a consistent product lineup." Additionally, TechPowerUp forum members have found Samsung GDDR6 memory on Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 custom models. Thanks for the tip, Fluffmeister.

Sapphire has quietly expanded its existing Radeon RX 9070 Series lineup with two new additions: PULSE METAL ALLOY Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. According to VideoCardz, the manufacturer's Chinese website was updated with new product listings at some point last week. Sapphire's regional branch has not issued any fresh press material, regarding an official launch of these gray-shaded options. Sapphire's graphics card team has seemingly refreshed their standard black PULSE (RDNA 4 generation) triple and dual-fan shroud and backplate designs with new metallic tones and finishes. Fancier enclosures will not arrive alongside bump-up in specs—as mentioned in freshly-published official product pages, company engineers have stuck with AMD's reference figures for the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. VideoCardz reckons that the PURE METAL ALLOY cards will debut in China; possibly as starting off as exclusives. Currently, the manufacturer's various global online presences only list the readily available black PULSE cards. Interestingly, the white PURE series shares the same overall (triple-fan) shroud and backplate setup—Sapphire's pale-shaded offerings feature very mild overclocks over "baseline MSRP" configurations. Chinese market pricing—for the two PULSE METAL ALLOY SKUs—was not available at the time of publication.

Acer seems to be readying premium tier Radeon RX 9070 XT OC graphics card models for an imminent launch. The brand's Swedish office has sent out mixed messages—as noted by VideoCardz's past weekend coverage—regarding their incoming non-overclocked Nitro SKU. Gaming GPU enthusiasts have often complained about AMD's overcomplicated model nomenclature—in particular, the company's XT, XTX and GRE attachments have caused uncountable headaches. Quite amusingly, Acer Sweden's marketing team got bamboozled by Team Red's model labelling scheme—as evidenced by their recent advertising of a "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 GRE XT 16 Gbit/s graphics card."

VideoCardz reckons that no such SKU exists; employees have rectified this mistake—at the time of writing, Acer Sweden's product page showcases a corrected designation: "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB graphics card." According to industry moles, AMD and its board partners are working on RDNA 4 generation "Great Radeon Edition" (GRE) cards. Late last week, VideoCardz acquired an alleged Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB specification sheet. Team Red and AIBs seem to be devising a forthcoming retail release in China; possibly by next month. Acer Sweden's inadvertent/bungled leak suggests that GRE-related info is present within internal promo material.

Vastarmor—a Chinese manufacturer—was introduced as an important board partner during AMD's special Radeon 9070 Series event. Despite having limited reach outside of its home base, the fairly young brand's custom designs have gained press traction around the globe. TechPowerUp covered Vastarmor's introduction of new Super Alloy series Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 models back in late February. The triple-fan ARGB-lit flagship model was positioned in good (rival) company, thanks to a maximum 3.1 GHz boost capability. As reported by VideoCardz, Vastarmor has added another custom Radeon RX 9070 XT option to its RDNA 4 product portfolio. A freshly-published product page has outlined specifications for the brand's new (non-Super) Alloy SKU.

Outside of Vastarmor's dedicated listing, a quick web search of the model's identifier code—AH-9070XT16TC1BR7N—reveals BIOS information, and little else. The Radeon RX 9070 XT Alloy seems to be a straightforward spin-off of its fancier sibling, albeit sans ARGB lighting zones. This barebone design sports non-transparent black fans, but preserves the flagship card's triple 8-pin power connector configuration. Vastarmor has downgraded its non-Super model's boost clock to a mere 3010 MHz (instead of 3100 MHz)—as configured on rival cards: ASUS PRIME RX 9070 XT OC, PowerColor Hellhound RX 9070 XT, and Sapphire PURE RX 9070 XT. Curiously, a white Alloy option is not present on Vastarmor's website—their current-gen Super Alloy range launched with pale alternatives.

Last week, PowerColor introduced a Spectral White spin-off of its flagship Red Devil Radeon RX 9070 XT Limited Edition model. According to fresh inside track info, the Taiwanese manufacturer is preparing yet another premium level RDNA 4 option. VideoCardz has detected whispers regarding a speculated "Red Devil Radeon RX 9070 XT Backplate Edition" product; the online publication has a history of sourcing pre-launch details from board partner industry moles.

PowerColor's older Red Devil graphics card products can be customized with swappable backplates—Devil Skin designs are identified as "Intrusive" and "Generative." VideoCardz believes that the alleged "Backplate Edition" card will be based on the brand's regular Red Devil RX 9070 XT model. It is not clear whether this special edition package will be bundled with successors to the two RX 7000 Series-only Devil Skin attachments, but insiders have indicated a current "in production" status of "Backplate Edition" cards.

AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 "MBA" graphics cards are no longer "best kept secrets"—as demonstrated recently by the "leaking out" of supposed reference models through black market/back alley channels in China. Late last month, a dual-fan non-XT specimen was snapped up by Chiphell forum member—alleged benchmark results were soon shared within that community. A few days later, a "Made-by-AMD" Radeon RX 9070 XT sample was dissected and compared to Sapphire's PULSE Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB SKU. An additional MBA XT example emerged last week, courtesy of another in-depth Chiphell thread. A "bored" enthusiast happened upon a 5499 RMB (~$748 USD) when idly browsing through Xianyu listings (Taobao's Ebay equivalent platform). Their buying experience was described as follows: "(I) found a 'public version' Radeon RX 9070 XT in Tianjin. It was said to be manufactured by (an) OEM, so I bought it without hesitation...I made an appointment to meet today and got it successfully. I don't have to wait for a graphics card anymore."

For unknown reasons, AMD decided to launch its first wave of RDNA 4 gaming graphics cards sans first-party designs. Leaked specimens have attracted much attention in China; with owners bragging about their respective ownerships of reasonably priced rarities. The latest back channel customer expressed satisfaction when inspecting Team Red's all-black flagship Navi 48 GPU-based solution: "after I got it, I have to say that it is not very heavy and is quite light. But the appearance is really what I like." After initial tests, they discovered that VRAM temperatures were not up to snuff—as alluded to (pre-launch) by other Chiphell figures. Their personal DIY improvements were described: "(I) took it apart to measure the thickness of the thermal grease pad. Everyone said the temperature of the video memory was high, so I decided to change to something better....(with) original silicone grease FurMark 2K resolution for 20 minutes: maximum core temperature was 62 degrees, maximum hot spot temperature was 84 degrees, maximum memory temperature was 88 degrees, maximum power was consumption 346 W."

Just over two weeks ago, Acer unveiled its brand-new Predator BiFrost and Nitro Radeon RX 9070 Series graphics cards. Despite being a late contributor to AMD's opening salvo of RDNA 4, the Taiwanese manufacturer made a big impression with its reveal of four premium specced models. In particular, Acer's Predator BiFrost Radeon RX 9070 OC 16 GB and Nitro Radeon RX 9070 XT OC 16 GB SKUs will be joining an elite group of custom options that boast 3100 MHz boost clocks. Mid-March press material did not provide any insight into launch pricing—weeks later, Overclockers UK has opened up pre-orders for the four Predator BiFrost and Nitro RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 cards. Just prior to RDNA 4 launch time, Overclockers UK (OcUK) received plenty of press attention—in particular, their building of a sizable cube out of an impressive quantity of Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 9070 XT retail stock.

The British retailer seemed confident with its pre-kickoff accumulation of various AIB models, but demand quickly outstripped supply on day one. Unfortunately, OcUK has implemented dreaded price hikes across its Radeon RX 9070 Series product listings. Looking at Acer's main competition in the premium custom Radeon RX 9070 XT tier, OcUK has jacked up prices by £20 to £30 (approx.). ASRock's Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC model—one of the elite 3.1 GHz boosters—launched at £700 (including VAT, shipping fee is extra), but was adjusted up to £728.99 (~$943 USD) at some point last month. The British store's pre-order price for the "cheaper" Nitro Radeon RX 9070 XT OC SKU is £749.99 (inc. VAT), while the flagship Predator BiFrost costs £779.99 (inc. VAT) for reservation. GIGABYTE's (almost) £800 AORUS RX 9070 XT ELITE model is the only other 3.1 GHz boost-capable option sitting above the £750 mark. Looking at "on paper" information (e.g. aluminium backplates, state-of-the-art cooling, etc.)—Acer's two headliners are impressive offerings, but rival cards already exist with similar credentials at "lower prices." Historically, TechPowerUp's resident GPU reviewer—W1zzard—has not received any graphics card samples from the manufacturer. Perhaps this drought will end in the near future...

Around RDNA 4's launch period, ASRock's web presences listed an intriguing Radeon RX 9070 XT Steel Legend Dark 16 GB model—seemingly not mentioned in official introductory press material. As covered on TechPowerUp earlier this month, this unusual darkened spin-off of the "traditional white" Steel Legend design received little fanfare—the obvious reason being that gray/black stock was not readied for AMD's March 6 rollout to market. Over the past weekend, VideoCardz put an investigative spotlight on a Hermitage AkiHabara/GDM Japan press release. It turns out that ASRock's Radeon RX 9070 XT Steel Legend Dark SKU will become available early next month, starting with the Japanese "domestic market."

