Editor’s take: AMD has marked its return to the high-end desktop space with the introduction of Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series processors. AMD is targeting enthusiasts and professions with its new Threadripper series, and said they will all be overclockable. You’ll also need a boatload of cash to bring one home, but more on that in a bit.
The Threadripper 7000 series consists of three chips including the “entry-level” Ryzen Threadripper 7960X with 24 cores, 48 threads, and 152 MB of total cache priced at $1,499. The mid-range Threadripper 7970X sports 32 cores / 64 threads, is clocked at 4.0 GHz, and has 160 MB of cache with a price tag of $2,499. The top-end Threadripper 7980X has 64 cores / 128 threads, can boost up to 5.1 GHz, and has a whopping 320 MB of total cache on tap. It wil set you back $4,999. Yeah, go ahead and let those prices sink in for a moment.
Threadripper 7000 series chips are built on a 5nm process using the Zen 4 architecture, and afford up to 48 PCIe Gen 5.0 lanes.
Interested parties are also going to need to pick up a new motherboard equipped with AMD’s TRX50 chipset, which supports up to 1 TB of quad-channel DDR5 memory (RDIMM). A capable power supply and a high-end CPU cooler should also be on the shortlist considering these chips carry a TDP of 350 watts.
There’s also a new Pro 7000 WX-Series that pushes the envelope even further with up to 96 cores / 192 threads, 480 MB of total cache, and support for up to 2 TB of DDR5 in an eight-channel configuration (RDIMM), plus access to up to 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes. Pro-grade chips are best paired with a board equipped with an AMD WRX90 chipset but can also run on the TRX50 chipset.
Look for AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series chips to hit retail shelves on November 21. Workstations from Dell, HP, and Lenovo featuring Threadripper Pro 7000 WX-Series CPUs are expected to be available by the end of the year, we are told.
