Are Threadripper CPUs Good for Gaming. What is a threadripper

Consumer and corporate markets have very different requirements. Both AMD and Intel are aware of this and completely separate the two divisions by functioning as standalone companies.

A Short Guide to the Fantastic AMD Threadripper CPU

AMD has been in the CPU wasteland for a few years, but it is back with a huge bang. AMD Threadripper is one of the most powerful consumer processors on the market, but is it right for you?

First there was a battle for ever higher frequencies. Once the quota was reached, producers made a turn and so began the “War of the Cores” that had raged throughout the 2000s.

In the struggle for your CPU, manufacturers and developers have found ways to overcome the physical limitations and began creating multi-core processors. Improvements in processing power and speed have helped usher in a new era of computing. But there has always been a utility limit to stacking processors – or so it seemed.

Enter the AMD Threadripper.

Threadripper: Origins

AMD and Intel continued to get closer in the late 1990s, releasing processors with ever higher frequencies. With the advent of the new millennium and the beginning of Core Wars, Intel moved away from AMD and became the most popular processor manufacturer in the world.

Intel has become a symbol of performance. The “Intel Inside” ads and stickers on your computer were the acronym of quality. AMD continued to produce lower cost – and possibly lower quality – processors, becoming synonymous with the phrase “you get what you pay for.”

Following corporate restructuring in 2014, AMD seemingly reoriented itself and launched the well-received Ryzen processors in early 2017. Given their past history, many were unsure if it was a turnaround or a one-time success of the processor manufacturer. In a surprising turn of events, AMD announced and launched the Ryzen Threadripper processor series within months of the original Ryzen launch.

And with the release of Threadripper, it looks like AMD may be ready to offer Intel some serious competition for the first time in many years.

David McAfee, senior director of product management at AMD, said the Threadripper 3990X was designed for creative arts professionals who need the best-possible rendering and other processing-intensive tasks.

What Is a Threadripper?

Threadrippery is a line of workhorse computer processors designed to excel at the highest level in the toughest tasks such as animation, video effects, and video game development and design.

If you’re experienced in any of these areas, you’ll likely be intrigued by Threadripper’s slogan: “Render time irrelevant.” Threadrippers can significantly increase your productivity and reduce the waiting time for work to continue.

Threadrippers can have up to 64 CPU cores (and for the uninitiated we have a benchmark: Apple’s newest and most expensive Mac Pro can have up to 28 cores), up to 128 threads, and up to 88 PCIe 4.0 lanes. The L3 cache of the top model is 262144 KB.

Threadrippers are made for the serious computer professional who subjects their workstations to the toughest tasks a computer can do.

So … Can They Run Games?

The short answer is yes. Yes, they can run games – and they can definitely make them as well.
More complicated is the question of whether Threadrippers should be used for games?

Performance

The Cinebench R20 results for multi-core processors were dominated by the 3990X with 24,675 points. The second highest figure is only 17045 – and that was the Threadripper CPU too, the 3970X. The third highest score comes from the next Threadripper, 3960X, with a score of 13711.

We need to scroll all the way down to fifth place to see the non-Threadripper CPU score, but it’s still AMD – the Ryzen 9 3950X, which scored 9228. This means that compared to the CPU score without -Threadripper, the 3990X has a score of more than 2.5 times higher.

Compared to the best performing non-AMD CPU (Intel Core i9-10980XE, with a score of 8782), the Threadripper 3990X scores almost 3 times higher.

Bottom line: Threadrippers have done almost 3 times the same as Intel processors.

Threadrippers have similarly impressive results in other benchmarks. In the compression test, the 7-zip Threadripper 3990X was almost twice as good as the Intel Core i9-10980XE, and in the V-Ray 3990X, it again scored almost three times higher than the i9-10980XE.

And in rendering – the self-proclaimed Threadrippers specialty – as you can guess, they completely blow the competition out of the water. In the Corona 1.3 benchmark, where the Intel Core i9-10980XE had a render time of 52 seconds, the Threadripper 3990X only needed 18 seconds. In the Blender Open Data test, the best performing Intel processor rendered in 534 seconds – Threadripper 3990X: 169 seconds.

