AMD Threadripper initially launched in 2017, alongside AMD’s Ryzen processors for consumers. These impressively overclockable HEDT processors, led by the Threadripper 1950X, took the high-end desktop scene by storm.
AMD didn’t stop after launching the Threadripper 1950X, however. AMD followed that up with the Threadripper 2nd Generation processors, spearheaded by the 2950X and 2990WX. These processors were incredibly powerful, even leading AMD to suggest that cryptocurrency miners use these HEDT chips instead of graphics cards – a credit to the high compute power on offer.
Threadripper 3rd Generation processors will likely launch later this year, and will be based on AMD’s new Zen 2 architecture. Thanks to the smaller 7nm manufacturing process, these processors should create a wider performance gap than what we saw when Ryzen 2nd Generation followed the first. We’ll likely see high core counts, along with faster clock speeds.
So, we figured it would be a good idea to explore everything that the original lineup of Ryzen Threadripper chips had to offer – from their initial release date and prices to performance and specs. And, be sure to bookmark this page, and we’ll update it with any new information that surfaces.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? AMD’s uber-powerful 8-, 12- and 16-core processors
- When is it out? Available as of August 10, 2017
- What will it cost? Starts at $549 (about £420, AU$690)
AMD Ryzen Threadripper release date
AMD Ryzen Threadripper first two processors the 1950X and 1920X arrived on August 10, 2017. While AMD’s entry level Ryzen Threadripper 1900X came out a few weeks later on August 31, 2017.
And, it looks like AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2nd Generation followed in the first’s footsteps – the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X launched on August 13, 2018 with the rest of the high-end CPUs coming in the following months. AMD isn’t going to slow down, either, AMD is planning on supporting Threadripper with new chips until at least 2020, according to some leaks.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper price
At long last, we now have firm details on what price the AMD Ryzen Threadrippers will release at. They’re not cheap, but you can expect to pay less for more performance than you would get with a comparable Intel chip. The prices of all the AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors as they launched are as follows.
- Ryzen Threadripper 1900X: $549 (£449, AU$749)
- Ryzen Threadripper 1920X: $799 (£689, AU$1,069)
- Ryzen Threadripper 1950X: $999 (£999, AU$1,439)
As for the competition, Intel’s closest competitor to the 1950X, the Core i9-7960X will set you back a whopping $1,699 (around £1,315, AU$2,200). The Threadripper 1900X’s closest octa-core competitor from Intel is the Core i7-7820X at a much more reasonable $599 (£529, AU$869).
AMD Ryzen Threadripper specs and power
AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors absolutely destroyed everything else on the market when they first hit the streets. This is thanks to their insane core counts and multi-threaded performance. It wasn’t until Skylake-X hit the street that Intel got a leg up, and even then the price-to-performance ratio just wasn’t there. The specs for the Ryzen Threadripper chips are as follows:
- Ryzen Threadripper 1900X: 8-cores, 16-threads; 3.8GHz base, 4.0GHz boost
- Ryzen Threadripper 1920X: 12-cores, 24-threads; 3.5GHz base, 4.0GHz boost
- Ryzen Threadripper 1950X: 16-cores, 32-threads; 3.4GHz base, 4.0GHz boost
To put this into perspective, the Intel Core i9-7960X has packs the same 16-cores and 32-threads as the Threadripper 1950X and so on and so forth with the Intel Core i9-7920X vs Threadripper 1920X and Intel Core i7-7820X vs Threadripper 1900X we've setup.
However, now that the Ryzen 2nd Generation has made it to market, you can find about 10% better performance in the Threadripper 2950X – with a lower price tag. Making it a great option for aspiring PC enthusiasts.
The Threadripper series uses AMD’s SMT (Simultaneous Multithreading) technology found in other Ryzen chips. Finally, the Ryzen Threadripper series processors uses a TP3 socket, which is a modified variant of the SP3 socket originally designed for AMD’s beefy server chips that go up to 32-cores.
In the future, AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors will be even more impressive. AMD’s Zen 2 architecture will see the manufacturing process drop from 14nm to 7nm, boosting efficiency, and thus the power of the upcoming Threadripper 3rd Generation. And, AMD won’t stop there. Recent reports show that AMD will be using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography to manufacture its 7nm+ processors. So, the future of Threadripper should be very exciting.
- What about graphics? AMD Vega release date, news and features: everything you need to know
