AMD today released the Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and 3970X CPUs. You can read all about them over here. Though carrying the same core-and-thread count as the previous generation, much higher boost speeds and architecture improvements combine to offer supreme HEDT performance.
The 3970X sets new standards in this space, beating out last year's 2990WX by as much as 60 per cent in some multi-core applications. Such performance makes it almost twice as fast as Intel's premier Core i9-10980XE when the going gets tough.
Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is, quite easily, the fastest consumer chip ever fabricated, but it won't hold on to that crown for long. You see, AMD is unleashing a 64-core, 128-thread behemoth known as Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, ready for prime-time HEDT action in 2020.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper product range | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model |
Cores / Threads
|
TDP
|
L3 Cache
|
Base Clock
|
Turbo Clock
|
Process
|
PCIe (usable)
|
DDR4
|
Package
|
Price
|
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3rd Gen | ||||||||||
| Threadripper 3990X |
64 / 128
|
280W
|
256MB
|
TBC
|
TBC
|
7nm
|
56, Gen 4
|
Quad 3200
|
TRX4
|
TBC
|
| Threadripper 3970X |
32 / 64
|
280W
|
128MB
|
3.7GHz
|
4.5GHz
|
7nm
|
56, Gen 4
|
Quad 3200
|
TRX4
|
$1999
|
| Threadripper 3960X |
24 / 48
|
280W
|
128MB
|
3.8GHz
|
4.5GHz
|
7nm
|
56, Gen 4
|
Quad 3200
|
TRX4
|
$1399
|
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2nd Gen | ||||||||||
| Threadripper 2990WX |
32 / 64
|
250W
|
64MB
|
3.0GHz
|
4.2GHz
|
12nm
|
60, Gen 3
|
Quad 2933
|
TR4
|
$1799
|
| Threadripper 2970WX |
24 / 48
|
250W
|
64MB
|
3.0GHz
|
4.2GHz
|
12nm
|
60, Gen 3
|
Quad 2933
|
TR4
|
$1299
|
| Threadripper 2950X |
16 / 32
|
180W
|
32MB
|
3.5GHz
|
4.4GHz
|
12nm
|
60, Gen 3
|
Quad 2933
|
TR4
|
$899
|
| Threadripper 2920X |
12 / 24
|
180W
|
32MB
|
3.5GHz
|
4.3GHz
|
12nm
|
60, Gen 3
|
Quad 2933
|
TR4
|
$649
|
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1st Gen |
| Threadripper 1950X |
16 / 32
|
180W
|
32MB
|
3.4GHz
|
4.0GHz
|
14nm
|
60, Gen 3
|
Quad 2666
|
TR4
|
$999
|
| Threadripper 1920X |
12 / 24
|
180W
|
32MB
|
3.5GHz
|
4.05GHz
|
14nm
|
60, Gen 3
|
Quad 2666
|
TR4
|
$799
|
| Threadripper 1900X |
8 / 16
|
180W
|
16MB
|
3.8GHz
|
4.0GHz
|
14nm
|
60, Gen 3
|
Quad 2666
|
TR4
|
$229
|
64 cores. How?
Appreciating it is still some ways out, AMD is not divulging much other than its existence. It's actually straightforward for AMD to build such a chip, because it has a 64C128T server-optimised 2nd Gen Epyc already out in the wild. Said processor uses a nine-chip layout - eight 7nm CCDs, one IOD - all connected together via high-speed Infinity Fabric.
AMD will most likely model the 3990X on the Epyc 7H12 chip that also carries the same 280W TDP. That being the case, we ought to see all-core boost speeds of around 3.0GHz, making it around 60 per cent faster than the 3970X in true multi-threaded benchmarks - around 27,000 marks in Cinebench R20, according to my guesswork. Being Threadripper and not Epyc, the chip will have a quad-channel DDR4-3200 memory controller and 56 usable PCIe 4.0 lanes. And like the already-available duo, it will only work on the TRX40 chipset. Pricing is not confirmed, but I don't expect it to be less than $4,000.
AMD holds a commanding general-purpose performance and chipset features lead in the HEDT arena. Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is a statement processor from a company flexing its considerable muscles in the high-end space. Intel, over to you.
