Quote:AMD's second generation Ryzen Threadripper processors will be accompanied by a new wave of socket TR4 motherboards (while the processors themselves are very much compatible with existing TR4 motherboards with BIOS updates). At Computex, we had already seen one of these, with the MSI X399 Creation, and now it's GIGABYTE's turn with the X399 Aorus Extreme. A leaked slide details not just the motherboard, but also confirms the TDP of the upcoming 24-core and 32-core Threadripper II models - 250 W.

Quote:A storepage for AMD's upcoming 32-core, 64-thread monster of a CPU Threadripper 2990X popped up at Canadian hardware etailer CanadaComputers. The processor, listed for $2399 CAD, converts to some $1850 US dollars and doesn't stray too far from its earlier cameo over at German Cybersport.de.

The chip over at Canada Computers is being sold in a "in-store back order" template, so this pricing is likely close to the final mark - it does make sense that AMD would edge out its profits a little more on this behemoth of a CPU.

Quote:The 2970X, which has a 24-core, 48-thread configuration, maintains the 180 W of the previous 16-core flagship, while the new "mainstream" (isn't it crazy to call a 16-core, 32-thread CU mainstream?) 2950X is rated at only 125 W compared to the same 180 W of previous-gen Threadrippers. Of course, TDPs do mean what they mean - and sometimes that is very little, especially when comparing across manufacturers - but it still puts in perspective how much AMD managed to improve not only core counts and density, but also power envelope, on TSMC's new 12 nm process.

Quote:The 2950X also slices $100 off the 1950X's price tag. At $899, this second-generation Ryzen part promises i9-7900X-beating multithreaded performance in at least some workloads—a value proposition that catapulted the original 1950X to a TR Editor's Choice award on the strength of its performance and the value of the X399 platform. We will, of course, reserve judgment until we've been able to subject all of these chips to our own test suite, but the rosy competitive picture the 1950X first painted doesn't seem likely to change much. The Threadripper 2950X will arrive at e-tail August 31.

AMD is also teasing two chips that will launch later in the year: the 24-core, 48-thread Threadripper 2970WX and the 12-core, 24-thread Threadripper 2920WX. It might seem strange for AMD not to launch a full-stack Threadripper lineup today, but the company says the Threadripper 1950X was its best-selling Threadripper in the year that chip family has been on the market. Assuming that data is correct, it makes sense for AMD to launch its most powerful (and most expensive) Threadripper yet today and follow up with the in-between parts later. The 2970WX and the 2920X will arrive sometime in October.

Quote:Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is nothing short of phenomenal in workloads that can utilize its arsenal of execution cores. Rendering is a good example. But it doesn't scale well in other applications. The distributed architecture leaves half of the processor's compute resources stranded from the memory and I/O controllers, which can drastically reduce performance in applications sensitive to bandwidth or PCIe traffic. Unless you have a very specific workload that can't get enough parallelism, you're better off with Threadripper 2950X.
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Considering the raw horsepower on offer, AMD's pricing is extremely competitive. Ryzen Threadripper 2950X kept pace with the $1700 Core i9-7960X in many of our tests, but sells for almost half of its price. Both Intel and AMD HEDT platforms are expensive, but X399 motherboards are particularly pricey, which you'll have to consider when weighing your options. Populating all four memory channels will also be expensive in these trying times, but that extra cost applies to both high end platforms.

While we still recommend the mainstream Ryzen 7 2700X or Core i7-8700K for gaming, they clearly can't keep pace with Threadripper in productivity-oriented applications. Intel's Skylake-X processors are still brutally competitive on the performance front, but the company needs to be adjust its pricing.

If you're after the utmost in threaded performance for the dollar, the Ryzen Threadripper 2 series delivers. AMD clearly takes the lead with the most raw computing power on the desktop PC market, and at ultra-competitive pricing. We can't wait to see Intel's response.

Quote:With the introduction of these new Threadrippers, things are looking pretty shaky for Intel. The Core i9-7900X clearly cannot compete with the Threadripper 2950X at $900, and we doubt those two extra cores you get by paying $1000 for the i9-7920X will make much of a difference. Perhaps the best way forward for Intel would be to snap out of its arrogance, and price the i9-7900X at $700 (competitive to the Threadripper 2920X), and get the i9-7920X below the Threadripper 2950X. Perhaps the 14-core i9-7940X could be offered at $1000. We doubt Intel will make the right choice, and so for prosumers, the Threadripper 2950X takes the crown.

Quote:In other cases, software doesn't seem to know quite what to make of the 2990WX, as evidenced by our 7-zip compression results, the Indigo benchmark's "Bedroom" test scene, and our Veracrypt AES test. AMD acknowledges that the 2990WX's hardware might be in front of the software in some cases, so some patience might be required until developers can tune their applications to get the most from the chip. I'm fairly confident devs will be able to smooth out those wrinkles with time, but we have to judge the Ryzen 2990WX as it stands today.

One might be tempted to think a chip with this many cores and threads can handle both work and play, and that might be true for high-resolution gaming at sub-100-Hz refresh rates, but we'd still advise caution with the 2990WX after hours. We ran our high-refresh-rate 1920x1080 gaming tests on the 2990WX just to see what would happen, and it trails far behind the rest of the high-end desktop pack. On top of that, its sheer thread count and NUMA-ness seem capable of causing show-stopping playability problems with some titles, as our Far Cry 5 tests demonstrated.

To get around those issues, AMD lets owners shut off the 2990WX's compute dies or even reduce the chip to just one eight-core, 16-thread die through the Ryzen Master utility, and those measures do work. Still, those are Band-Aids, not panaceas. If for some reason you primarily envision yourself running this chip in its 16-core mode, the Threadripper 2950X is a much better choice and costs much less.

