AMD is turning 50 years old finally, a milestone it officially reaches in just a couple of days, on May 1. And, AMD has given gamers a couple of reasons to celebrate early, as it has already confirmed the release of special anniversary editions (Gold Editions) of it’s Radeon VII graphics card and it’s popular Ryzen 7 2700X CPU.
“For a half century, AMD pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in high-performance computing to create new experiences and possibilities for hundreds of millions of people,” said John Taylor, chief marketing officer at AMD. “We celebrate this moment with our fans around the world who inspire us to push forward in that spirit for another fifty years to 2069 and beyond.”
The Ryzen series of processors has changed AMD’s trajectory and has brought the company back to competitiveness, so it’s perhaps fitting that the flagship Ryzen 7 2700X is getting the “AMD50” treatment. Unfortunately, the Ryzen 7 2700X 50th Anniversary Edition will not offer any higher frequencies or binning, despite earlier rumors stating otherwise. It’s hard to feel like AMD isn’t leaving money on the table by not offering a cherry-picked chip, similar to what Intel did with its i7-8086K on its 40th Anniversary.
The Ryzen 7 2700X Gold Edition features Dr. Lisa Su’s signature and an AMD50 logo, as well as black packaging with gold trim. The Ryzen 7 2700X Gold Edition retains the same specifications as the standard Ryzen 7 2700X with eight cores, a base clock of 3.7GHz and a boost clock of 4.3GHz. The CPU costs $329 (about £255, AU$470) in the US, but is also available in from physical and online retailers throughout the Americas, Europe, Greater China and the Asia Pacific region.
The Radeon VII Gold Edition, meanwhile, takes the gray metal cooling shroud of the Radeon VII and replaces it with a new bold red shroud that Team Red fans will likely appreciate. The Radeon VII Gold Edition retains the standard Radeon VII specs, 60CUs, 16GB HBM2, and so on. It will sell for $699 (about £540, AU$990) in the US, and is available at AMD.com.
All Ryzen 7 2700X Gold Edition processors and Radeon VII Gold Edition graphics cards are coming with an AMD50 game bundle containing the following:
- AMD50 Game Bundle: Gamers who purchase Gold Edition products — as well as other eligible AMD Ryzen processors, Radeon graphics cards, or Ryzen and Radeon-powered PCs — will receive a coupon code for a free PC version of World War Z. They will also receive a coupon code for a free PC version of Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2 Gold Edition, which includes a Year 1 Season Pass providing one-week early access to all Year 1 Episode; eight classified assignments and assignment rewards (backpack trophies); instant unlock of three new specializations as they release; an agent ward outfit, scout Emote, and additional bounties and projects; as well as an exclusive AMD50 in-game armband. For more information visit the AMD50 webpage.
- AMD50 Tribute T-Shirt and CEO Dr. Lisa Su-Autographed Sticker: To mark this milestone in the company’s history, Gold Edition AMD Ryzen and Radeon products will include an AMD50 sticker signed by the AMD CEO and a coupon to redeem for a free AMD 50th anniversary t-shirt.
Eligible products for the AMD50 Game Bundle include the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Gold Edition, Ryzen 7 2700X, Ryzen 7 2700, Ryzen 5 2600X, Ryzen 5 2600, Ryzen 5 2400G, Radeon VII Gold Edition, Radeon VII, RX Vega series, RX 590, RX 580, and RX 570.