The first detailed specifications of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X flagship chip have been revealed along with benchmarks and overclocking potential. The chip, which will be based on the 12nm FinFET process will be part of the 2nd generation Ryzen Threadripper lineup that launches in Q3 2018.
AMD 2nd Generation Ryzen Threadripper 2990X CPU Specifications, Performance and Overclock Potential Detailed, Disrupts Intel's 28 Core 5 GHz Computex Demo
According to HKEPC's Senior Editor, John Lam, who got an exclusive look at the 2nd Generation Ryzen Threadripper chip, the flagship part will be known as the Ryzen Threadripper 2990X. Now HKEPC has been very accurate with their posts in the past and are very reliable in the tech bizz.
The chip will rock 32 cores and 64 threads which eclipses Intel's Halo product which will sport only 28 cores and 56 threads. The chip tested was a B2 stepping with a base clock of 3.4 GHz and a maximum boost clock of 4.0 GHz while the precision boost overdrive clocks are rated at +200 MHz so expect up to 4.20 GHz in single core optimized workloads. This shows that AMD can still achieve very high clock speeds even when they jumped to twice as many cores as their previous flagship, the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X.
Other details include 16 MB of L2 and 64 MB of L3 cache which rounds up to a total of 80 MB of available cache on a single chip. The TDP of the chip as stated before will be kept at 250W and all current generation TR4 socketed boards will be fully compatible with the 2nd generation Ryzen Threadripper processors.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X CPU-Z Shot (Image Credits: HKEPC)
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X Overclocking and Performance Potential
HKEPC also managed to gain some overclocking numbers for the Ryzen Threadripper 2990X. Using a Corsair H150i Pro AIO liquid cooler, the chip was able to sustain 4.12 GHz across all cores and at 1.38V.
In Cinebench R15, with the overclock, the chip managed a score of 6399 points which is close to the score obtained by Intel's 5 GHz demo unit which doesn't make much practical sense. With the stock configured settings, the chip scored 6243 points while the Intel 28 core chip at stock speeds yielded a score of 5912 points and 7334 points with the 5 GHz overclock (once again, an impractical demo which is not indicative of real world overclocking).
AMD showcased two models during their Computex 2018 demonstration, one of which included the flagship 32 core, 64 thread part and another model with 24 cores and 48 threads. The models AMD showed use the same four die CCX configuration which is being used on the current Ryzen Threadripper processors which are connected via the Infinity Fabric Interconnect. While AMD had two of the dies disabled on the previous processors, the new 2nd generation processors will be using all four dies (enabled). Based on this, we have confirmation of at least two processors in the 2nd Gen Threadripper family which will include:
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X 32 Core/64 Thread
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970X 24 Core/48 Thread
AMD also stated that they are preparing new coolers for the Ryzen Threadripper 2nd generation processors. One of the coolers, a towering heatsink with LEDs and Ryzen Threadripper branding was shown in several demo PCs at the AMD Computex booth.
Just like Pinnacle Ridge processors, the new Ryzen Threadripper processors will feature the latest Precision Boost and XFR clocking techniques for more stable and efficient operation over the current Threadripper variants. We can also expect faster clocks out of the box in terms of both base and boost frequencies and a good gain in overclocking improvements. The new processors will run at a TDP of up to 250W which might exceed some entry-level X399 motherboards, but that won’t be a really big issue as AMD mentioned that you can simply replace your current generation Threadripper CPUs with the newer ones on 1st gen X399 motherboards. They haven’t assured the same level of performance, clocks or overclocking benefits as the newer refreshed boards though.
AMD will also keep compatibility retained on current X399 motherboards with the TR4 socket but manufacturers will opt to refresh their products on launch in 2H 2018. No word on pricing yet.
AMD CPU Roadmap (2017-2022)
| Year | 2024 | 2023 | 2021-2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Zen (4) / Zen (5) | Zen (4) / Zen (4C) | Zen (4) / Zen 3 (+) | Zen (3) / Zen 3 (+) | Zen (3) / Zen 2 | Zen (2) / Zen+ | Zen (1) / Zen+ | Zen (1) |
| Process Node | 5nm / 3nm? | 5nm | 5nm / 6nm | 7nm | 7nm | 7nm | 14nm / 12nm | 14nm |
| Server | EPYC Turin | EPYC Bergamo | EPYC 'Genoa' | EPYC 'Milan' | EPYC 'Rome' | EPYC 'Rome' | EPYC 'Naples' | EPYC 'Naples' |
| Max Server Cores / Threads | 256/512 | 128/256 | 96/192 | 64/128 | 64/128 | 64/128 | 32/64 | 32/64 |
| High End Desktop | Ryzen Threadripper 8000 Series | Ryzen Threadripper 7000 Series | Ryzen Threadripper 6000 Series (TBD) | Ryzen Threadripper 5000 Series (Chagall) | Ryzen Threadripper 3000 Series (Castle Peak) | Ryzen Threadripper 3000 Series (Castle Peak) | Ryzen Threadripper 2000 Series (Coflax) | Ryzen Threadripper 1000 Series (White Haven) |
| Ryzen Family | Ryzen 8000 Series | Ryzen 7000 Series | Ryzen 6000 Series | Ryzen 5000 Series | Ryzen 4000/5000 Series | Ryzen 3000 Series | Ryzen 2000 Series | Ryzen 1000 Series |
| Max HEDT Cores / Threads | TBD | TBD | TBD | 64/128 | 64/128 | 64/128 | 32/64 | 16/32 |
| Mainstream Desktop | Ryzen 8000 Series (Granite Ridge) | TBD | Ryzen 7000 Series (Raphael) | Ryzen 5000 Series (Vermeer-X) | Ryzen 5000 Series (Vermeer) | Ryzen 3000 Series (Matisse) | Ryzen 2000 Series (Pinnacle Ridge) | Ryzen 1000 Series (Summit Ridge) |
| Max Mainstream Cores / Threads | TBD | TBD | 16/32 | 16/32 | 16/32 | 16/32 | 8/16 | 8/16 |
| Budget APU | Ryzen 8000 (Strix Point Zen 5) | Ryzen 7000 Series (Phoenix Zen 4) | Ryzen 6000 Series (Rembrandt Zen 3+) | Ryzen 5000 Series (Cezanne Zen 3) | Ryzen 4000 Series (Renoir Zen 2) | Ryzen 3000 Series (Picasso Zen+) | Ryzen 2000 Series (Raven Ridge) | N/A |