We're not holding gaming performance against the 2990WX, to be clear—high-end desktop platforms are rarely the right choice for gamers trying to push the most frames possible. Given the behavior we saw, though, developers may need to begin thinking about NUMA nodes and single-socket-server-like core counts as they refine today's titles and prototype tomorrow's.

If AMD works with software developers to address the issues we observed with some of our multithreaded benchmarks, we'll immediately crown the Threadripper 2990WX as the chip to get in the vast majority of ultra-high-end desktops. For the moment, though, I'm holding off on the full-throated endorsement a TR Editor's Choice award would imply.

Quote:It’s no accident that we talk about the Core i9-7980XE as a competitor for the Threadripper 2950X as opposed to the Core i9-7900X. Put simply, the Core i9-7900X didn’t match the Threadripper 1950X and it’s not going to match the 2950X any better. If you’re working heavily with AVX512 it may make sense to invest in an Intel HEDT CPU. If you aren’t, it’s hard to make that argument. Even in tests that heavily favor Intel, like Maxwell Render 4, the 16-core 2950X is still 1.29x faster than the Core i9-7900X — and $100 less expensive. Intel still leads in absolute single thread performance, but if you’re buying a 16-core CPU you clearly care about more than 1T. And if you care about more than 1T in the HEDT segment, AMD is offering an excellent value at every price point.

Quote:Threadripper 2 pulls out a narrow win in our comparisons. Of the seven rounds in our face-off, two -- overclocking and productivity performance -- were a tie. AMD's return to prominence in the high end segment is a godsend to enthusiasts and professional users alike. As a consumer, you now have a wide variety of potent choices from two competitive manufacturers, and AMD is keeping Intel honest on pricing.

Which CPU platform you choose should depend on two main factors: your budget and what types of software you use most. If you want the best performance for the majority of games and productivity apps, which are lightly threaded, Intel Skylake-X is your top choice. However, if you want the best speed for the money or you use a lot of heavily-threaded apps, AMD Threadripper 2 has the upper hand

And, if you're simply after the best bang for your buck, Threadripper 2 is the clear winner.

Quote:AMD X499 is reportedly back on the company's roadmap, and slated for a CES 2019 unveiling (January). What's interesting here is AMD sticking to the model number "499" after it emerged that Intel's next HEDT chipset could be named "X599." There's no information on what X499 brings to the table, but there are two big areas for improvement: first, the downstream PCI-Express connectivity needs to be updated to current PCI-Express gen 3.0 standards; and second, unless Threadripper WX processors are hardwired to only support quad-channel memory; X499 could introduce 8-channel memory, which could make it even more competitive against Intel's upcoming 28-core HEDT processor that has 6-channel memory.

Quote:AMD announced that its Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX and 2920X processors would be available on October 29, 2018 for $1,299 and $649, respectively. The company also announced several new advances on the software front, including a new Dynamic Local Mode that automatically migrates applications to CPU cores with direct memory access.
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AMD’s new Dynamic Local Mode, which is strictly for the Threadripper 2990WX and 2970WX processors, runs as a background service inside the operating system and automatically detects memory-starved application threads and dynamically assigns them to die with local memory controllers, thus boosting performance. Conversely, it detects threads that aren’t as sensitive to memory latency and assigns them to the die without memory controllers, thus maximizing the processor’s execution resources. This new implementation is transparent to the user and happens without a reboot.

As we can see from AMD's benchmarks above, the company claims the feature provides substantial boosts in some games and applications. We'll be putting this new feature to the test shortly, but we'll have to wait to share the details. AMD will make the new Dynamic Local Mode available to the public at the time of the Threadripper launch on October 29.

Quote:However, for tech enthusiasts, the bigger takeaway from AMD's presentations is the expected launch window for the third-generation Ryzen Threadripper processors. AMD pointed to them arriving after the Ryzen 3000-series debut, which was only confirmed for mid-2019, but still this year. Unfortunately, AMD didn't reveal a more specific launch time.

Quote:Disparities like this highlight how good a deal AMD’s Threadripper is, and how little the existence of that deal has changed the market over the past two years. A 16-core AMD Threadripper 2950X is selling for $859 ($53.68 per core), while the 32-core flavor is $1699 ($53 per core). Some of the reason for the lower position on the 2990WX may have to do with the scheduling issues that can hit that chip, but AMD’s 16-core Threadripper CPUs have per-core prices that should have left them eating Xeon’s lunch — if core pricing was what drove the market. The fact that Intel continues to ship Xeons with far higher pricing than Threadripper is evidence that AMD hasn’t had a lot of luck in prying high-end workstation buyers out of Intel’s ecosystem yet.

Quote:Ryzen 3000 has been one of AMD's most anticipated products. AMD's new chips are expected to launch by the third quarter of the year, or perhaps late in the second quarter (around Computex). But we aren't certain about the release for the high end desktop Threadripper processors because AMD has removed these CPUs from its roadmap that it shared during the company's Q1 earnings report. Where Ryzen 3000 and Threadripper 3000 previously stood alongside each other, there is now only Ryzen 3000 with the statement "mid-year."
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So, what's going on with third-gen Threadripper? The changed listing could just be an unintentional removal, and Threadripper will arrive as planned this year, but it could boil down to a few issues (or a mix of them): available dies and motherboards.
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Motherboards are also a complicating factor. TR4, the Threadripper socket, hasn't seen an update since 2017 and still uses the X399 chipset. Granted, X399 boards can be quite good, but AMD will likely want to update it for Threadripper 3000. While we’ve seen leaks and news about 500-series boards for Ryzen, there hasn't been any news of a new chipset for Threadripper, making it unlikely the new Threadripper chips are on the near horizon. We may just need to wait for the next horizon for Threadripper 3000.

