Pre-orders are starting today ahead of the November 2nd release, and it's notable that both the Founders Edition card and the official suggested retail price are the same. You're not necessarily paying extra to go with the first-party design this time around.

The real dilemma is whether or not it's worth springing for the 1070 Ti, at least those models that cling to the stock specifications. It's entirely possible to score an overclocked GTX 1070 for less than $400 if you play your cards right, and the Vega 56 (if you can find it; it's not as common) still packs quite a punch. The 1070 Ti is mostly alluring if you prefer NVIDIA hardware and want near-1080 speed without paying the well over $500 it typically costs to get a full-fledged 1080. With that said, keep an eye out for overclocked third-party boards that don't carry a significant premium -- those may hit the sweet spot and give you a reason to jump to the 1070 Ti instead of sticking to the regular 1070 or AMD's offerings.