Intel could slash its processor prices by up to 15% in response to AMD

The CPU wars rage on

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AsAMD Ryzen 3rd Generationprocessors get closer to their final release,Intelis rumored to slashdesktop processorprices by up to 15% – or up to $75 (about £60, AU$110) at the high end.

This all comes from anonymous sources within the motherboard market, according to a report fromDigiTimes. This price cut will apparently apply to desktop chips across the 8th-generationCoffee Lakeand 9th-generationCoffee Lake Refreshlineups.

If these rumors are true, theAMD vs Intelcompetition could certainly heat up, as theIntel Core i9-9900K, if cut by 15%, would only cost about $415 (about £370, AU$600). This would make it a much more competitive price against the $399 (about £315, AU$580) Ryzen 7 3800X that will challenge its position in July.

Now, we would of course take these rumors with a grain of salt, but it would be the first time Intel has dropped prices in response to anAMD Ryzenlaunch. Could this mean Team Blue is running scared in response to the increased competition?

Trading blows

AMDRyzen 3rd Generation processors aren’t quite out yet,but all of the leaksandrumorswe’ve seen so far, along with AMD’s own boasting, hints that these processors will giveIntel a run for its money.

If something like the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X does come out at $399 (about £315, AU$580) with equivalent performance to the $499 (£499, AU$805) Core i9-9900K, it doesn’t look like a good value proposition for Intel. That alone makes this rumored price drop more believable.

Still, pre-release performance information isn’t the most reliable in the world, but luckily the mainstreamAMD Zen 2processors will be out on July 7, and then we’ll know how much trouble Intel is in, if any.

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Bill Thomas (Twitter) is TechRadar’s computing editor. They are fat, queer and extremely online. Computers are the devil, but they just happen to be a satanist. If you need to know anything about computing components, PC gaming or the best laptop on the market, don’t be afraid to drop them a line on Twitter or through email.

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