Intel Confirms 'KA' CPUs Are a Promo, Avengers-Branded Chips Pop Up

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The mystery unravels

It appears that Intel is participating in a new promotion that includes its standard 10th-Gen chips inside of a special Avengers-branded box. We first heard of Intel's new 'KA' branded chips two weeks ago, and we wondered what the madness was all about. Was this a new version of the chips? Did they have different specs? Was it just a typo, or a version specific to a local market?

We reached out to Intel to see if they could tell us anything useful, and the company responded to Tom's Hardware with the following statement:

"The listing reference is related to an upcoming partner promotion featuring 10th Gen Intel Core processors. The “KA” designation is an ordering code only and not a new processor SKU."

(Image credit: KCC Shop)

Intel wouldn't divulge details about the promotion, but we're told that the primary difference between the KA-series and normal K-series is limited to special packaging. Now, as spotted by @momomo_us, Intel has new chips come with special-edition Avengers packaging. A listing can be seen at the KCC Shop, showing a rather pixelated version of this packaging. 

Given Intel's statement, along with the 'A' in 'KA,' this seems like a probable outcome. The chips themselves are identical to the standard 'K' versions, and it looks like there will be KA versions of the i5-10600K, i7-10700K, i9-10850K, and the i9-10900K. 

Of course, we don't know the exact details of the promotion yet. For all we know, this might extend beyond the special packaging and included the new Avengers game, which is set to land on the 4th of September, as part of the bundle.

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Niels Broekhuijsen
Niels Broekhuijsen

Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.

24 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Chung Leong
    Here's your chance to travel through time like the Avengers and bring home an artifact from the past :p
    Reply
  • Soaptrail
    When you do a movie tie in isn't it supposed to occur at the same time as the movie ergo Summer 2019, not summer 2020. Is this the kind of stuff we can expect more of from Intel now that they are weaker than AMD?
    Reply
  • bigdragon
    What a strange promotion.

    Avengers Endgame was last year -- it's over. Is Intel trying to cash in on the Avengers game coming out? Every article I'm reading says that the PlayStation version will be the complete version, and that the PC version will be missing content due to exclusivity deals. I don't know a single PC gamer who is happy about the situation. Intel comes across as very tone deaf here.

    This promotion reads like desperation on the part of Intel and Disney. Same chip, different box art, higher price.
    Reply
  • RockoThe Great
    This looks to be a tie in with the Avengers game coming out and really has little to do with a particular movie. Intel is just getting in on the hype of the Marvel name. They can not control any other deals that the game maker makes with Sony, Microsoft, or any other game system maker. We have no idea when the deal was done and who is to say which deal came first, the Sony PlayStation deal or Intel. We get it, your not an Intel fan. I see very little desperation here. Disney\Marvel always have movies and shows in the works and Intel is like any other business and this promotion cost them very little and if they did not think it would not be profitable, they would have not done it. Deals like these are done way out and takes time to be done. I would not be surprised if this deal was first talked about when the game was being conceived in some boardroom.
    Reply
  • Giroro
    Who is Avengers branded CPU packaging supposed to appeal to?
    Kids who have done enough research to build a DIY pc, but not enough to know the box doesn't matter?
    Maybe Intel just wants more advertising from Disney's 9,001 YouTube personalities?
    Reply
  • jpe1701
    I don't understand why everyone is so upset about it. It's a company facing stiff competition trying to use some marketing. Same for sony. They have the rights to Spiderman iirc. I have to admit I was bummed about it though. Sony could have charged the devs for using Spiderman so they could make it available to everyone but they like to get people into the PlayStation ecosystem.
    Reply
  • TerryLaze
    Giroro said:
    Who is Avengers branded CPU packaging supposed to appeal to?
    Kids who have done enough research to build a DIY pc, but not enough to know the box doesn't matter?
    Maybe Intel just wants more advertising from Disney's 9,001 YouTube personalities?
    Eh,AMD came out with a special CPU that had lisa su's signature laser engraved on it's lid and nothing more,you would put it in your system and never see it.
    This at least you get a pretty box out of to put your thor girl figurine on to.
    Reply
  • jimmysmitty
    TerryLaze said:
    Eh,AMD came out with a special CPU that had lisa su's signature laser engraved on it's lid and nothing more,you would put it in your system and never see it.
    This at least you get a pretty box out of to put your thor girl figurine on to.

    They should have made some special versions like one with a custom CLC that the water block is shaped and has LEDs to replicate Iron Mans Arc Reactor core. That would have been a cool item.
    Reply
  • watzupken
    TerryLaze said:
    Eh,AMD came out with a special CPU that had lisa su's signature laser engraved on it's lid and nothing more,you would put it in your system and never see it.
    This at least you get a pretty box out of to put your thor girl figurine on to.

    jpe1701 said:
    I don't understand why everyone is so upset about it. It's a company facing stiff competition trying to use some marketing. Same for sony. They have the rights to Spiderman iirc. I have to admit I was bummed about it though. Sony could have charged the devs for using Spiderman so they could make it available to everyone but they like to get people into the PlayStation ecosystem.

    While that is true, there is only 1 SKU (with limited number of units) and it is basically to commemorate their 50th Anniversary by call its the Ryzen 7 2700X Gold Edition. Intel have done that before from my memory. Plus you get a shirt and a game to go along. So in my opinion, its less marketing, more as a way to commemorate the occasion.

    What I feel here is why in the world would Intel come up with another SKU giving it an A suffix, when this used to help people differentiate actual difference in the product, i.e. K = Overclockable, F= no iGPU, etc? And really, to use the brand means you pay a royalty to Disney. Why not cut the price of their chips instead of paying Disney just for marketing and box art for their CPU which you will likely chuck away into the bin or into your storeroom? Everything just smells of an Intel desperation.
    Reply
  • Chung Leong
    jimmysmitty said:
    They should have made some special versions like one with a custom CLC that the water block is shaped and has LEDs to replicate Iron Mans Arc Reactor core. That would have been a cool item.

    A mini-PC in the shape of the Tesseract would sell like hotcake, methinks.
    Reply