Quote:Tom's Hardware attended a press reception with AMD CEO Lisa Su directly after her keynote announcing the Third-Gen Ryzen processors and AMD's new Radeon RX5000 Navi graphics cards. During the conversation, Lisa Su reiterated AMD's commitment to its Threadripper platform, which recently went missing from the company's official roadmaps, as we reported here.

Su did not elaborate on the why the processors went missing from the roadmap, or when the company will bring the next-gen models to market, saying "I don't think that we ever said Threadripper was not going to continue, it somehow took on a life of its own on the internet. You will see more Threadrippers from us. You will definitely see more Threadrippers from us."

Quote:Traditionally, when a chipmaker starts pushing the core counts for its mainstream processors, it's only a matter of time before the chips start cannibalizing the HEDT (High-End Desktop) offerings. With AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16-core and AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-core parts debuting yesterday and creeping into the territory of AMD's core-heavy Threadripper CPUs, prices for the Threadripper 2950X and Threadripper 2920X have dropped.

Unlike in the past, AMD hasn't officially announced any price cuts for either Threadripper CPU. However, both Threadripper processors are now available at fairly lower prices, just as the Ryzen 3000 CPUs came out yesterday with the Ryzen 9 3950X set to arrive in September.

The Threadripper 2950X, which originally debuted at $899, can be purchased for as low as $730.59. According to the Camelcamelcamel price tracker, it was $800 last month. The Threadripper 2920X used to have an MSRP of $649 but currently sells for $389.99. Just last week, its lowest price tag was $550. It almost feels like Amazon Prime Day has arrived early.

Quote:AMD is planning to surprise Intel by unveiling its 3rd generation Ryzen Threadripper HEDT (high-end desktop) processor lineup around the same time Intel launches its 10th generation Core "Cascade Lake-X" processor and the "Glacial Falls" HEDT platform, according to sources in the motherboard industry, speaking with DigiTimes. We're fairly sure the sources aren't referring to AMD's 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X processor, because it has already been announced and will be available in September.

Quote:In other news, VideoCardz also claims to have also discovered Asus's plan to release the successor to the ROG Zenith Extreme motherboard, which is based on the current X399 chipset. The ROG Zenith II Extreme, as it is allegedly called, could feature the brand new X599 chipset to house AMD's forthcoming Ryzen Threadripper 3000-series HEDT (high-end desktop) processors. Unfortunately, we still don't have a concrete launch date for the core-heavy chips except that they are slated to come out before the end of the year.

Quote:AMD is possibly testing its 3rd generation Ryzen Threadripper HEDT processors, with an interesting entry showing up on the Geekbench online database. The entry speaks of an "AMD Sharkstooth" processor with 32 cores and 64 threads, with a nominal clock speed of 3.60 GHz, and the long-form model number "AuthenticAMD Family 23 Model 49 Stepping 0." None of the 2nd generation EPYC processors correspond with these specs, and so we're almost certain this is a client-segment Ryzen Threadripper part.

The prototyping platform, which is a motherboard designed in-house by AMD to test the processor's various components and I/O capabilities, is codenamed "WhiteHavenOC-CP." In this Geekbench submission, the processor is paired with around 128 GB of memory, and tested on 64-bit Linux. The platform yields a multi-threaded score of 94,772 points, which is about 18.5 percent higher than what a Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX typically manages when tested on Linux. It is also within 5% of what the Xeon W-3175X manages (around 99,000 points). The production model could be clocked higher.

Quote:A new Geekbench 4 result has surfaced to help shed more light on AMD's 32-core Ryzen Threadripper (codename Castle Peak) processor's specifications. This marks the third leak that we've seen so far for the mysterious AMD 100-000000011-11 sample, but this time the chip's clock speeds register at up to an impressive 4.3 GHz.
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The minimum and maximum reported clock speeds out of all three Geekbench 4 results are 3.7 GHz and 4.3 GHz, respectively. Assuming for a second that 3.7 GHz is the base clock, then Intel would definitely have its hands full. Nevertheless, there's a strong possibility that the Geekbench 4 benchmarks are PBO (Precision Boost Overdrive) overclocked runs, so it's too soon to pass judgment.

CPU-Z, a widely used system information utility, recently added preliminary support for AMD's Ryzen Threadripper 3000-series processors. That is a clear sign that new Ryzen Threadripper chips might be closer than we think.

Quote:The AMD TRX40, TRX80 and WRX80 chipsets have popped up under the AMD 2019 Premium Chipset registry over at the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF, responsible for making USB standards) database. The trio of unannounced chipsets is rumored to be designed specifically for AMD's next-generation Ryzen Threadripper 3000-series (codename Castle Peak) CPUs.
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There's a theory on how to decipher AMD's latest HEDT naming scheme. The first two letters of the TRX40 and TRX80 chipset most likely stand for Threadripper, while the "W" in the WRX80 chipset might stand for workstation. If our supposition turns out to be valid, AMD could be segmenting its Threadripper processors for two different crowds. The TRX40 and TRX80 chipsets would tend to the needs of the consumer market, while the WRX80 chipset is tailored towards enterprises.

We can't be certain, but the numbers in the chipsets could denote the number of memory channels. For example, the TRX40 chipset would support four memory channels, and the TRX80 chipset would have up to eight memory channels. In the case of the WRX80 chipset, AMD could differentiate it from the TRX40 by granting it more PCIe 4.0 lanes or support for ECC (error-correcting code) memory.

Quote:The company did throw us a bone, though, and also announced for the first time that the third-generation Threadripper processors would launch in November, though the graphic clearly states they will debut with 24 cores instead of the expected 32, or even 64, cores.

