NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU may get a $50 price cut - and that could happen very soon

NVIDIA's RTX 4070 graphics card has only just come out, but we've already seen evidence of tentative discounts for some models - and now we're hearing that the GPU could get an official price cut ushered in direct from Team Green.

This is just a rumor, so bear that firmly in mind, but sources have told Igor's Lab that NVIDIA is considering offering a rebate payment of up to $50 to card makers, at least in the case of MSRP-level RTX 4070 models.

Those are the models built to an entry-level spec and sold at the recommended price of $599, and the theory Igor advances is that such a payment would give some breathing space to card manufacturers who find their base RTX 4070s remaining stubbornly on shelves (and perhaps starting to accumulate the first few specks of dust).

And we've seen that RTX 4070 stock is indeed not shifting very quickly, at least not from what we can tell, and there's certainly no problem finding GPUs at MSRP (and even discounts, as noted, which is very unusual at this early stage in the life of a GPU).

What could happen, then, Igor proposes, is that assuming sales of the RTX 4070 don't spark up somewhat over the next few weeks, we may see entry-level versions of the graphics card actually drop below MSRP.

Potentially up to $50 below that recommended price, as mentioned, if the card makers decide to pass the full savings on to the consumer - which admittedly, is probably unlikely. Not unless they really are starting to get worried in the face of flagging sales.

Fitting in with the RTX 4060

The other factor to consider here, though, is the imminent launch of the RTX 4060 Ti (and vanilla 4060), which is supposedly due next month. Assuming that the RTX 4070 was dropped to $550, or near that mark, by the end of April, Igor notes that this could leave NVIDIA in a tight spot with the pricing of the 4060 Ti in terms of its relative value proposition.

This is all speculation, and we can throw our own guesswork in here, too, as we've heard that the RTX 4060 might be pitched at $350, and the 4060 Ti at $450. That was theorizing from YouTuber Moore's Law is Dead, which we feel sounds about right - though maybe we're just overly hopeful for an affordable lower-end Lovelace GPU with the base 4060.

At any rate, this pricing scheme is hardly unthinkable, and if it does turn out to be the case, we think the RTX 4070 could stand a price reduction to $550 and not spoil the appeal of the RTX 4060 models. Although of course, that'll depend on relative performance levels and how they pan out exactly.

At least we won't have long to wait to find out if an imminent rebate-fueled price cut is in the cards for the RTX 4070, although even if it doesn't come later this month, the reduction could still happen in the near future.

The thing is, with limited price-cutting action happening with the RTX 4070 GPU already, and whispers about potential discounts such as this in the future, that's only going to encourage gamers to wait and see what happens with pricing. And that in itself could force the mentioned rebate NVIDIA might be mulling to happen.