And for those who may be wondering, it’s important to point out that other Intel processors also scored in each of these tests – but each scored worse than the i9-10980XE.

The long and short figures show that, in the case of multi-core functions, no other CPU tested came close to Threadripper performance.

Which proves their status as Cadillac or Stradivarius processors.

But now comes the big “still”:

Gaming Performance

When Catrachadas PC put the same processors together in gaming benchmarks, the results were very different.

Overall, these results were quite similar, unlike other benchmarks where Threadrippers outperformed runners by miles. In the first game benchmark, in Battlefield V at 1080p, the most efficient Threadripper scored 161 points for average frames per second and 107 for 1% low, while the most efficient Intel processor scored 158 points for average frames per second and 111 for 1% Low (with higher numbers in both tests, which equates to better results).

Not only that, other processors often scored even higher than Threadrippers, for example in the Ghost Recon Breakpoint test, where the i9-10980XE scored 91 and 74 points, respectively, while our old friend Threadripper 3990X scored 90 and 73.

Similar results can be seen in Tom’s Hardware benchmarks, where Threadripper actually scored consistently lower than other CPUs in gaming benchmarks.

To add offense to the damage, these other CPUs were cheaper than Threadripper – much cheaper most of the time. The Threadripper 3990X is currently on sale on amazon.com for just under $ 4,000, while Amazon has an Intel Core i9-10980XE priced at around a quarter of that amount.

Emphasizing the huge 7nm processor with Zen 2 architecture, the Ryzen Threadripper is made for multitasking. It also provides 88 lanes of PCIe 4.0 and you can use quad-channel DDR4 ECC memory, which is considered a formidable RAM in history.

Who is This CPU Aimed At?

Not everyone needs 64 cores, and AMD makes this very clear in their communications. Even though the 3990X is part of AMD’s line of high-end desktops as it sets new standards in core count and price, it kind of goes beyond the high-end, essentially overshadowing the prosumers / servers market. This means users (and companies) who can amortize and justify the cost of the equipment as it allows them to complete projects (and hence contracts) faster. For a user who has to create something instead of making 25 prototypes a week, doing 100 a week makes their workflow much more complete, and that’s the kind of user AMD is asking for.

A key example will be rendering farms that run on the CPU. AMD has already promoted the fact that several animation studios and VFX that produce the effects in blockbuster movies have launched engineering samples of 64-core Threadripper processors for titles already on the market. There are also video game companies and architects who want to quickly prototype demo models and shorten the development time of each prototype – something that cannot be done on a GPU (and is not accelerated by the AVX-512).

The 3990X with 64 cores costs $ 3990, double the 3970X with 32 cores for $ 1999. Doubling the cores is an obvious step forward, however there is no increase in memory bandwidth or PCIe lanes, so users need to be sure the CPU is the bottleneck of their workload.

AMD TR3
TR3 3990X	AnandTech	TR3 3970X
3990	SEP	$ 1999
64/128	Cores / threads	32/64
2.9 GHz	Fundamental frequency	3.7 GHz
3.45 GHz	Frequency of all cores (according to tests)	3.81 GHz
4.3 GHz	Single core frequency	4.5 GHz
64	PCIe 4.0 lines	64
8 x DDR4-3200	DDR4 support	8 x DDR4-3200
256 GB / 512 GB	Maximum DDR4 capacity	256 GB / 512 GB
280 Watts	TDP	280 Watts

If we compare the 3990X with the EPYC 7702P, a 64-core single-socket offering on the corporate side, then the 3990X has a higher thermal window (280W vs 200W) to enable higher frequencies (2.9 / 4.3 vs 2.0 / 3.35) and is cheaper ($ 3,990 vs $ 4,425) but only has half the memory channels (only 4 versus 8), half the PCIe lanes (only 64 versus 128), and doesn’t support registered memory. The question is whether the workload the user is looking at requires more memory / PCIe for EPYC or more CPU performance for Threadripper.

