AMD’s fastest CPU gets a surprise 33% price cut in time for Black Friday and just a month after launch; is anything else happening?
- AMD’s 192-core EPYC 9965 CPU is now a third cheaper than at launch
- The 5th generation Turin chip has received great reviews from the tech press
- Half the price of Intel’s 128-core Granite Rapids Xeon 6980P
AMD’s new 192-core CPU monster, the EPYC 9965, was launched last month, four months after its initial announcement. The CPU, which uses the Zen 5c core architecture, features 192 cores and 384 threads and competes (almost) directly with Intel’s recently launched 128-core Granite Rapids Xeon 6980P.
The EPYC 9965 was not only AMD’s most complex microprocessor to date, but also its most expensive, at almost $15,000.
But fast forward to today, andWired zone currently sells the chip for a more modest $10,034 – a significant discount. Unlike some online deals that disappoint with limited stock or long delivery times, Wired zone has received the processors and is ready to ship, with volume discounts also available.
What’s behind the price reduction?
The reason for this surprising price drop is not entirely clear. It may be that AMD was able to produce more processors than initially expected, or perhaps demand wasn’t as high as expected (which seems highly unlikely).
By comparison, Intel’s Xeon 6980P launched at $17,800, but the price has since risen. New egg it currently sells for $18,900, and Connection lists it for $20,527, although neither retailer currently has the product in stock. That could suggest another reason for the sudden price drop.
At the lower cost, AMD could see an opportunity to appeal to budget-conscious businesses or organizations looking for powerful processors without paying a premium.
By undercutting Intel’s prices and ensuring sufficient inventory availability, AMD could strengthen its position in the competitive server CPU market while attracting new customers who might otherwise consider Intel’s offerings.
Reviewers previously stated that Intel was finally a contender in the server CPU field again with the Xeon 6900P family.
However, the arrival shortly afterwards of AMD’s 5th generation Turin products quickly rained on that parade, putting AMD comfortably back on top. If Phoronix noted in its glowing review, “The new top-of-the-line AMD EPYC Turin processor performance can wipe out the competition on most workloads and deliver a major generational leap in performance and energy efficiency.”