Quote:MSI today inadvertently confirmed preparations for the release of TRX40-based motherboards, which will allow for AMD's next-gen, Zen 2-based Threadripper CPUs to slot in quite nicely in a bed of silicon. Via a promo page for new motherboard purchases, where MSI listed the eligible motherboards for a $25 Steam rebate after purchase, the company listed a number of their already-known motherboard quantities... And the new Creator TRX40. This is a new series of motherboards from MSI, first populated by the X299 motherboards, which caters to expandability and storage capabilities so as to accelerate content creation and production.

The reference to the Creator TRX40 has already been silently deleted in MSI's page.

Quote:AMD is giving finishing touches to its 3rd generation Ryzen Threadripper HEDT processor lineup, and the first wave of these chips, starting with a 24-core model, will launch alongside the AMD TRX40 chipset. It turns out that the chipset won't be compatible with 1st and 2nd generation Ryzen Threadripper processors. The upcoming 3rd generation Threadripper chips won't be backwards-compatible with the AMD X399 chipset, either. We've been hearing from reliable sources rumors of this segmentation from AMD for a few days now, and tech journalist ReHWolution just tweeted its confirmation having obtained info on upcoming motherboards from ASRock. The company is working on the TRX40 Taichi and TRX40 Creator motherboards.

The underlying reason between this restriction remains a mystery. We know that the EPYC "Rome" MCM is pin-compatible with first-generation EPYC "Naples" chips due to the fact that the newer chips are drop-in compatible with older servers via a BIOS update. The TR4 socket, too, is nearly identical to SP3r2, but for four out of eight memory channels being blanked out. It remains to be seen if for TRX40 motherboards, AMD re-purposed these unused pins for something else, such as additional PCIe connectivity or more electrical pins. We'll find out in November, when AMD is expected to launch these chips.

Quote:The Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) may have given away a hint about the naming of AMD’s upcoming Zen 2-based Threadripper, as spotted by German site Computerbase.de.

AMD's next Threadripper line of CPUs, Threadripper 3000 or Threadripper 3, will be part of the “Ryzen 3000” family of product names. SATA-IO hinted that it should be named the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 39x0X, with the lower-case x representing a number larger than the "5" in the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X. That leaves us with only a handful of choices: Threadripper 3960X, 3970X, 3980X, or 3990X.
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It would be unlikely for AMD to go below 3950X for the lower-end Threadrippers, as that could imply they are lower-performance than Ryzen 9. It would also be quite confusing for consumers considering that the new AMD Threadripper would start at 24 cores.

It’s also entirely possible that AMD could go with new branding for the Zen 2-based Threadripper, even if that would mean a divergence from tradition.

Quote:Famed chip detective @KOMACHI_ENSAKA discovered that AMD has posted a new Product Master list to its website that outlines current and potential future products. As per normal, entries to this list may or may not make it to market, but it seemingly provides some very intriguing information about AMD's Ryzen Threadripper 3000-series (codename Castle Peak) processors.

Starting with the most obvious new information, AMD lists an unidentified Ryzen Threadripper with 32 cores and a 280W TDP (thermal design power). The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, AMD's previous flagship, is rated for 250W. That's a 30W (12%) difference and hints that the new third-generation Ryzen Threadripper chips will probably be limited to 32 cores, which is the same as the prior-gen chips. There also isn't a listing for the rumored 64-core Threadripper.

The other tidbit revolves around the socket for Threadripper 3000 processors. As you recall, first-and second-gen Ryzen Threadripper processors drop into socket TR4, also called socket SP3r2. The new document references a socket SP3r3 (presumably TR4+), which would be the third revision to the existing SP3 socket.

The potential socket change could be attributed to the rumored support for eight-channel memory, so you might need to drop some cash on a new motherboard to expose the full features of some Threadripper 3000 models.

Quote:VideoCardz, which has a solid track record of reliable insider information, has seemingly obtained classified AMD documents that disclose the launch and embargo dates for the chipmaker's looming Ryzen Threadripper 3960X, 3970X and 3990X processors. The leaker acknowledges that the documents are dated by a few weeks, so the revealed dates might not be valid anymore.

Assuming AMD hasn't changed the dates, the Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and 3970X processors are said to make their debut on November 5. The chipmaker is also expected to reveal the TRX40 chipset to accompany the core-heavy chips. Motherboard vendors will get their chance to present new TRX40-based products as well. The sale and review embargoes will purportedly lift on November 19.

In regards to the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, VideoCardz says AMD will only tease the processor's core count on November 5, as the chip is allegedly scheduled to come out in January 2020. If we have to take an educated guess, AMD is likely saving the flagship chip for an epic announcement at CES 2020 next year.

Surprisingly, the leaked documents make no mention of the Ryzen Threadripper 3980X part or the TRX80 chipset. However, we're pretty certain that the TRX80 and WRX80 chipsets exist as per a recent USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) listing.

Quote:With its 3rd generation Ryzen Threadripper "Castle Peak" HEDT processor family, AMD isn't bothering with 16-core models as the company's mainstream desktop socket AM4 platform already offers those many cores with the upcoming Ryzen 9 3950X. The lineup will begin with the Ryzen Threadripper 3960X, which is the 24-core/48-thread part. The model number "3950X" is already taken up by the 16-core socket AM4 chip. Confirmation of this came from an "Ashes of the Singularity" screenshot that references an "AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X 24-core Processor."

Quote:The chipset fan is interesting because that would imply that TRX40 is using the same chipset as X570, which is also the same silicon that AMD uses for the I/O die inside Ryzen 3000 chips. One of Twitter’s best known leakers, @KOMACHI_ENSAKA, commented on the fan saying, “Well, basically it's the same “AMD Premium (2019) Chipset” as the X570, so it will need a chipset fan.” According to him, the rumored TRX40 chipset and the X570 are likely one in the same.