Then comes the competition with Intel processors. In the high-end desktop market, Intel has nothing to compete with, with the maximum product on 18 cores. It offers a 28-core workstation part, the W-3175X, which is unlocked, with a TDP of 255W, six memory channels, 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes, at a high cost of $ 2,999. Then there are the server processors – if we want compatibility with 64 3990X cores we must either use a single Xeon Platinum 9282 with 56 cores, which is not available without a big contract and has an unknown price (25K?) Or two Xeon Platinum 8280s processors, with two batches of 28 cores, priced at $ 20,018.

Threadrippers can have up to 64 CPU cores (and for the uninitiated we have a benchmark: Apple’s newest and most expensive Mac Pro can have up to 28 cores), up to 128 threads, and up to 88 PCIe 4.0 lanes. The L3 cache of the top model is 262144 KB.

Graphic Design, Editing, Gaming, Live Streaming

Designed to be the most affordable 3rd Gen HEDT processor, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X provides plenty of multitasking power for medium workload content creators, gamers, and PC enthusiasts. This processor is ideal for developers who need a high-end desktop processor for 4K video editing, photography, short animation projects, and advanced live streaming setups without having to overwhelm the budget. Thanks to the savings you can play as hard as you work. In addition to content creation, the 3960X’s 24 cores, 48 ​​threads, and 140MB of combined cache allow you to load high levels in gaming and VR environments at blazing-fast speeds thanks to PCIe 4.0 bandwidth.

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X 3.8 GHz 24-core TRX4 processor

Choosing the Right AMD Ryzen Threadripper

Whether you’re looking for an AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor for professional content creation, entertainment, or a combination of both, there’s one that suits your needs. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X has 64 cores to ensure the highest performance and significantly reduce rendering times. With 32 AMD cores, the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X can handle the most demanding applications and projects. Finally, the Ryzen Threadripper 3960X offers 24 cores for high-end multitasking applications and gaming with blazingly fast loading times.

Which AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPU is Right for You? Let us know in the Comments section below.

Regardless of the results, as a gaming processor itself, the Threadripper 3970X is extremely overkill, almost as overkill as it gets. It would be almost as good to buy a Ryzen 5 3600X and use the leftover 150 700 to get a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti card and the best looking PC case you can find.

CPU Performance Testing

In my test setup, I installed the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X on the MSI TRX40 Creator motherboard and filled the four 64GB DIMM sockets of the Corsair Dominator DDR4-3600 memory and added an Nvidia GeForce GTX 2080 Ti Founders Edition card to support video output during CPU tests. (Like all previous Threadrippers and most Ryzen CPUs, these new Zen 2-based Ryzen have no built-in graphics, so a graphics card is necessary.) In all tests, memory ran at a maximum speed of 3600MHz, using the creator’s Best Supported XMP Profile.

For the Windows 10 boot drive, I relied on a Corsair MP600 PCI Express NVMe M.2 SSD, 1TB. Remember that like many enthusiast-oriented AMD processors, the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X does not include a standard CPU cooler in the box, so you’ll need to have it handy or purchased. We used the same Thermaltake Floe Riing RB 360 liquid cooler with three fans that we used to test the first and second generation Threadripper.

We test processors with various synthetic benchmarks that offer proprietary results, as well as real-world tests using consumer apps like Apple’s iTunes and 3D games like Far Cry 5. Let’s dive into the details.

Cinebench R15

One of the most recognizable metrics for multi-threaded CPU performance is the Cinebench R15 benchmark, which offers a good overview of performance across many different types of demanding applications. It is a CPU-centric test that measures both single and multi-core CPU performance. The resulting results are proprietary numbers that represent the capabilities of the processor when rendering a complex 3D image.

Remember what I said earlier about the Threadripper 3970X falling into a separate category? Well, that’s what I meant. On the Intel side, not only is there no chip to compare with (perhaps outside the world of Xeon workstations / servers), there is also no chip that publishes these kinds of results and still lives in the realm of consumer processors. Dot.

