It isn’t every day that a tech company turns 50 years old. AMD has a remarkable trajectory starting from the rock bottom as a small Silicon Valley start-up and turning into one of the world's most respected chipmakers. Like any organization, AMD also faced many ups and downs, but the US chipmaker has persevered through the adversities over the last five decades. There's no doubt that AMD has an even brighter future ahead.
AMD is celebrating its 50th anniversary on May 1 and the company has decided to commemorate this huge achievement by releasing a few special edition products. On this occasion, AMD won't be alone, though, as some of the chipmaker's trusted partners, such as Sapphire and Gigabyte, are contributing to AMD's festivities. So, without much further ado, here's the list of AMD's 50th-anniversary products.
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 50th Anniversary Edition
The Ryzen line of desktop processors, which was introduced in 2017, successfully put AMD back into the high-end processor discussion since the company's fall from grace. So, it didn't really come as a surprise that AMD would pay Ryzen tribute by making a commemorative edition of its current mainstream flagship processor, the Ryzen 7 2700X.
Despite the numerous leaks and rumors, the Ryzen 7 2700X 50th Anniversary Edition will not differ from the standard version in terms of clock speeds. There were high hopes that AMD would delight us with a cherry-picked chip with higher clocks, much like what Intel did with its Core i7-8086K processor.
Nonetheless, the Ryzen 7 2700X 50th Anniversary Edition will surely find its way into hardcore AMD aficionados' collections. Everything from the elegant packaging to the unique laser engraved signature of AMD's President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su on the processor's IHS (integrated heat spreader) screams collector's material. Now, you just need to find some transparent thermal paste and a transparent CPU cooler, and you'll be all set.
AMD has assigned the same $329 MSRP as the standard Ryzen 7 2700X, so you can pick the bundle up on the cheap. However, it is noteworthy that the normal 2700X models can often be found far below the MSRP, while we're sure the limited number of Gold Edition models will assure this chip stays near the recommended pricing.
AMD is also offering its AMD50 game bundle with its commemorative Gold processors and graphics cards. That includes a coupon code for a free PC version of World War Z and Tom Clancy's The Division 2 Gold Edition, which also includes a Year 1 season pass along with other extra game content.
The Ryzen 7 2700X Gold Edition also includes a sticker with AMD CEO Lisa Su's autograph and a coupon for a free AMD 50th anniversary t-shirt. The processor is available today at numerous retailers.
Best Buy will also run a promotion for select products during the AMD50 promotional period that spans April 29 through June 8. Best Buy is having a one-day AMD 50th Anniversary sale on May 1, 2019, with up to $150 off select AMD products, including processors, graphics cards, and AMD-powered notebooks and PCs. The Best Buy promotion is only available in the US.
You can purchase the Ryzen 7 2700X Gold Edition today from numerous retailers, including Newegg. Upon purchase, AMD also give you a digital code to enter a drawing contest with the chance to win a free Matisse processor when it launches. (Update 4/30/19, 5:56am PT: Newegg issued the following statement in regards to the drawing: “The product page has been updated to remove an erroneously posted digital code. The earlier reference to a product drawing was made in error and was removed promptly after it came to our attention.”)
AMD Radeon VII 50th Anniversary Edition
AMD's partners are also getting in on the fun. The Radeon VII arrived at a time when everyone was yearning for Navi. Nevertheless, the Radeon VII allowed AMD to put another feat under its belt for being the first manufacturer to release a gaming graphics card built on the 7nm process node. To celebrate, AMD is giving its vanilla Radeon VII a superficial makeover.
The packaging for the Radeon VII 50th Anniversary Edition depicts the 7nm graphics card with a red shroud as opposed to the typical silver shroud that's currently employed on the Radeon VII. This card also features the same specifications as the normal model and will retail for $699. After 50 years of existence, it's hard not to feel nostalgic, and it seems that AMD might want to relive the long-gone ATI days, even if it's just for a little bit.
You can purchase this card today from numerous retailers. This card is also eligibile for the AMD50 game bundle.
Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 590 AMD 50th Anniversary Edition
The Radeon RX 590 was AMD's first 12nm graphics card, and thus holds a special place in the chipmaker's history. Sapphire, who has pledged loyalty to AMD since the start, will be giving its Nitro+ RX 590 8GB the posh 50th-anniversary treatment.
The technical specifications both Nitro+ RX 590 graphics card are identical; therefore, performance is unaffected. However, the Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 590 AMD 50th Anniversary Edition does come with a more ostentatious gold-colored shroud. While the new color certainly gives the graphics card a premium feel, it'll be a challenge to actually put together a build around it without a manual paint job.
Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi-50
Now that AMD is contributing with the Ryzen 7 2700X and Radeon VII and Sapphire with its RX 590, the motherboard is the only thing missing to complete the build. Luckily, Gigabyte got that part covered as the motherboard manufacturer has revealed the X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi-50. The new ATX motherboard hails from the brand's Aorus gaming line, so you can expect it to come with the flashy LEDs, latest technologies, and gamer-oriented features that Gigabyte has to offer.