While this is hardly confirmation, it would explain the chipset fan. It’s also interesting to note that Threadripper 3 should get the Epyc I/O die (which is over 400 mm2); Threadripper 3 and its TRX40 chipset should be an interesting combination if these assumptions are correct. But when it comes to PCIe lanes, the CPU itself will be doing most of the heavy lifting; the chipset will probably only provide more USB connectivity, some SATA ports, and a few more PCIe lanes.

Quote:A hardware leaker known as @Momomo_us on Twitter tweeted two price tags today pointing to TRX40 boards that appear to come with price tags of AU$833.83 and AU$1,343.52, respectively ( about $573 and $923).

The leaker also tweeted another image with the motherboard’s names blurred out, albeit badly. From these, we can make out that the words Asus Prime TRX40 Pro and the Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme.

Of course, given the prices of the current generation of Threadripper motherboards, which use the TR4 CPU socket, these prices shouldn’t be too surprising. But since these prices aren't confirmed, we should take them with a pinch of salt. We suspect the boards will actually debut at a less steep price, considering pricing from the same model boards for the Ryzen-2000 series. What's more important here is that we have more evidence of the upcoming launch of TRX40 boards.

Quote:The teaser clearly is hinting at the plethora of MOSFETs for VRM phases, but that’s not quite what we’re interested in. The CPU socket is clearly blacked out, but a couple of mounting points are visible leading us to believe that the board Gigabyte tweeted a photo of is using the socket for AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3000.

Looking a little deeper, in the top right corner of the motherboard you can see some text that looks like it reads "99 AORUS XTREME." It's possible it says "89 AORUS XTREME," but the former is more likely.
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The problem is that so far, almost all the rumors have pointed to AMD’s Threadripper 3000 chipset being called TRX40 (or TRX80 and WRX80 for even higher platforms). However, Gigabyte's board looks like it has a “99” where its chipset name would be.

It wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see AMD's Threadripper 3000 chipset named X499 or X599 though, given that AMD's first and send generation Ryzen Threadripper chips run on the X399 chipset. But making this even more confusing is the fact that makes it all confusing is that Intel's current HEDT chipset is X299.

This leaves us with more questions than it does answers. We suppose it's possible that AMD is looking to beat Intel to grabbing the X499 or X599 name. It's also plausible that TRX40 is simply an engineering name that many people assumed would be the official chipset name.

Of course, another option is that we're not looking at an AMD board at all. But we'd be very surprised because the socket mounting points look far too similar to the existing TR4 socket.

We’ve spent over an hour trying to figure this one out in our newsroom but ended up just going in circles. Who can tell me what’s going on?

Quote:This isn’t the first time we’ve spotted this motherboard. In fact, just a couple of days ago we reported on a tweet from Gigabyte teasing this board. The catch with that one is that it had a “99” text on it, which is confusing and made us question whether the rumors pointing to the Ryzen Threadripper 3000 chipset being called TRX40 are true.

The artwork on the box pictured above shows that the chipset name will be TRX40, and given that that’s the chipset name we’ve seen pass by most, chances are that is indeed what it will be called. It also lists the socket as sTRX4 – a socket name which we’ve seen in a leak from GamersNexus a couple of months ago.

Quote:It's sort of a goalpost-moving world, but according to Videocardz, AMD has apparently scrapped plans to announce their new Ryzen Threadripper lineup for today, November 5th, and has since scheduled the announcement for November 7th. The website cites sources close to AMD's plans as a way to add credence to their report. This writer, for one, thinks an announcement on a day other than a 7th would be a missed opportunity, flavor-wise, considering the 7 nm manufacturing process of the new AMD HEDT lineup, but I digress.

As far as is known, all other plans are kept, including the announcement of three new processors: the Threadripper 3960X and 3970X, which will hit shelves come November 19th, when the review embargo lifts; and the Threadripper 3990X, which will only be available come January 2020. The new TRX40 platform and motherboards based on the design will also be showcased, and there should be a myriad of new product announcements on that front to accompany AMD's new products.

Quote:As leaked by VideoCardz, it appears that AMD has revamped the packaging for its upcoming Ryzen Threadripper 3000-series (codenamed Castle Peak) processors.

The purported packaging looks like a normal cardboard box that's decked out with fancy graphics, and the concept is similar to AMD's packaging for the previous-gen of Ryzen Threadrippers. There's a huge cutout in the middle where you can see the Ryzen Threadripper logo and a preview of the chip. VideoCardz noted that the packaging is numbered, so this would be a limited edition packaging.
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In comparison to the current design for Ryzen Threadripper 2000-series, the new packaging looks more compact. Some might argue that the last-gen's packaging resembles a lunchbox, but the sheer size does make the processor inside look rather imposing, just as we'd expect from the rumored 64-core 128-thread models.

Quote:As for the processors themselves, the Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is a 24-core/48-thread beast priced at USD $1,399 (same exact price as the previous generation 24-core Threadripper 2970WX). The 3960X offers frequencies of 3.80 GHz base with up 4.50 GHz maximum boost, and a gargantuan 140 MB total cache (L2+L3). The Threadripper 3970X, on the other hand, is a 32-core/64-thread monstrosity priced at USD $1,999. Despite its extreme core-count, it doesn't skimp on clock-speeds, offering 3.70 GHz nominal clocks, and 4.50 GHz maximum boost frequency. Both chips will be available to purchase on November 25, 2019.

