AMD Threadripper Grab: Dell's Alienware Shuts Out Other Major Vendors For 2017

IF YOU CAN’T wait to order a new PC with AMD’s crazy 16-core Threadripper CPU, there’s bad news and good news. The bad news is, Dell subsidiary Alienware announced recently that it has secured an exclusive deal for AMD’s high-end chip through the end of the year.

- Gordon Mah Ung

But before you get out your torches and pitchforks, there’s also good news here. The exclusive applies only to big-name PC rivals like HP and Lenovo. Smaller boutique gaming PC vendors will be able to build Threadripper systems, and DIY PC builders will have access to it, too.

Why this matters: AMD’s much-hyped Threadripper (go.pcworld. com/mht) promises to bring the same tough competition to Intel’s high-end desktop CPUs that its Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 chips did for Intel’s Core i5 and Core i7 chips. Alienware’s exclusive is a major coup for the gaming PC company, but it’s also certain to anger competing PC makers and their fans.

When is an exclusive not an exclusive?

Alienware’s so-called exclusive is a matter of semantics. “Through 2017, (Alienware) will be the exclusive OEM partner to deliver AMD Ryzen Threadripper pre-built systems to the market and the high-end 16-core will be factory overclocked across all 16 cores and 32 logical threads,” Alienware said.

What the company meant by “OEM” is major PC vendors like HP and Lenovo, rivals to its parent company, Dell. Smaller, boutique PC companies such as Origin PC, Maingear, iBuypower, and Cyberpower will be able to build machines using Threadripper this year, as will DIY PC builders.

Trapped in Area-51

Alienware said it will use the 16-core variant and lower in its updated Area-51 PC, which can take liquid cooling and run up to three GPUs.

Alienware has an exclusive on AMD’s hot new Ryzen Threadripper for the entire year.

Alienware may have a partial lock on Threadripper, but Threadripper doesn’t have a lock on Alienware. The company said it will also offer Intel’s new 12-core Skylake-X for the Area-51 product line.