The year 2024 witnessed a mixed bag of exciting releases and underwhelming performances in the PC hardware landscape. While AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Nvidia’s RTX 40 Super series graphics cards generated considerable enthusiasm, the new processor ranges from both AMD (Ryzen 9000) and Intel (Core Ultra 200) fell short of expectations, leaving consumers anticipating the advancements promised by 2025’s hardware lineup. Fortuitously, January 2025 is poised to be a pivotal month, with a flurry of processor and graphics card launches expected, headlined by Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas promises to be the epicenter of these announcements, offering a glimpse into the future of PC gaming and performance.
Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series, featuring the highly anticipated RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, carries a mixture of promise and potential drawbacks. While expected to deliver substantial performance gains, the series is rumored to come with a hefty price tag, potentially reaching $2,500 for the RTX 5090 and $1,500 for the RTX 5080, representing a substantial increase over their predecessors. Additionally, the physical size of the cards is also rumored to increase, possibly posing compatibility challenges with existing PC cases, especially smaller form-factor builds. Concerns also surround the lower-end models like the RTX 5060, which might retain an 8GB memory option despite the growing memory demands of modern games. Despite these potential drawbacks, the RTX 5000 series is expected to support PCIe 5.0 and retain the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector. Nvidia’s anticipated dominance in the high-end GPU market, due to AMD’s strategic focus on the mid-range segment, could contribute to the higher pricing.
AMD, opting for a different market strategy, is focusing its Radeon RX 9000 series on the mid-range GPU segment, targeting increased market share and cost-effectiveness. Two cards, the RX 9070 XT and RX 9700, both equipped with 16GB of memory, are expected to be unveiled in January. While the Radeon RX 7900 GRE enjoyed success in 2024, AMD’s market share still trails behind Nvidia. The company is also anticipated to announce FSR 4, its answer to Nvidia’s DLSS super-resolution technology, offering performance enhancements and frame generation. The RX 9000 series is expected to be available in late January or February, followed by further releases down the product line, potentially revealing additional features such as the continued use of standard 8-pin power connectors.
The processor market is also poised for a resurgence in January with the release of AMD’s Ryzen 9 9000X3D series. Following the lukewarm reception of the initial Ryzen 9000 processors, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D proved to be a resounding success, boasting significant gaming performance improvements and enhanced overall performance due to the implementation of 3D V-Cache technology. AMD is expected to extend this technology to higher core-count processors, introducing the 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D and 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D. These processors are anticipated to deliver exceptional performance in both gaming and demanding content creation workloads, potentially becoming the most sought-after processors of 2025, particularly given Intel’s underwhelming Core Ultra 200 series.
Beyond high-end processors and graphics cards, January 2025 also promises greater affordability for building a new system. Both AMD and Intel are expected to introduce more budget-friendly motherboard chipsets. AMD’s B850 chipset will offer a more affordable alternative to the existing X870 and X870E motherboards, while still supporting cutting-edge features such as Wi-Fi 7, USB 4, and PCIe 5. Similarly, Intel’s B860 chipset will provide a less expensive option compared to the Z890 motherboards, lowering the barrier to entry for modern Intel systems. These new chipsets, expected to launch in mid-January, will provide consumers with more cost-effective upgrade paths.
In the budget graphics card segment, Intel is poised to continue its momentum with the launch of the ARC B570 graphics card on January 16th. Following the positive reception of the ARC B580, which offers excellent value in the sub-$300 price range, outperforming competitors like the Nvidia RTX 4060 and AMD RX 7600 in terms of performance per dollar, the ARC B570 is expected to further solidify Intel’s position in the budget market. With a projected retail price of $220, the ARC B570 aims to provide compelling performance at an even more accessible price point, particularly given Nvidia’s apparent shift away from the budget segment with its RTX 5000 series.
January 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark month for the PC hardware industry, offering a diverse range of new products across the performance spectrum. From high-end graphics cards and processors to more affordable motherboard chipsets and budget-oriented graphics cards, consumers can expect significant advancements and a greater selection of options to suit their needs and budgets. The anticipated launches hold the potential to reshape the PC hardware landscape, driving innovation and competition while providing consumers with compelling reasons to upgrade their systems.