Quote:AMD announced two third-generation Ryzen Threadripper HEDT (high-end desktop) processors today, along with the Ryzen 9 3950X mainstream desktop CPU and Athlon 3000G APU. Already we're seeing early benchmarks of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X.
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A quick glance at the results shows the Threadripper 3960X rising above the Threadripper 2970WX by fairly large margins. This is to be expected, considering that the Threadripper 3960X is the direct replacement for the Threadripper 2970WX. However, the Threadripper 3960X apparently lost to the Ryzen 9 3900X in the Fire Strike test. It redeemed itself in the Time Spy and Time Spy Extreme tests.

The Threadripper 3960X seemingly beat the Core i9-9900KS but fell behind the Core i9-9980XE in Fire Strike. AMD's 24-core offering also looks like it squashed its Intel rivals in both Time Spy and Time Spy Extreme.

3DMark's Physic test is a decent way to explore a processor's performance, but it doesn't compare to an in-depth review evaluating the chip from different angles. Stay tuned to Tom's Hardware for just that.

Quote:With the launch of the Threadripper 3960X and 3970X,SEEAMAZON_ET_135 See Amazon ET commerce AMD has taken a decisive leadership position in the high-end desktop market. I’m not going to say that Intel doesn’t build chips that could take on the Threadripper 3970X — it does — but it doesn’t sell them in this space or for these kinds of prices.

Intel’s dramatic price cuts make Cascade Lake objectively a far better deal than any previous Intel Core X CPU. If you bought into Skylake X with, say, a 7900X for $1,000, a 10980XE for $1,000 may be the best upgrade path for your machine (assuming, of course, that you can use the extra cores). At the same time, however, it’s hard to ignore the fact that AMD’s 16-core is now beating Intel’s 18-core in a number of tests. For now, Cascade Lake’s 50 percent price cut will make plenty of people happy, but the Ryzen 9 3950X is nipping at the heels of Intel’s HEDT product line.

If the 3950X represents the dog nipping at the back of Intel’s heels, the 3960X and 3970X are the 24-ton and 32-ton elephants sitting on its head. [That’s quite a scene happening here. -Ed] These chips offer amazing, unbeatable performance that Intel cannot match in the short term. It’s not clear when Chipzilla will field a product that can rival what AMD has dropped in-market today.

Last year, the 2990WX had too many flaws and shortcomings to be considered a serious product. The 3970X fixes them. Its gaming performance is excellent. Its application performance is phenomenal. Intel has been driven back to a barricade built on 1080p gaming and lightly threaded workloads that are well-tuned for its CPU cores. Given Intel’s long-standing dominance of the market, that barricade is a good deal stronger than it may look to AMD’s most adoring fans — but the company has been driven backward, make no mistake.

Cascade Lake will not be driven from the field. While its performance was a bit odd in places, the Core i9-10980XE delivers some nice additional single-threaded performance. But the excitement and energy in the PC desktop market right now is being driven by AMD. The Threadripper 3970X and 3960X represent one of the largest leaps forward for high-end desktop computing that I’ve ever seen any company deliver.

Well done.

Quote:AMD is hours away from market-availability and reviews of its 3rd generation Ryzen Threadripper HEDT processors, which includes two models at launch, the 24-core 3960X, and the 32-core 3970X, with prices starting at USD $1,399. The two are closely related to the 2nd generation EPYC "Rome" server processor family, which we know includes core-counts going all the way up to 64. It was hence obvious that a 64-core Threadripper will launch at some point, and that point is 2020, and the part goes by the name 3990X.

The slide detailing the 3990X mentions its core count of 64-core/128-thread, total cache (L2 + L3), which is a staggering 288 MB, and TDP of "just" 280 W. There is no mention of the chip's clock-speeds, and with the 3970X already priced close to $2,000, one can expect even higher prices for a chip with double the core count. At some point these products stop being HEDT and enter the realm of workstations. Intel's short-term response to even the 3970X could be limited to somehow sell the 28-core "Cascade Lake-SP" with quasi-HEDT branding the way it sells the Xeon W-3175X, and on a different platform than the X299.

Quote:The review embargoes on AMD's and Intel's processors were originally scheduled to lift simultaneously, but Intel did something that angered multiple reviewers. The company pulled its review embargo forward by 6 hours, hoping that reviews that come out at the earlier NDA time can't include data on AMD 3rd gen Threadripper performance, which is embargo'd until later. These reviews could then influence HEDT purchase decisions without giving people exposure on AMD's parts. Prominent YouTube-based journalist Linus Sebastian of LinusTechTips, who keeps a cooler head than his sub-zero hardware on camera, made unprecedented comments highlighting Intel's decision to "chicken out" of direct comparisons with competing AMD hardware. In an innovative move, Sebastian blurred out performance graphs of possible AMD chips without changing their positions in graphs sorted "higher is better" or "lower is better," to suggest that something faster than Intel's chips exists. Technically that is "revealing performance data", but it seems unlikely that AMD will complain. Another prominent publication, AnandTech, refused to post its Intel review before the embargo on its AMD review lifts; just so it could include AMD data in its Intel review (and vice versa).

From the 10th gen Intel Core XE reviews we've read/watched, there is a consensus that with nearly identical IPC to "Skylake-X," and the same 14 nm process as the previous generation, Intel cannot possibly compete with 3rd generation Ryzen Threadripper, and that the Core i9-10980XE will not be the fastest HEDT processor you can buy, by a long shot. In nearly all tests, the i9-10980XE offers similar performance levels to the previous-generation i9-9980XE, which it shares nominal clock-speeds with. DLBoost, which accelerates AI applications, is mentioned in most reviews, but none delved too deep into practical applications of the instruction-set, let alone comparative performance benchmarks.

