AMD is reportedly preparing for the global launch of its Radeon RX 9070 GRE tomorrow, June 1, 2026. According to leaks from Videocardz, this graphics card will arrive with a recommended retail price of $549. It’s important to recall that this GPU was already available, but exclusively in China. Now, with an international market release, this GPU aims to boost sales for those seeking a GPU focused on 2K / 1440p resolutions.
The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE utilizes a Navi 48 graphics chip with 48 Compute Units, translating to 3,072 Stream Processors based on the RDNA 4 architecture. However, its weaker point, which limits the gaming experience to 1080p or 1440p resolution, is its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory. This memory is paired with a 192-bit interface, allowing it to reach a bandwidth of up to 432 GB/s with an energy consumption of 220W. Other specifications include Turbo or Boost frequencies of up to 2,790 MHz, 48 ray tracing accelerators, 96 AI accelerators, 48 MB of Infinity Cache, and DisplayPort 2.1a and HDMI 2.1b video outputs.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE Arrives at the Same Price as the Original RX 9070 (Non-GRE)
Indeed, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE also comes with some controversy. The $549 price point for this RX 9070 GRE matches the original recommended retail price of the Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT), a technically superior graphics card. The original model not only offers 16 GB of memory but also a 256-bit interface, enabling it to achieve a bandwidth of 640 GB/s. In other words, AMD is positioning a GPU with less memory, a narrower bus, and lower bandwidth at the launch price of the RX 9070. This is evidently tied to current market price increases, making it a less attractive product.
On paper, the RX 9070 GRE is clearly inferior to the standard RX 9070 in key specifications. Compared to the RX 9070, it loses about 14% of its Stream Processors, drops from 16 GB to 12 GB of VRAM, reduces the bus from 256 to 192 bits, and cuts memory bandwidth from 640 GB/s to 432 GB/s. It also uses GDDR6 memory at 18 Gbps, compared to the 20 Gbps of the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT. Power consumption, however, remains at 220W, the same as the original RX 9070.
AMD positions this GPU directly against NVIDIA’s mid-to-high-end offerings. In internal tests at 1440p resolution with Ultra graphics settings, using an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, AMD claims the RX 9070 GRE will be an average of 22% faster than the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB in over 40 games and offer 26% better value. Against the GeForce RTX 5070, the official advantage would be much smaller: 2% more performance and 4% better value. These are AMD’s figures, so independent reviews may tell a different story. Furthermore, the recommended price is one thing, and the actual price seen in stores is another.
Early Models Already Listed at Prices Ranging from $599.99 to $619.99
The first board partners associated with the global launch are expected to be ASUS, Sapphire, and XFX. Mentioned models include the ASUS PRIME RX 9070 GRE O12G, the Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 9070 GRE Gaming OC 12GB, and the XFX Swift Radeon RX 9070 GRE Triple Fan. AMD will not be releasing any model with a reference cooling system, so the launch will depend directly on custom cards from these partners.
Regarding its market placement, with the Radeon RX 9070 GRE, AMD can fill the gap between the RX 9060 XT and the RX 9070, especially if the RX 9070 remains above its original official price. On the other hand, the name might cause some confusion, as the RX 9070 GRE is not a “cheap” RX 9070. It’s a clearly cut-down version in terms of memory and bus. For current 1440p gaming, the 12 GB of VRAM already suggests limitations in many scenarios, making a comparison with the 16 GB of the standard RX 9070 inevitable.
As anticipated, caution is also advised regarding pricing. The original RX 9070 family already faced controversy at launch concerning both actual availability and official pricing. AMD then defended that the $549 and $599 prices for the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT were not merely temporary launch prices, but they proved to be so. Only a limited number of graphics cards adhered to these prices and sold out, leaving many other models with inflated prices. Therefore, it is expected that the same will happen with this RX 9070 GRE.
