Summary
Nvidia has always led in desktop GPUs — until now. The RTX 50-Series’ disastrous launch was the deciding factor in the GPU war against AMD, and Team Red won despite releasing only three GPUs (with different variants) in the RDNA 4 lineup. This low-key approach worked well for AMD, since the PC community shifted toward budget and mid-range builds instead of chasing top performance because of the high costs. Still, the question lingers: When will AMD return to the flagship models? The last time it made a high-end GPU was in 2022 with the RX 7900 XTX, and it wasn’t great. However, this edge over Nvidia and the fact that Team Green’s priorities have shifted give AMD a reason to target the premium segment once more, and it might already be doing so, making the GPU that Nvidia skipped out on. Nvidia GPU drought is the longest in years Blackwell’s shortage and Nvidia’s AI pivot are stalling the next launch The Blackwell GPUs came out in January 2025 and, more than a year later, are still in short supply. As if the GPUs aren’t expensive enough, the RTX 5090 is still being scalped for more than $5,000 in some markets because AI companies love the GPU and are gobbling up demand, leaving scraps for the people the GPU is actually meant for. Nvidia has offered mid-cycle upgrades to the original RTX lineup with the Super GPUs, ironing out flaws and delivering better performance and value overall. The Super GPUs usually launch a year after the base RTX lineup, but Nvidia may not have anything to offer this year despite earlier plans. Rising memory costs and barely meeting demand for the RTX 50-Series GPU are the reasons why plans for the Super refresh are effectively shelved. If this setback isn’t enough, Nvidia might have nothing to show for it even in 2027, as numerous reports suggest. This puts the GPU market in a difficult spot, since Nvidia remains the default pick for high-end builds. AMD’s next flagship is built to outrun Nvidia’s best Leaks point to a GPU aimed squarely at an RTX 50 Super card that may never ship With RDNA 5 GPUs, AMD is set to return to the flagship market, and it may be coming back with a bang. Reports suggest the lineup will be based on a 3nm architecture, move toward GDDR7 memory, and offer improved specifications. One reliable leaker claims one of the higher-end GPUs in the RDNA 5 lineup will be codenamed AT2, which is supposed to feature 70 CUs, and that the RDNA 5 GPUs overall are targeting 3.1–3.4 GHz (via AnandTech). Based on early specs, the AT2 is estimated to be 15–25% faster than the RX 9070 XT. This roughly puts the AT2 against a supposed RTX 5080 Super, if the GPU ever comes out, but alas. Historically, xx-80 Super GPUs have seen big improvements in price-to-performance because of lower prices and higher performance than the base GPU, which is exactly what’s needed right now to make higher-end gaming more feasible given how expensive GPUs are. Fortunately, AMD is compensating for the shortfall left by Nvidia, even if it’s with only one GPU. AMD isn’t waiting until 2028 to make its move One RDNA 5 GPU lands early, well before the rest of the lineup The next Xbox and PlayStation consoles will both use the RDNA architecture, so the AT2 GPU is a taste of what next-generation gaming will look like. AT2 will be the only GPU from the RDNA 5 family to be released next year, and like Nvidia, AMD is also delaying the rest of the releases to 2028. With China’s CXMT entering the memory market, supply is increasing, and memory prices are expected to ease by 2028, making that a feasible time to launch the next generation of GPUs. However, AMD isn’t willing to wait till 2028 to give everyone a taste of what it’s working on. If all goes well, the AT2 will only increase customers’ hunger for what the next generation of GPUs holds, especially coming after a 2-year hiatus. Later in 2028, AMD plans to release AT0, the GPU meant to go toe-to-toe with the RTX 6090, suggesting that Nvidia has a long battle ahead. A two-year gap gives AMD room to close more than the hardware gap Nvidia’s AI focus has led it to neglect the desktop GPU market. Following a poor RTX 50-Series launch and no new GPU for 2 years straight, Nvidia has a lot of expectations to fulfill with the upcoming RTX 60-Series GPUs. This gives AMD plenty of time to catch up, and aside from a return to the higher-end GPU sector, it’s also working on a new Neural Rendering model akin to DLSS (via AnandTech) With this gap, we may reach a point where Nvidia no longer has an edge over AMD, either in terms of feature set or hardware. In any case, all eyes are on the AT2 GPU, meant to fill the gap left by the lack of GPU releases, to see how well it performs. Nevertheless, both Nvidia and AMD will have to surprise their customers.