As revealed last week, AMD’s new 32-core Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX desktop processor for enthusiasts is now available for a hefty $1,800. It’s compatible with motherboards packing the TR4 socket and the X399 chipset. The only other new Threadripper chip arriving this month will be the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X 16-core desktop chip costing half the price.
If you’re just tuning in to the Threadripper channel, the 2990WX is now AMD’s flagship processor with 32 cores zooming along at a base speed of 3.0GHz and a maximum speed of 4.2GHz. It also supports 64 threads, 64 PCI Express 3.0 lanes, and packs 3MB of L1 cache, 16MB of L2 cache and 64MB of L3 cache. Rounding out the package is a 250-watt power requirement.
“All second-generation Ryzen Threadripper CPUs are supported by a full ecosystem of exciting new motherboards, as well as all existing X399 platforms with a simple BIOS update, with designs already available from top motherboard manufacturers including ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI,” the company says.
To celebrate the 2990WX’s arrival, AMD teamed up with Maingear to launch a contest where the grand prize is a custom workstation based on the new Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX processor. The contest begins on Monday, August 20, at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT) and presents a series of hidden clues that will lead one lucky winner to a secret code for claiming the workstation. This contest is only valid within the United States.
As for the three other second-generation Threadripper chips, the 16-core 2950X arriving later this month will have a base speed of 3.5GHz and a maximum speed of 4.4GHz. It will also support 32 threads, 64 PCI Express 3.0 lanes, and pack 32MB of L3 cache. The chip will draw 180 watts of power.
Meanwhile, the remaining two won’t appear until October. The 2970WX will be a 24-core chip with a base speed of 3.0GHz and a maximum speed of 4.2GHz. It will support 48 threads, 64 PCI Express 3.0 lanes and include 64MB of L3 cache. Like the 2990WX, this chip will draw 250 watts of power for a lower $1,300 price tag.
AMD’s fourth and final Ryzen Threadripper chip for 2018 will be the 2920X packing 12 cores, 24 threads and 32MB of L3 cache. It will have a base speed of 3.5GHz, a maximum speed of 4.3GHz and support 64 PCI Express lanes. It arrives sometime in October for a mere $650.
To purchase the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX desktop processor, head over to Amazon, Fry’s, Micro Center and Newegg. You can also get the chip already installed in M-Class and L-Class desktops assembled by Origin PC.
While you’re shopping, you’ll need a cooler to chill out that monster CPU while it’s under heavy pressure. AMD lists an arsenal of solutions here provided by Cooler Master, Corsair, EVGA, Noctua, NZXT, Thermaltake and six other hardware partners. And no, the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX does not ship with its own CPU cooler despite the monster $1,800 price. You don’t even get a chocolate mint.