The manufacturer's global website was not updated with a similar PR item, so an international/widespread launch is likely planned for a later date. The "expected market price" upon release is 133,800 yen (including tax), which converts to roughly US$891. Industry watchdogs believe that the Dark variant will roll out "globally" with the exact same price tag as the already launched pale sibling. The Taiwanese brand did not introduce a Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) Steel Legend Dark overclocked model, to exist alongside their white-hued RX 9070 Steel Legend OC offering. The wallet-friendlier triple-fan ASRock RX 9070 Challenger SKU—in black, with a splash of ARGB—is their only other Navi 48 XT GPU-based option.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 "MBA" models have turned up for sale through Chinese black market channels; with local PC hardware enthusiasts quickly snapping up these "reference design" curios—for "scientific" analysis, and in some cases: bragging rights. Officially, Team Red has relied on its board partners to produce an all-custom first wave of RDNA 4 gaming graphics cards. Recent discoveries of authentic-looking "Made by AMD" specimens suggested a very limited distribution of first-party units to trusted partners. According to a fresh ITHome news article, Team Red's Radeon RX 9070 XT reference PCB design was fully revealed via a comprehensive teardown. Kyogre shared heavily watermarked photos with the online publication; showcasing their disassembly of a "leaked" example.

Team Red's proprietary triple-fan cooling solution and backplate were removed; leading to the exposure of gory innards. ITHome provided a quick rundown visual clues—the analyzed unit features: "dual PCIe 8-Pin power supply interfaces, and a black shell with a tough and simple shape. It is about three slots thick and is equipped with a rear open and ventilated cooling backplane with a core back frame...Looking deeper into the internal structure of the graphics card, we can find that this graphics card is equipped with five heat pipes, the corresponding position of the GPU core uses a copper base, and the surrounding memory positions are also in contact with the metal frame through thermal pads. In addition, it is equipped with four video output interfaces."

Late last week, a leak suggested a forthcoming Spectral White Limited Edition refresh of the existing Red Devil Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card design. PowerColor's pale reinterpretation of flagship level hardware appeared online courtesy of an accidental Amazon listing; indicating $899/€929 pricing. The Taiwanese manufacturer's Spectral White product line—historically favoring Hellhound SKUs—is viewed favorably as offering a nearly "all-white" aesthetic; extending to proper coloration of PCB and I/O panel designs.

As expected, PowerColor has distributed Limited Edition packages to media and influencer outlets—as evidenced by Overclock3D's very recent showcasing of a sample unit. In response to last week's leak, OC3D's "Tiny" Tom Logan "previewed" the ghostly Red Devil RX 9070 XT variant—he noted that a "performance/review" NDA is still in effect; due to be lifted on April 2. Video coverage explored a slight "bending of the rules," but Logan did not power up his evaluation specimen. As evidenced by the unboxing process, PowerColor has bundled in several Spectral White-tinted accessories—indicating a commendable level of attention to detail. By contrast, the manufacturer's slightly inelegant and contradictory nomenclature is confirmed by outer box labelling—loudly exclaiming: "RED DEVIL Spectral White." Amusingly, Logan and his team have nicknamed this new sub-variant: "White Devil."

Sapphire's premium NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card model was the subject of several leaks in the recent past—unsurprisingly, gaming GPU detectives gathered evidence of a very high speculative price point. The AIB's top "champagne gold" offering is due for a full unveiling; we expect to see examples tomorrow—AMD will broadcast a special Radeon RX 9070 Series presentation. Within the past 24 hours, VideoCardz received a compelling tip-off—the GPU news specialist was pointed in the direction of TechPowerUp. Currently, the site's VGA BIOS Collection hosts a downloadable "Sapphire 9070 XT 16 GB BIOS (Nitro+)" ROM.

The VGA BIOS build date is listed as "2024-12-13," with the file becoming available to download roughly two days ago (February 25). VideoCardz highlighted interesting "BIOS Internals" information; namely the mentioning of a "Navi48 XTX" GPU variant. Since CES 2025, AMD and its board partners have kept quiet about finer RDNA 4 details, but insiders and leakers have noted the existence of a generic "Navi 48" GPU. TechPowerUp's GPU database listings of AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB and RX 9070 16 GB (non-XT) are freshly updated; reflecting new information sourced from pre-launch VGA BIOS listings. The incoming flagship seems to utilize a "Navi 48 XT" GPU variant (note: not 48 XTX), while its non-XT sibling is (supposedly) based on "Navi 48 XL." VideoCardz has heard whispers of a next-gen "Navi XTXH," industry moles have linked this sub-model to a supposed "higher-end" 32 GB RDNA 4 card. TPU's GPU database also alludes to an AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT GPU; just updated with a "Navi 48 LE" designation.