Quote:In the press-deck of its 3rd Generation Ryzen Threadripper 3970X/3960X launch, AMD teased its flagship HEDT part for the TRX40 platform, the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, with a 2020 launch date. It should come as little surprise then, that the core-count gap between the 3970X and the 3990X has an SKU in the middle - the 3980X. This SKU reportedly surfaced in CPU-Z 1.91 code. The 3980X is a 48-core/96-thread monstrosity for when 64 cores are too many, and 32 too few.

Like the 3990X, the 3980X will likely be built with eight "Zen 2" CCDs (chiplets) for optimal IFOP bandwidth utilization and heat-spread. Each CCD will likely be configured with 6 cores (3 per CCX), adding up to 48 cores on the package. Much like the 3990X, clock-speeds of the 3980X remain under the wraps. AMD is expected to launch the two some time in 2020, featuring compatibility with existing AMD TRX40 chipset motherboards. The company could target a sub-$3,000 price-point to make the Xeon W-3175X obsolete both in performance and value.

Quote:The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X ships with clock-speeds of 2.90 GHz with 4.30 GHz boost, a gargantuan 288 MB of total cache (L2 + L3), and the same I/O as the 3970X: 4-channel memory interface with support for up to 2 TB of memory; a PCI-Express 4.0 x8 pipe to the TRX40 chipset, and up to three gen 4.0 x16 links to the processor package. AMD also showed a performance sneak-peak, comparing a machine with a single 3990X squaring off against a machine with 2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8280 processors that add up to 56 cores and 112 threads. In the side-by-side V-Ray render test, the 3990X emerged 30% faster than the Intel setup, but here's the kicker: the 3990X "only" costs $3,990, versus $20,000 for the 2P Xeon 8280 (processors alone). The HEDT chip also supports ECC memory.

Quote:We've done our best to show you the best of the Threadripper 3990X's performance, but we can't tell the whole performance story due to spotty software support for a processor of this class. Outside of AMD's targeted workloads, most software can't extract the best performance from this processor. We also encountered plenty of difficulties finding workloads that would scale in Windows on our server test platforms, largely due to the difficulties associated with NUMA. However, those challenges explain perfectly why this processor could find a profitable niche: A large number of applications don't scale well with NUMA architectures, particularly with Windows, which is the operating system of choice for visual effects artists.

AMD has plenty of experience in pushing the software ecosystem forward to support heavily threaded chips, and the company is already working with several companies to improve processor grouping support, and hopefully, industry-standard benchmarks like SPECWorkstation 3 will also get an upgrade.

In either case, the Threadripper 3990X is an incredibly impressive chip. Just three years ago, an eight-core $1,000 chip represented the best the industry had to offer on an HEDT platform, but now we have up to 64 cores and 128 threads at our disposal, and AMD says it won't slow down as it shrinks to smaller process nodes. As crazy as it sounds, we'll see higher core counts in the future. Hopefully the software and operating system ecosystems respond with performance-boosting optimizations so this kind of incredible performance benefits more types of workloads.

Quote:But the 3990X isn’t trying to be all things to all people. It’s the laurel wreath. It’s a victory lap. The 3970X is the CPU that’s actually intended to go toe-to-toe with what Intel has to offer; it’s the 3990X that clinches the deal, for the AMD customer for whom money is no object.

As for the significance of that? This is the first time in 15 years that AMD has had a product that competed for the “money is no object” segment in the first place. You have to go back to the days of dual-core Opteron and Athlon 64 FX, when AMD was facing off against Prescott and Smithfield, to find a time when AMD was so confident of its endgame to launch a part in this kind of position. Other reviewers, with access to more expensive Xeons than I have, have confirmed that AMD wins benchmarks against $20K worth of Xeon CPUs in multiple areas. That’s the kind of performance disparity that can make even the “Money is no object” crowd sit up and take notice.

Quote:There’s been a rumor going around this week about a new, 64-core Threadripper CPU from AMD. Dubbed the 3995WX and debuting under the “Threadripper Pro” brand-name, this chip is supposed to debut with an eight-channel memory configuration with support for up to 2TB of RAM.

Up until now, the chip has just been a rumor, but a recent photo of the core popped up on Chiphell, pointing towards a definite introduction/launch at some point. The image has since been removed, but hat-tip to Guru3D for surfacing the news.
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A Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3995WX with 8-channel RAM support would eliminate this constraint, with 2x the total RAM bandwidth. We don’t have any other details on the CPU, but we’d expect the clocks to be similar to the 3990X unless AMD’s upcoming 8-channel memory platform also increased the CPU power draw. The 3990X is limited to 280W nominally, though that can be exceeded to good effect. Our overclocking test results showed that the 3990X had a lot of headroom and benefited from even modest full-core overclocking.

Quote:AMD's 64-core HEDT processor with an 8-channel memory interface, the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX, could debut in a Lenovo-branded workstation. Lenovo's Workstations division recently tweeted a big workstation announcement for 14th July, 2020, the same day AMD is expected to announce the 3995WX. "A new Lenovo workstation is coming soon, and we aren't going to just change the game. We plan to change the rules," the tweet reads. This is also a major hint as to the availability of the 3995WX. It won't surprise us if the processor will be an OEM-exclusive (if not a Lenovo-exclusive). The Threadripper PRO 3995WX, in addition to the Ryzen PRO feature-set, reportedly features an 8-channel DDR4 memory interface, doubling the memory bandwidth over that of the current retail-channel flagship 3990X.

Quote:We've seen rumors about an upcoming AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro series before, but these new alleged benchmarks from a Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3975WX just made those all seem much more real. The 32-core processor (spotted via @TUM_APISAK) has surfaced in multiple Geekbench 5 submissions.

