Updated: AMD Scoffs At Intel Core i7-8086K Anniversary Giveaway With Ballsy Threadripper Trade-In Offer

by Brandon Hill — Monday, June 18, 2018, 07:08 PM EDT

Earlier this month at Computex, Intel announced its Core i7-8086K processor to commemorate the 40^thanniversary of the famed 8086 debut. The flagship mainstream processor offers 6 physical cores (12 threads) and has a single-core boost of 5GHz.

To coincide with the launch, Intel kicked off a contest to giveaway 8,086 of the processors worldwide, with 2,086 confirmed for the U.S. market. For those that didn't score a free Core i7-8086 in the contest, you can purchase one from Amazon for $425.

For those that did win a processor, AMD is offering up a tantalizing deal to rain on Intel's parade. AMD is giving the first 40 winners that sign up (and qualify) the chance to trade-in their Core i7-8086 for a brand-new Ryzen Threadripper 1950X processor.

AMD hasn't put the full instructions on its website yet (that will have to wait until June 25^th), but the company will verify the eligibility of those that fill out the online form and the first 40 that quality will be notified. After that point, you will be required to ship your brand new, sealed-in-the-box Core i7-8086 to AMD. Once the processor is received, AMD will ship you a Ryzen Threadripper 1950X.

"We appreciate the advancements they’ve helped drive with the x86 architecture over the last four decades. But, we’re ready to take it from here," writes AMD. "That’s why we’re giving 40 performance-hungry enthusiasts in the U.S. an opportunity to celebrate the next 40 years of high-performance computing by trading in their commemorative processor prize for our CPU that enables you to work, play and create with heavy metal."

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor has 16 physical cores (32 threads), a base clock of 3.4GHz, an all-core boost of 3.7GHz and can boost up to 4.2GHz on four cores with XFR. The processor had an MSRP of $999 when it launched last summer, but was selling for as low as $719 at Amazon in recent months.

Updated June 18^t^h at 7:08pm EST
Intel has responded to AMD in a light-hearted tweet:

.@AMDRyzen, if you wanted an Intel Core i7-8086K processor too, you could have just asked us. :) Thanks for helping us celebrate the 8086! pic.twitter.com/ZKKayaws7u
— Intel Gaming (@IntelGaming) June 18, 2018

Tags: AMD, (NASDAQ:INTC), (nasdaq:amd), ryzen threadripper 1950x, core i7-8086k

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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