Last year saw some big releases for PC hardware enthusiasts, from AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D to Nvidia’s RTX 40 Super series graphics cards, but they were also marred by disappointments. The new processor lines from AMD and Intel (Ryzen 9000 for AMD and Core Ultra 2000 for Intel) have been disappointing, so all eyes are on 2025 for the new hardware to generate excitement.
The great news is that January is looking like it will be the hottest month of the year for both processor and graphics card launches including Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series such as the RTX 5090 and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. We won’t have long to wait, as this new hardware will be announced in a matter of weeks, much of it at the CES event in Las Vegas.
It’s been a year since Nvidia introduced its RTX 40 Super series graphics cards, like the RTX 4080 Super, and the company is expected to announce its RTX 5000 series models, like the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, in January.
First there’s the bad news. The new cards are rumored to cost significantly more than their predecessors, with the RTX 5090 at an eye-watering $2,500, RTX 5080 at around $1,500 and the RTX 5070 could cost between $600 and $700, according to leaked information a few weeks ago. Since then some other sources put the pricing at a little lower, but considering the RTX 4090 cost $1,600 at launch, even $1,800-$2,000 would be a significant price increase, with the RTX 5080 potentially costing 50% more than the RTX 4080’s launch price of $999.
The new cards are also rumored to be much larger, with wider dimensions potentially restricting their compatibility with existing PC cases, especially in their small form factor. Other rumors also put lower-end models in a bad light, such as that the RTX 5060 still comes with an 8GB memory option, while some games already require more than that.
The new cards will likely be at most PCIe 5. 0 and will still feature the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector. Nvidia may not have much festival in the high-end segment either, as AMD has made it clear that it may not compete with Nvidia’s flagship. Models. Instead, it looks like it will compete with the RTX 5070 Ti and lower versions, so Nvidia’s costs may also be higher to take full advantage of the monopoly it hopes for. to enjoy there.
As mentioned above, AMD will not compete with Nvidia’s RTX 5080 or 5090 and instead appears to focus on the more popular mid-range in an effort to increase market share and reduce costs. Two cards are expected to be announced in January as part of the Radeon RX 9000 launch: the RX 9070 XT and the RX 9700, each of which will feature 16GB of memory.
AMD’s Radeon RX 7900 GRE proved to be a success when it launched in 2024, but the company is still in the distant future in terms of market share, according to the Steam Hardware Survey. The company could also announce four FSRs along with those four RDNAs. GPU: This is for Nvidia’s DLSS, which provides super-resolution based functionality and frame rendering improvements.
An announcement is expected at CES 2025 with availability in late January or February, followed by a decrease in model price diversity, where we can learn more about other board features, such as continued use of popular 8-pin force connectors. opting for 12VPWR connectors on Nvidia models.
January looks like it will be a great time to build a new PC if you want the latest hardware, as we’re not just getting new graphics cards but some highly anticipated processors, too. AMD’s initial Ryzen 9000 processors didn’t receive rave reviews, instead posting disappointing gains over their predecessors.
That all changed with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, though, which sold out in the weeks since its launch thanks to stellar gaming performance and much-improved results outside of games, too, thanks to AMD putting its 3D V-Cache underneath its hot-running cores, allowing the latter to run at higher frequencies than its predecessors.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
It’s expected to do the same with its higher core count parts, too, so if the eight cores of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D aren’t enough, the 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D and 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D should offer excellent performance outside of games as well as similar performance to it when driving frame rates. In short, these could be most sought-after processors of 2025 for anyone that dabbles in games as well as demanding content creation, especially as Intel failed to impress with its Core Ultra 200 series.
While the Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been flying off the shelves, AMD’s 800-series chipset motherboards demand high prices, forcing owners of Ryzen 7000 or 9000 processors to either stump up the cash or opt for older B650 or X670 motherboards.
Motherboards such as the Asus Crosshair X870E Hero have cutting edge features but are too expensive … [+] for many enthusiasts, especially those considering mid-range processors and graphics cards
The latter isn’t what motherboard brands need to see, so as always, there’s more to it and not just for AMD owners. Intel will also see more features for its Core Ultra processors in the 2000s, such as the Core Ultra 285K. Starting with Intel, B860 motherboards will offer similar features to existing Z890 motherboards, but will charge particularly less, narrowing down the hotspot for buying a modern Intel system.
Similarly, for AMD, B850 chipset motherboards will arrive, which will cost much less than the existing X870 and X870E motherboards, but will still offer next-gen features like Wi-Fi 7 support, USB four, and PCIe 5, providing a more affordable upgrade. just as it launches the rest of its Ryzen 9000 3-d V-Cache processors. The most recent rumors point to a mid-January release.
Intel has stepped up on the inconsistencies of its most recent circular of GPU releases and the ARC B580 has proven to be a decent option if you have less than $300 to spend. In fact, it offers one of the most affordable cash prices of all graphics cards. $400, beating the Nvidia RTX 4060 and AMD RX 7600 in terms of dollar-consistent functionality.
Given that Nvidia has largely ditched the low-end with its RTX 5060, probably the cheapest of its 2025 offerings, it’s possible that Intel will borrow a large percentage of the market here. That’s where your next graphics card comes in.
Intel Arc B580 graphics card
With the ARC B580 having launched a few weeks ago, the ARC B570 is waiting in the wings. An expected launch date of Jan. 16 sees it retail for a very reasonable $220, and with the B580 having received rave reviews, more of the same is expected, this time with plenty of change from $250.
I’ll be covering hardware launches in January, so stay with me here on Forbes, the blue button below, Facebook or YouTube for the latest news and reviews.
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