AMD Confirms 3rd Gen Threadripper Ship Date But Ryzen 9 3950X Hits A Snag
We've been covering benchmarks for alleged "Sharkstooth" Threadripper processors for the past month that have a total of 32 cores and 64 threads. Rumors also suggest that there will be two versions of these new Threadripper processors: TRX4 HEDT and WRX8. The former allegedly will be aimed at enthusiasts and hence will support overclocking; there will also be support for quad-channel DDR4-3200 memory and up to 64 PCIe lanes. The latter boasts 8-channel DDR4-3200 memory support along with up to 128 PCIe lanes.
Given the release timing of these third-generation Threadripper processors, they will be arriving shortly after Intel's 10th generation Core i9 Cascade Lake-X HEDT processor family.
In other news, AMD has given us an update on another highly anticipated processor release. Back when AMD announced the new Ryzen 3000 desktop family in late May, the lineup was composed of processors ranging from the entry-level Ryzen 5 3600 (6-core/12-thread) on up to the Ryzen 9 3900X (12-core/24-thread). Then, AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su dropped the proverbial "One More Thing" on the audience by announcing an incredibly powerful flagship: the 16-core, 32-thread Ryzen 9 3950X.
At the time, Su said that the Ryzen 9 3950X would launch in September with a price tag of $749 (compared to $499 for the Ryzen 9 3900X). Unfortunately, as September is coming to a close, AMD has informed us that the Ryzen 9 3950X won't launch this month as expected. The company gave us the following statement regarding its plans:
We are focusing on meeting the strong demand for our 3rd generation AMD Ryzen processors in the market and now plan to launch both the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X and initial members of the 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor family in volume this November. We are confident that when enthusiasts get their hands on the world’s first 16-core mainstream desktop processor and our next-generation of high-end desktop processors, the wait will be well worth it.
It's definitely true that AMD has been working hard to address demand for its third-generation Ryzen desktop processors, as some SKUs have been incredibly hard to come by ever since launch. Even today, the Ryzen 9 3900X can't be find in stock at popular retailers like Amazon, Newegg, and MicroCenter. So it makes sense for the company to work out supply issues for its current top-end chip before it tries to add another to its plate.
