In late April 2023, about two weeks after the GeForce RTX 4070 went on sale, Germany’s Alternate listed a Gainward RTX 4070 Ghost for €599—€60 below Nvidia’s €659 German launch price. That early discount and the card’s ready availability suggested demand was soft relative to supply, but they did not prove that the RTX 4070 was failing across Europe. The evidence is historical, not a guide to prices or availability in 2026.
What price fell, and where?
The documented price drop was in Germany, not a verified Europe-wide price cut. Nvidia’s RTX 4070 became available on April 13, 2023. Some custom cards were initially listed around €639; by approximately April 25–26, Alternate had the Gainward RTX 4070 Ghost at €599. Other entry-level cards from Palit, Gigabyte and Inno3D were reported at roughly €625–€645. Tom’s Hardware’s German price report and ComputerBase’s report describe the launch-period listings.
The €599 listing was one model at one German retailer, not a price available on every RTX 4070 across Europe. European listed prices generally include VAT and vary with local taxes, retailer, shipping and warranty terms, so the €659 German launch price should not be compared directly with the US $599 MSRP. Nvidia’s announcement set the US starting price at $599: Nvidia’s launch announcement.
At €599, the German listing was about 9.1% below €659. That was a notable discount so soon after launch, but the amount alone cannot establish how many cards were selling or why the retailer lowered its price.
#1 Best Overall
- Powered by NVIDIA DLSS 3, ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace architechture, and full ray tracing
- 4th Generation Tensor Cores: Up to 4x performance with DLSS 3
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Did the price drop mean the RTX 4070 was not selling?
It was evidence consistent with weaker-than-expected sell-through: many models remained available, only a limited number reportedly sold out at launch, and discounts arrived quickly. Those observations describe retail conditions; they are not a comprehensive sales count. Stock can also reflect launch allocation, retailer purchasing decisions or supply levels, not demand alone.
There was counterevidence to a literal reading of “stagnant.” ComputerBase reported that the RTX 4070 was Mindfactory’s top-selling graphics card over the period it examined, while also describing demand as insufficient relative to expectations. A ranking at one retailer is neither a European sales total nor evidence of Nvidia’s internal targets. Nvidia did not publicly confirm a European sales shortfall in the cited reporting.
Rank #2
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- OC mode: 2632 MHz (OC mode)/ 2602 MHz (Default mode)
- Powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and DLSS 4
- Axial-tech fan design features a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure
- A 2.5-slot design maximizes compatibility and cooling efficiency for superior performance in small chassis
The defensible conclusion is narrower: German retail availability and early discounts suggested demand was not absorbing available supply as quickly as some outlets expected. They did not establish that the card was unsellable, that sales had stopped, or that the launch failed worldwide.
Why did buyers question its value?
The RTX 4070’s central challenge was price-to-performance, not an absence of technical advantages. Reviews placed its conventional gaming performance broadly around the RTX 3080 level, while its launch pricing was €659 in Germany and $599 in the US. Buyers also had discounted RTX 3080 stock, Radeon RX 6800 XT and RX 6950 XT cards, and used-market GPUs to consider. Which alternative offered better value depended on the specific price, game, resolution, ray-tracing settings and condition of a used card. Tom’s Hardware’s review and ComputerBase’s review provide launch-era performance context.
Rank #3
- Powered by NVIDIA DLSS 3, ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace arch, and full ray tracing
- Boost Clock 2475 MHz, 12GB GDDR6X, 192-bit, 21 Gbps, PCIE 4.0
- IceStorm 2.0 Advanced Cooling, SPECTRA RGB Lighting, 2x 90mm fans, FREEZE Fan Stop, Active Fan Control, Metal Backplate
- 8K Ready, 4 Display Ready, HDCP 2.3, VR Ready
- 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1a, DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan RT API, Vulkan 1.3, OpenGL 4.6
Some buyers were also waiting for less expensive products. The RTX 4060 Ti and Radeon RX 7600 were anticipated at the time; they had not yet launched, so the prospect of those cards was a possible reason to delay, not a demonstrated cause of the RTX 4070’s sales pattern.
