AMD’s 3950X 16-core Ryzen launched,

PLUS A SURPRISE BUDGET CPU.

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AMD is set to close out the year on a high note. As promised, the company will be delivering its latest 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X processor, built with two 7nm TSMC chiplets, to the consumer platform for US$749. Not only this, but AMD has lifted the covers on its next generation Threadripper platform, which includes Zen 2-based chiplets, a new socket, and an astounding 4x increase in CPU-to-chipset bandwidth.

The announcement revolves around several parts, in completely different markets: Ryzen 9 3950X, TR 3960X and TR 3970X, new TR40 motherboards, and the budget Athlon 3000G.

One key takeaway from the announcements is how AMD is moving the traditional desktop and high-end desktop markets. When CEO Dr. Lisa Su was asked earlier this year what will happen to Threadripper as the mainstream Ryzen family adds performance, her response was that “Threadripper will move up”. To that effect, we are seeing AMD’s delineation between mainstream desktop and high-end desktop move up to between 16-core and 24-core, with room at the top for more cores if AMD wants to go that way.