AMD Paves Upgrade Path for TRX40 Platform with 64-core 3990X in 2020

[btarunr]

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.



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[Chomiq]

Insert Bad Boys 2 "Sh*t just got real" meme here

 

[Deathy]

stop being HEDT and enter the realm of workstations

Huh? I would say that every workstation is a "High End DeskTop", but not every HEDT is a workstation. Or am I missing something?

 

[bug]

At some point these products stop being HEDT and enter the realm of workstations.

Imho, these are not HEDT anyway. Nobody needs that many cores on a desktop. Only photo/video editing, 3D modelling/rendering or computing need that many cores. And if that's what you're doing with your system, it's already a workstation.

 

[btarunr]

Huh? I would say that every workstation is a "High End DeskTop", but not every HEDT is a workstation. Or am I missing something?

Every WS processor is an HEDT processor if it has an unlocked multi.

No Intel HEDT processor is fit for the workstation role since they lack ECC memory support. AMD HEDT chips do work with ECC, though.

 

[Tomgang]

Can you smell that? It's the smell of Intel crapping there pants and I think you know why

64 cores , that's one monstrous cpu for sure. This is litterly gonna hurt Intel in the ass. Sure Intel has there 56 core xeon but with a tdp of 400 watt so that is only baseclock. Guess how much watt at full boost.

 

[IceShroom]

Speculation on clock speed for the 64 Core : Base 2.6GHz with boost 3.3GHz.
(Speculation based on a released EPYC part : https://www.anandtech.com/show/14882/amds-new-280w-64core-rome-cpu-the-epyc-7h12)

 

[Vya Domus]

Speculation on clock speed for the 64 Core : Base 2.6GHz with boost 3.3GHz.

They are going to be higher than that.

 

[ShurikN]

Speculation on clock speed for the 64 Core : Base 2.6GHz with boost 3.3GHz.
(Speculation based on a released EPYC part : https://www.anandtech.com/show/14882/amds-new-280w-64core-rome-cpu-the-epyc-7h12)

You cannot make that comparison, because the 24 core 3960X has a base clock speed of 3.8GHz and boost clock speed up to 4.5GHz. Not a single 24 core EPYC boosts that high. As a matter of fact no EPIC Rome CPU can boost past 3.4 GHz.

 

[bug]

Can you smell that? It's the smell of Intel crapping there pants and I think you know why

64 cores , that's one monstrous cpu for sure. This is litterly gonna hurt Intel in the ass. Sure Intel has there 56 core xeon but with a tdp of 400 watt so that is only baseclock. Guess how much watt at full boost.

Personally, I'm that impressed. I went ahead and got the 3600, because when I can have 6 cores/12 threads for $200, why not? But instead of going overboard with cores, I'd like to see better IPC. Because while the core advantage is situational, faster cores are not.
I am aware that Zen->Zen2 came with a nice IPC uplift and that Zen2->Zen3 is supposed to improve on that (which is excellent), I'm just saying, news about IPC do more for me that announcing a new core record.
More cores is essential in the server space (so kudos to AMD for pursuing that lucrative market), that's also true.

 

[phill]

I simply can't wait for the reviews and if only I could afford it

 

[IceShroom]

You cannot make that comparison, because the 24 core 3960X has a base clock speed of 3.8GHz and boost clock speed up to 4.5GHz. Not a single 24 core EPYC boosts that high. As a matter of fact no EPIC Rome CPU can boost past 3.4 GHz.

3960X is 24 Core and the future 3990x will have 64 Core just like the high clocked EPYC and has 280W TDP.

They are going to be higher than that.

Clock speed will be higher because of mature 7nm, but it will be not more than 100-200MHz in both in for base and boost.

 

[Vya Domus]

Clock speed will be higher because of mature 7nm, but it will be not more than 100-200MHz in both in for base and boost.

7nm is mature enough to get high clocks in low volume products such as Threadripper. Epyc on the other hand is high volume and it's also more constrained in terms of power, on a desktop that isn't as critical therefore Epyc's low clocks aren't representative for desktop products.

You can bet it's going to be more than 100-200mhz especially for single core clocks. You can pin this comment and come back to it in 2020 and see if I was right.

 

[mrthanhnguyen]

Wondering if anyone buy 64 cores cpu to play games.

 

[Tsukiyomi91]

Intel is d.o.n.e f***ed. Even their so-called "top of the line" HEDT i9-10980XE is not even worthy to be compared next to the TR 3960X.

 

[Deleted member 158293]

Wondering if anyone buy 64 cores cpu to play games.

Don't see why unless...

The upcoming Nitrous 3 engine is the only game engine I can think of which could scale high enough. Their versions 1 & 1.5 can scale to 16 & +/-24 cores I believe (2x threads).

Can't wait to see their v3.

 

[phill]

Having seen the reviews for the 3960X and 3970X, I'm amazed and in awe

 

[fancucker]

Xeons 56 core Cascade Lake will probably have the last laugh in terms of performance. Let's see if AMD can convince businesses to transfer to a less optimized and unknown product line.

 

[Logoffon]

There's one word that tells that the slide is fake:

Calibri

I mean, AMD uses their own font, not that default Microsoft Office PoC. Here's a comparison with their actual slide:

 

[PerfectWave]

I simply can't wait for the reviews and if only I could afford it

i fell very bad with my 8/16 2700 ryzen XD

 

[InVasMani]

7nm is mature enough to get high clocks in low volume products such as Threadripper. Epyc on the other hand is high volume and it's also more constrained in terms of power, on a desktop that isn't as critical therefore Epyc's low clocks aren't representative for desktop products.

You can bet it's going to be more than 100-200mhz especially for single core clocks. You can pin this comment and come back to it in 2020 and see if I was right.

Yeah I believe at the very least the base clocks will assuredly see a reasonable core clock bump. It's harder to know what to expect beyond a reasonable base clock increase for the boost clocks, but precision boost and the OS scheduling along with the I/O die and CCX contention certainly have improved from the first Ryzen and with 7nm having matured a little further from the Zen2 AM4 introduction I'd expect some further refinement just not on the same scale as Intel's 14nm++++++++++++++++ over optimization I mean the 14nm cow has been milked dry by Intel.

 

[Penev91]

My 2950X is the best CPU I have ever had and it paid for itself numerous times but it's time for an upgrade. I think I will have to engrave Lisa Su on my side panel.

 

[phill]

i fell very bad with my 8/16 2700 ryzen XD

I'm still on 1700X's and 5960X's at home

The CPUs are just phenomenal with what AMD has done. I think if I could have an upgrade from my 5960X, it would be the 3950X just because of its performance and price. Not as great as the 3900X but 12 cores is just so last week for a desktop PC now.....

 

[dicktracy]

Prices are already too damn high for the entry level and the middle of the pack model. Everyone could just forget about the 64 core model.

 

[Houd.ini]

Xeons 56 core Cascade Lake will probably have the last laugh in terms of performance. Let's see if AMD can convince businesses to transfer to a less optimized and unknown product line.

Yeah, a chip that won't be available in practice, for 3-4 times the price and twice the power consumption. sounds great.