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Can AMD’s Cheapest AI GPU Beat Nvidia’s Expensive Cards?
AMD just dropped something big. The Radeon AI PRO R9700 launches July 23, 2025. This new card costs around $1,250. That’s half what Nvidia charges for similar power.
What Makes This Card Special
The R9700 packs serious punch. It uses AMD’s newest RDNA 4 tech. Think of it like a super-smart brain for computers. Here’s what you get:
- 32GB of fast memory – That’s double what most cards offer
- 64 compute units – More power for heavy work
- 128 AI helpers – Special chips just for AI tasks
- 2,920 MHz speed – Runs super fast when needed
This much memory matters. Big AI programs need lots of space. The R9700 can handle huge models without slowing down. Other cards with less memory struggle.
Price Wars Get Interesting
Here’s where things get exciting. AMD priced this card smart. At $1,250, it costs way less than Nvidia’s pro cards. Nvidia’s RTX PRO 4000 with 24GB costs $2,499. That’s almost twice as much for less memory.
The math is simple. You get more memory for less money. Small companies and solo workers can finally afford pro-level AI power. Before this, only big companies could buy these expensive cards.
Performance That Surprises
AMD tested their card against Nvidia’s RTX 5080. The results? Up to 5 times faster on some AI tasks. That’s not a small difference. It’s huge.
The card shines brightest with large language models. These are the smart programs that write and chat like humans. They need lots of memory to work well. The R9700’s 32GB gives them plenty of room to breathe.
Getting Your Hands on One
Here’s the catch. You can’t buy one alone right away. AMD is selling them first inside complete computers. Companies like ASRock and Gigabyte will build these systems.
Want just the card? You’ll wait until later in Q3 2025. Then companies like:
- ASRock
- GIGABYTE
- PowerColor
- Sapphire
Will sell standalone cards. Each maker will add their own cooling and designs.
Software That Just Works
The R9700 works with ROCm 6.4.1. This is AMD’s free software for AI work. It connects to popular tools like:
- PyTorch – For building AI models
- TensorFlow – Google’s AI framework
- ONNX Runtime – Microsoft’s AI helper
Developers won’t need to learn new tricks. Their current code should work fine.
Why This Matters for Everyone
Big memory cards used to cost $3,000 or more. Only huge companies could afford them. The R9700 changes this game. At $1,250, smaller teams can now build powerful AI systems.
Think about what this means:
- Small businesses can use AI without breaking budgets
- Students can learn on real pro hardware
- Researchers get more power for less money
The Smart Buy Decision
The R9700 hits a sweet spot. It offers pro-level memory and speed without pro-level prices. Nvidia still makes faster cards, but they cost much more.
For most AI work, this card gives you what you need. The 32GB memory handles big models smoothly. The price won’t empty your wallet.
This card could change who gets to play with advanced AI. When powerful tools cost less, more people can use them. That’s good news for innovation and competition.
AMD built something different here. They focused on giving you more memory for your money instead of chasing the absolute fastest speeds. For AI work, that memory often matters more than raw speed.
The July 23 launch will show if AMD’s bet pays off. Early signs look promising for anyone wanting pro AI power without pro-level spending.