2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper

It is no secret that the many-core processor wars have started. The two heavyweights of our industry - AMD and Intel - are slugging it out with huge consumer chips packing more cores and threads than ever before, and we're only just getting started.

If you were impressed by the 16-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X and 18-core Intel Core i9-7980XE, then wait until you get a load of AMD's latest Ryzen bombardment, heading to stores known as 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper and productised as the 2000-series.

Four new Threadripper parts are being brought to the fore, and this time around there's a new WX suffix to denote workstation-specific chips that raise the core count to dizzying heights. Yep, you're reading that right, the flagship Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is a gargantuan 32-core, 64-thread monster.

As expected, the quartet of CPUs is built on the same 12nm process as mainstream 2nd Gen Ryzen processors, allowing AMD to achieve higher speeds than first-generation Threadripper, as evidenced by the 4.4GHz turbo clock available to the 16-core Threadripper 2950X.

Higher peak frequencies are always welcome, yet you could argue that Precision Boost 2 is the more important innovation. Keeping multi-core clock speeds as high as possible, for as long as possible, PB2's purpose is to maintain top gear until the silicon hits a voltage, current, frequency or thermal limit, eking out every last ounce of available performance. That's great news for those with ambitious cooling configurations, as the available headroom will allow the 180W-250W chips to stretch their legs.

Last but not least, Threadripper 2 brings into play significant under-the-hood latency enhancements. AMD says there's an eight per cent improvement in L1 cache latency, nine per cent for L2, 15 per cent for L3, and two per cent for DRAM latency. Solid numbers all round, but let's not beat around the bush, you'll take the general improvements, but you've really come for the 32-core 2990WX.

Built using multiple dies that are each similar to an eight-core Ryzen 7 2700X, the 2990WX ties the quartet together using AMD's custom Infinity Fabric to generate 64 threads of computing power that is backed by a quad-channel memory infrastructure. That's a phenomenal amount of power to play with, and it won't have escaped your attention that the 32-core 2990WX is priced below Intel's 18-core Core i9-7980XE, meaning AMD continues to lead the way in terms of cores-per-buck.

The good news for existing Threadripper customers who are champing at the bit is that AMD has maintained socket compatibility between generations, and all present TR4 boards will support 2nd Gen Threadripper chips with a BIOS update.

Performance

Put it all together and 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper offers more of what we already know. In lightly-threaded workloads, AMD's Zen architecture continues to play second-fiddle to Intel Core, but that's hardly the point. Threadripper is all about loading-up those cores...

...and there are oh-so-many cores. Cinebench is a great way to test multi-core potential, and with all 32 cores and 64 threads put to work, AMD Threadripper 2990WX stands in a class of its own. The 5,000 barrier has been smashed, and we've never before seen this level of performance from a single consumer CPU.

Who needs this level of performance? AMD will rightly point out that the Threadripper 2990WX isn't for everyone. This workstation-grade CPU is designed for those with workloads that can fully utilise the many-core capabilities. Digital content creators, who understand the frustration of time spent rendering, will be impressed by 2nd Gen Threadripper's ability to complete the highly taxing Blender Victor benchmark in under 15 minutes

But there is a catch. Many mainstream apps, including modern games, aren't optimised for a large number of cores or threads, and real-world performance in some scenarios can suffer as a consequence. 3DMark Fire Strike suggests that gaming in particular will be well off the pace, and AMD attempts to counter that disadvantage through Game Mode; a BIOS option that disables up to 75 per cent of the cores, leaving an 8- or 16-core part that games are more adept at working with.

Summary

2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper is a classic case of a chip giant flexing its considerable muscle. Building on the solid foundations of its award-winning Zen architecture, the new Threadripper 2000-series chips crank the core count right up to 32, delivering 64 threads of compute performance and setting new standards for multi-core workloads.

It may take a while for mainstream software to become fully optimised for many cores, and games in particular are currently better suited to eight cores or fewer, but for professionals who can harness a huge amount of threads, 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper serves as the go-to solution in mid 2018.

You can purchase the 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor right here at Scan Computers.