We'd expect Ryzen Threadripper Pro CPUs to use the same blend of the Zen 2 microarchitecture and TSMC 7nm FinFET process node that has worked wonders for AMD's other processors. The Ryzen THreadripper Pro 3975WX is the second chip to show up behind the Ryzen Threadripper 3995WX. Naturally, there could be a Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3965WX to complete the lineup.

Quote:Videocardz seems to have snagged some official AMD slides detailing their upcoming Threadripper PRO lineup. AMD is tiering its Threadripper CPU offerings between the Threadripper and Threadripper PRO via added functionality that AMD considers is better suited to the prospective buyers of a PRO-branded Threadripper: professional studios, designers, engineers and data scientists. AMD's positioning for these creatives or scientists is to offer a much improved platform throughput compared to Threadripper: the PRO version supports up to 128 PCIe 4.0 lanes (64 in non-PRO); up to 2 TB of ECC memory support (either in UDIMM (Unbuffered DIMM), RDIMM (Registered DIMM), LRDIMM (Load-Reduced DIMM) and 3DS (three-dimensional stacking) RDIMM vi an 8-channel configuration (4-channel in non-PRO); as well as professional-oriented tools and features such as Pro Security, Pro manageability, and PRO business ready support.

Four different CPUs will reportedly be offered in the Threadripper PRO lineup: the 64-core 3995WX is a relatively known quantity by now; likewise, the 3975WX will mirror consumer parts core counts (32 cores), both with reduced clocks by 100-200 MHz compared to their non-PRO counterparts. AMD seems to also be launching 12 and 16-core PRO Threadrippers in the form of the 3955WX (16-core) and 3945WX (12-core), both with boost clocks being set to 4.3 GHz.

Quote:When AMD unveiled its Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3000WX-series processors and WRX80 chipset in July, the company said that the platform will be available only from select workstation suppliers and there were no plans to bring it to do-it-yourself (DIY) enthusiasts. Officially, AMD's stance has not changed and Threadripper Pro are CPUs for professional workstations, but Gigabyte has developed a branded motherboard for Threadripper Pro processors that will likely have broad availability. A promotional picture of Gigabyte's WRX80-SU8 motherboard was published by VideoCardz website, which may indicate that the product is either about to be launched or is in final stages of its development.

Gigabyte's platform is called the WRX80 SU8 IPMI Server Motherboard and it features a server form-factor (most likely EATX) and carries a baseboard management controller (BMC). Meanwhile, the platform supports all AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3000WX-series processors in sWRX8 form-factor up to the 64-core Pro 3995WX. The platform has eight memory slots to use Threadripper Pro's main feature: eight-channel memory support.
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AMD's Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3000WX-series CPUs do not support overclocking, which makes them somewhat less appealing to enthusiasts. But at the same time support for up to 2TB of eight-channel DDR4-3200 memory make the processors very attractive to professionals.

At present, AMD only sells Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3000WX-series CPUs to select makers of workstations. Given the combination of server and workstation features the Gigabyte WRX80 SU8 motherboard has, it may address workstations by boutique PC shops as well as smaller server builders. If this is the case, AMD is about to start selling its Ryzen Threadripper Pro not only to select makers of professional workstations, but also to distributors and ultimately end users. Unless, of course, the platform was designed for a specific customer with certain requirements and meant exclusively to one client that has access to AMD's exotic Threadripper Pro chips.

Quote:AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro line of HEDT/Workstation processors were a nothingburger for the DIY PC crowd as it was launched exclusively through Lenovo for its ThinkStation P620 line of workstations. These processors are a step-up from the retail Threadripper 3000 series, as they feature the full 8-channel DDR4 memory interface, and 128 PCI-Express Gen 4 lanes of the "Zen 2" based "Rome" MCM. The retail Threadripper 3000 chips only feature a quad-channel (4-channel) memory interface.

GIGABYTE has developed a custom server motherboard based on the AMD WRX80 chipset that drives the Lenovo ThinkStation P620. The new WRX80 SU8 motherboard by GIGABYTE features a single sWRX8 CPU socket, supporting Threadripper Pro processors up to the Threadripper Pro 3995WX. It features seven PCI-Express 4.0 x16 slots, three 64 Gbps U.2 ports, two M.2-22110 slots, and eight DDR4 DIMM slots, each with its own dedicated memory channel. GIGABYTE also used the lavish PCIe budget of this platform to give the board dual 10 GbE interfaces. The board also comes with an ASPEED IPMI remote management chip. GIGABYTE is a server vendor, and this board's unveiling could hint at the likelihood of AMD opening up availability of the Threadripper Pro to other OEM vendors, ending Lenovo's exclusivity.

Quote:AMD is set to introduce its next-generation of Ryzen Threadripper processors in the coming weeks, and rumors are suggesting that it may happen at this year's CES. The new Ryzen Threadripper platform is codenamed Genesis Peak. If we take a look at the current 3000 series "Castle Peak" Threadripper processors, they were launched on CES 2020, with availability in February. So we are assuming that the upcoming 5000 "Genesis Peak" series is going to launch at the virtual CES event, during AMD's show. Thanks to the information from Yuri "1usmus" Bubliy, we found out that AMD is going to start the next-generation Threadripper lineup with a 16 core processor. "1usmus" posted a riddle on Twitter, that is actually a hex code that translates to "GENESIS 16 CORES".

The current generation of Threadripper Castle Peak processors is starting at 24 cores, and going up to 64-core models, so it would be interesting to see where AMD sees the 16-core model in the stack and why it chose to do it. The exact specifications of this processor are unknown, so we have to wait for the announcement event. It is also unknown if the existing TRX40 motherboard will offer support for Zen 3 based Genesis Peak 5000 series Threadripper processors or will AMD introduce a new platform for it.