The card nevertheless had meaningful benefits for particular buyers. It offered 12 GB of memory, Ada Lovelace features including DLSS 3 Frame Generation, ray tracing and Reflex, and a roughly 200-watt power class in ComputerBase’s launch coverage. Nvidia highlighted its architecture and features in its RTX 4070 feature announcement. Reviews found performance around RTX 3080 class in conventional gaming with lower power use. Frame Generation can increase displayed frame rates, but those generated frames are not the same as additional natively rendered frames; comparisons should label whether a result uses the feature. It can also affect latency or visual behavior depending on the game and implementation.
Rank #4
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- Integrated with 12GB GDDR6X 192-bit memory interface
- WINDFORCE cooling system
- Graphene nano lubricant
- Protection metal back plate
That mix produced different value judgments. A 1440p player who valued ray tracing, DLSS, lower power use or Nvidia creator software could reasonably prefer the 4070. Someone focused on raster performance per euro or more memory could favor a discounted Radeon, depending on local prices and workloads. Twelve gigabytes was suitable for many 1440p situations, but it was not a universal guarantee of long-term comfort at high settings, particularly at 4K; actual needs vary by game and configuration.
Was €599 a good deal in 2023?
| German launch-period price | What it meant for a buyer then |
|---|---|
| €659 launch price | Value criticism was strongest here: buyers paid the full German entry price despite competing previous-generation and Radeon options. |
| About €625–€645 | Better than launch, but the value still depended on local alternatives, card model and whether Nvidia features or efficiency mattered. |
| €599 for the Gainward Ghost at Alternate, reported around April 25–26, 2023 | €60 below the German launch price and more compelling, especially for buyers who wanted Nvidia’s feature set; not automatically the best performance-per-euro choice. |
These are reported German launch-period prices, not present-day offers. Even at €599, model-specific cooler design, noise, warranty and return terms mattered. A discounted or used alternative could be a better financial decision if it cost substantially less and met the buyer’s performance needs; an uncertain used-card condition or weaker warranty could change that calculation.
Best Value
- Powered by NVIDIA DLSS3, ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace architecture, and full ray tracing.
- 4th Generation Tensor Cores: Up to 4x performance with DLSS 3 vs. brute force rendering
- OC mode: 2550 MHz / Default Mode: 2520 MHz
- Axial-tech fan design features a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure.
- A 2.55 slot design maximizes compatibility and cooling efficiency for superior performance in small chassis.
Did the discount signal a production problem?
No confirmed manufacturing shortage or defect follows from the price movement. The reporting described strong availability and discussed possible supply adjustments or a production pause, but those claims were not an Nvidia-confirmed explanation. Retail price cuts can be a way for sellers to improve sell-through when supply exceeds demand; they do not by themselves reveal what a manufacturer is producing or planning.
How should a buyer have made the decision?
- Consider the RTX 4070 if its local price was materially below launch, the target was mainly 1440p gaming, and DLSS, ray tracing, efficiency or Nvidia software mattered enough to justify the premium.
- Compare Radeon cards if raster performance per euro or additional memory was the priority. Check the exact game, resolution and price rather than assuming one model always wins.
- Consider an RTX 3080 or another prior-generation card only if the clearance or used price was substantially lower and the buyer did not need DLSS 3 Frame Generation or lower power use. For used hardware, condition, warranty and return protection are part of the cost.
- Wait if the discount was only €10–€20, cheaper launches were imminent, or another local offer clearly provided more value. In April 2023, the RTX 4060 Ti and RX 7600 were still anticipated products.
These criteria explain the launch-period buying decision; they are not current price advice. The April 2023 listing does not establish 2026 stock, prices or the value of newer graphics cards.
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