AMD’s Threadripper CPUs return with a 96-core monster chip

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AMD has announced the return of its Threadripper CPUs, and this time it’s bringing two brand-new classes and two new chipsets to the table. The company has introduced a Pro series of Threadripper chips for professionals who need the very best workstations, as well as a non-Pro series for high-end desktop (HEDT) PCs and “prosumers” who don’t require certain features.

Both the Pro and HEDT chips are based on AMD’s Zen 4 architecture, allowing users to take advantage of the latest PCIe Gen 5 high-speed storage. At the top of the Threadripper Pro chip lineup is the 7995WX, which boasts an impressive 96 cores and 192 threads, a maximum boost of 5.3GHz, up to 384MB of L3 cache, and 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. In total, AMD is offering six Threadripper Pro chips, with the entry-level 7945WX featuring 12 cores and 24 threads.

For those working in design, manufacturing, architecture, engineering, and media, the Threadripper HEDT chips are the more realistic options. AMD will be offering three Ryzen Threadripper chips in this category, but they won’t come cheap. The flagship 7980X offers 64 cores and 128 threads, a 5.1GHz boost, and 320MB total cache, all for a whopping $4,999.

If you’re considering a new Threadripper for a workstation, it’s also essential to think about the memory and motherboards you’ll pair it with. Threadripper 7000-series chips only support registered memory, so unbuffered dual in-line memory module (UDIMM) isn’t compatible with these processors.

To support the HEDT chips, AMD is introducing TRX50 motherboards, while WRX90 motherboards will be available for the Pro platform. Interestingly, the TRX50 motherboards will also support the Pro chips, meaning users can build a high-end desktop with 96 cores and 192 processing threads. However, these systems won’t have the eight-channel memory support or 128 lanes of PCIe Gen 5 found in the Pro chips.

While it’s exciting to see AMD’s new offerings in the Threadripper CPU lineup, it’s important to wait for reviews and full benchmarks to compare their performance in professional tasks and gaming against Intel’s Xeon and Core processors, as well as AMD’s regular Ryzen 7000 series. Both variants of the Ryzen 7000 Threadripper CPUs will be available on November 21st.