From the beginning, the AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ processor was designed for the world’s fastest and most premium desktop systems. But it also started small: a small skunkworks team of enthusiasts at AMD believed that the users of such systems needed and wanted more than an 8-core AMD Ryzen CPU. The rest is legend. The pace of progress for AMD—and the HEDT market—since that little idea has been breathtaking.
Where 10 cores once cost $1723 USD (Core i7-6950X), the 1st Gen Ryzen Threadripper CPU delivered 16 cores at half the cost (a 2.5X price/perf leap in one generation).1 It was also the world’s first 16-core HEDT processor, and we challenged our competitor to step it up. Where PCIe® lanes once pointlessly varied with the CPU in the socket, Threadripper made an always-on 64 lanes table stakes. All of that fed into phenomenal acclaim: Ryzen and Threadripper collected 550+ industry awards and accolades.
Now it’s time for the best HEDT CPU to have a sequel: the 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor. It’s the biggest, heaviest, fastest desktop processor 2018 technology can build.2,3,4 And today you can learn about two exciting new models:
Threadripper X Series Processors & Customers
Dovetailing off last year’s success in the 16-core market, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X is the crucial “missing link” for customers who create by day and game by night. With 16 cores and 32 threads, plus new technologies like Precision Boost 2 and AMD StoreMI technology, Threadripper X Series CPUs stand strong in gaming while flying through creative workloads up to 41% faster than the competition.5
Threadripper WX Series Processors & Customers
New for 2018: Some customers want to double down on their content creation performance to tear through their work as quickly as state-of-the-art technology will allow. Time is money, after all. Those users are Threadripper WX Series customers. Whether it’s 3D rendering, media encoding, or cinema mastering, the first-of-its-kind 64-thread architecture of the Threadripper WX Series is a specialized weapon that makes even the biggest projects seem smaller than ever. In fact, it’s up to 51% faster than its more expensive competitor!6
Together, the 2018 Ryzen Threadripper X and WX Series CPUs set the standard for performance, flexibility, features, and value for gamers and creators shopping in the HEDT market. And lest I forget: they’re drop-in compatible with any AMD X399 motherboard, tapping into an awesome ecosystem of great hardware. That’s HEDT done right!
| | AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X | AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX |
|---|
| TDP | 180W | 250W |
| Core Count | 16 Cores, 32 Threads | 32 Cores, 64 Threads |
| Topology | 8 Cores ea. in Dies 0,1 | 8 Cores ea. in Dies 0,1,2,3 |
| L2 Cache | 512K Per Core (8MB Total) | 512K Per Core (16MB Total) |
| L3 Cache | 16MB Per Die (32MB Total) | 16MB Per Die (64MB Total) |
| Base Frequency | 3.5GHz | 3.0GHz |
| Boost Frequency | 4.4GHz | 4.2GHz |
| PCIe Gen3 Lanes | 64 (4x reserved for chipset) | 64 (4x reserved for chipset) |
| Memory Channels | Quad | Quad |
| Extended Frequency Range 2 (XFR2) | Enabled | Enabled |
| Precision Boost 2 | Enabled | Enabled |
| Precision Boost Overdrive (OC)7 | Available | Available |
| Transistor Count | ~9.6 Billion | ~19.2 Billion |
| Die Size(s) | 2x 213mm2 | 4x 213mm2 |
| AMD Suggested Online Price | $899 USD | $1799 USD |
Robert Hallock is a technical marketing guy for AMD's CPU division. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Footnotes:
1. Testing by AMD performance labs as of June 27, 2018. Performance per dollar evaluated by dividing the Cinebench R15 nT multithread score by the $USD SEP of the processor. I7-6950X: 2061/$1723 = 1.2 per $ (100% baseline). 1950X: 3042/$999 = 3.0 per $ (150% or 2.5X faster). Intel pricing via ark.intel.com as of 7/24/2018. Intel results obtained from official Cinebench R15 benchmark database on 7/24/2018, results not verified by AMD: https://us.rebusfarm.net/en/tempbench?view=benchmark / https://us.rebusfarm.net/images/benchmarks/1466540143_438.jpg. AMD System Configuration: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X, Asus ROG Zenith X399, 4x8GB DDR4-3200 (14-14-14-28-1T), GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (driver 398.36), Samsung 960 EVO SSD, Windows 10 x64 RS3. Results may vary with system configuration and drivers. RPM-24
2. AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors are AMD’s largest desktop processors, with external dimensions of 3.1”x 2.2” x 0.25”. Intel’s largest desktop processors, the Core i9 series, have external dimensions of 2.1” x 1.8” x 0.2”, smaller than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper in every dimension. FP2-4
3. Testing by AMD Performance labs as of 6/26/2018 on the following system. PC manufacturers may vary configurations yielding different results. Results may vary based on driver versions used. Test configuration: AMD ‘Whitehaven’ X399 Socket sTR4 Motherboard + AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 2990WX + Gigabyte X299 AORUS Gasming9 + Core i9-7980XE. Both systems feature GeForce GTX 1080 (driver 24.21.13.9793), 4x8GB DDR4-3200, Windows 10 x64 Pro (RS3), Samsung 850 Pro SSD. "Power” defined as computational processing power as represented by the Cinebench R15 processor benchmark The Core i9-7980XE achieved an average of 3335.2 points in the benchmark, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX achieved an average of 5099.3, or (5099.3/3335.2=153%) 53% faster than the Intel Core i9-7980XE. RP2-1.
4. AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors are AMD’s heaviest desktop processors, with a weight of 136 grams. Intel’s heaviest desktop processors, the Core i9 series, weigh 52 grams., which is lighter than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper. FP2-5
5. Performance testing conducted by AMD Performance Labs as of 7/16/2018. “Multithread” performance defined as Cinebench R15 nT. “Single thread” performance defined as Cinebench R15 1T. Cinebench R15 nT Results: 7900X vs. 2950X: 2183 vs. 3092 (+41% faster); 7900X vs. 1950X: 2183 vs. 3022 (38% faster); 1950X vs. 2950X: 3022 vs. 3092 (1.6% faster). Cinebench R15 1T results: 7900X vs. 2950X: 188 vs. 177 (5.8% slower); 7900X vs. 1950X: 188 vs. 167 (11% slower); 1950X vs. 2950X: 167 vs. 177 (6% faster). AMD System configuration: AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 2950X and 1950X, Corsair H100i CLC, 4x8GB DDR4-3200 (14-14-14-28-1T), Asus Zenith X399 Extreme (BIOS 0008), GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (driver 398.36), Windows® 10 x64 1803, Samsung 850 Pro SSD, Western Digital Black 2TB HDD. Intel System Configuration: Core i9-7900X, Asus PRIME X299-Deluxe (BIOS 1401), 4x8GB DDR4-3200 (14-14-14-28-1T), GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (driver 398.36), Windows® 10 x64 1803, Samsung 850 Pro SSD, Western Digital Black 2TB HDD. Results may vary with system configuration and drivers. RP2-6
6. Performance testing conducted by AMD Performance Labs as of 7/16/2018. “Multithread” performance defined as Cinebench R15 nT. “Single thread” performance defined as Cinebench R15 1T. Cinebench R15 nT Results: 7980XE vs. 2990WX: 3365 vs. 5089 (51% faster). Cinebench R15 1T results: 7980XE vs. 2990WX: 183 vs. 175 (4.3% slower). AMD System configuration: AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 2990WX, Corsair H100i CLC, 4x16GB DDR4-2667 (16-18-18), Asus Zenith X399 Extreme (BIOS 0008), GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (driver 398.36), Windows® 10 x64 1803, Samsung 850 Pro SSD, Western Digital Black 2TB HDD. =Intel System Configuration: Core i9-7980XE, Asus PRIME X299-Deluxe (BIOS 1401), 4x8GB DDR4-3200 (14-14-14-28-1T), GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (driver 398.36), Windows® 10 x64 1803, Samsung 850 Pro SSD, Western Digital Black 2TB HDD. Results may vary with system configuration and drivers. RP2-9
7. Precision Boost Overdrive requires a 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper processor with AMD X399 chipset motherboard. Because Precision Boost Overdrive enables operation of the processor outside of specifications and in excess of factory settings, use of the feature invalidates the AMD product warranty and may also void warranties offered by the system manufacturer or retailer. GD-128
