AMD Unleashes the Threadripper 9000: Get Ready for Zen 5 Power.
Hold onto your hats, power users. AMD just tore the lid off at Computex with the announcement of its next-generation Ryzen Threadripper 9000 CPU series. These are not desktop chips you're familiar with; we're talking heavy-duty HEDT (High-End Desktop) and workstation beef, founded on the brand-new Zen 5 architecture. If you're dealing with AI workloads or just need insane performance, this is enormous.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series CPUs
Two Flavors: PRO for the Pros, and for the Rest of Us Power Junkies
As with the previous generation, AMD is splitting the Threadripper 9000 family into two overall lines. This makes it easier to pick the right beast for your needs:
- Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 WX-Series: These are the top-of-the-line components, aimed squarely at top-end professional workstations where compromise cannot be accepted.
- Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series: This series covers the general workstations, the enthusiast building a monster rig, and the HEDT crowd in general.
Let's Talk Cores: The Threadripper PRO 9000 Lineup
For the absolute most for those that need it, the PRO series is the direction to go. We're looking at a range of options here with the high end being an unbelievable 96 cores.
The line's top, the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX, is a monster with 96 cores and 192 threads. It boasts up to 5.45 GHz boost clocks (with a 2.5 GHz base), an immense 384 MB of L3 cache, and an astounding 128 PCIe Gen5 lanes. Memory support isn't lacking either, with 8-channel DDR5-6400 in ECC configurations. All of this on a 350W TDP.
More SKUs in the PRO WX-Series will offer 64, 32, 24, 16, and 12 cores, which gives professionals a good range to choose from.
Power for the People: The Standard Threadripper 9000 CPUs
Don't need quite that much PRO power. The standard Threadripper 9000 series still packs a huge amount of punch. Here, AMD is offering three launch options:
- Ryzen Threadripper 9980X: This is the leader of this pack with 64 cores and 128 threads. It shares the same staggering 3.2 GHz base and 5.4 GHz boost clocks as its 64-core PRO cousin.
- Ryzen Threadripper 9970X: A 32-core model.
- Ryzen Threadripper 9960X: A 24-core model.
These CPUs have 256 MB of L3 cache and include support for 4-channel DDR5-6400 memory. Like the PRO series, these also carry a 350W TDP.
A tidy feature on all Threadripper 9000 chips is enhanced AVX-512 instruction support, with a full 512-bit datapath now. Good news for some compute workloads.
Under the Hood: A Look at the Chip Layouts
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 PRO CPU Layout
AMD also gave a glimpse at what these chips look like internally. The PRO CPUs are shown with 12 CCDs (Core Complex Dies) surrounding a central IO die. Although it's a smaller package than AMD's massive EPYC "Turin" server CPUs (which can fit 16 CCDs for 128 cores.), it's still an amazingly high core count, and the Zen 5 architecture is offering a sizable performance leap over previous generations.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 CPU Layout
The non-PRO models are a bit different, with 8 CCDs and a single IO die. What's interesting is the way they're arranged, with one of the CCDs sitting next to the center one. It's a small thing that most users will never notice, but it's a neat insight into how the chip is designed.
When Can You Get Your Hands on One.
Mark your calendars. Both the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 PRO and the standard Threadripper 9000 CPUs are due to hit the shelves starting July. Pricing has not been revealed by AMD yet, but we know that both series will be available as boxed processors for system builders.