If you’re a content creator that uses Cinema 4D or similar programs to handle most visual effects rendering tasks, nowhere is the Threadripper 3970X’s value more apparent compared to the competition (how little it is) than in tests like these. Time, they say, is money, and when the CPU moves faster, so do you.

iTunes 10.6

To get a real look at single-core performance, we’re using Apple’s old Windows version of iTunes to encode a series of music tracks. Because the program is so old, it doesn’t use most of the processing threads available; this is a feature of the occasional legacy software that many of us have to rely on from time to time in special circumstances.

Now, despite all the force and brute force the Threadripper 3970X can exert on multi-core tests like the Cinebench R15, single-core tests remain a stumbling block. Adding more cores to a package means it has to do something, and single core clocks can take the blow. The Threadripper 3970X has the same problems as the rest of the company’s latest chips, and almost always loses out on single-core tests (like this one) in favor of much cheaper chips like the Intel Core i9-9900K. Of course, using a chip like the 3970X mainly for single-core tasks is like buying a Porsche 911 to haul hay bales.

POV-Ray 3.7

The POV-Ray benchmark is a synthetic, multi-threaded, and CPU-intensive rendering test that offers a second opinion on Cinebench results. It offers a good balance of results that can show both single and multi-core CPU capabilities in the same test.

Overclocking: Low Ceiling on This Sample

Are you happy about overclocking your new 400 999 processor? Using the in-house overclocking tools available on the MSI TRX40 Creator motherboard, I initiated a series of 3970X staggered overclocks that worked differently depending on use case.

First, let’s set the parameters for my overclocking. The maximum I tried to get all 32 cores to 4.8 GHz (starting with 3.7 GHz base clock and 4.5 GHz boost clock). This turned out to be too unstable to be credible, however. While this was consistent across games and tests like 7-Zip, as soon as I started doing a longer core crush test like Handbrake or the POV-Ray all core test all the cores booted up and it was a matter of seconds before the system crashed on blue screen.

So, for maximum stability, I overclocked the CCD independently of myself. (The CCD is a kind of “clustering” of the eight cores and their chiplet caches that AMD has incorporated into the new Threadripper architecture.) In the end, I decided to clock the first CCD to 4.8 GHz, the next to 4.7 GHz, the next is 4. 6 GHz, and the last one slightly above the standard speed of 4.55 GHz, at a voltage of 1.525 V.

Once the stable overclock was in place, I ran it through several tests. The percent increase was not quite as impressive as the clock increase alone (a 7 percent increase at the peak), with results returned by 7-Zip that were only about 2 percent better (really within the error-in-stock limit). CS: GO gaming performance has increased by just 4 percent. Finally, the handbrake shortened by just a few seconds and our test ran from 2:43 to 2:36.

I was a bit surprised to see so little power headroom on the Threadripper 3970X, but given the sheer number of cores working, it’s understandable that the entire chip is too carefully balanced to reward overclockers with a lot of love when we start squeezing it out. (It’s also very understandable if you don’t care and don’t want to risk frying a 400,999 CPU.)

Threadrippery is a line of workhorse computer processors designed to excel at the highest level in the toughest tasks such as animation, video effects, and video game development and design.

What Are The Best AMD Threadripper CPUs?

Let’s talk today about the best AMD Threadripper processors. AMD upgraded its Ryzen processor to the latest generation Threadripper, taking full advantage of the PCIe 4.0 lines. These PCIe 4.0 routes are used for high-speed data transmission in GPU, memory, and NVMe storage.

Ryzen Threadripper is also known as Rye-Zen Threadripper. It is a family of 64-bit x86 boosters and high-performance desktop microprocessors. The Ryzen Threadripper is primarily aimed at consumers who rely on mass-threading and multitasking software.

Emphasizing the huge 7nm processor with Zen 2 architecture, the Ryzen Threadripper is made for multitasking. It also provides 88 lanes of PCIe 4.0 and you can use quad-channel DDR4 ECC memory, which is considered a formidable RAM in history.

However, these unique features and Ryzen Threadripper are designed to provide massive computing power such as 3D animation, 8K video editing, ultra-graphics video games and so on.

Therefore, if you are unsure which AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPU you should buy then don’t worry. We’ll give you some of the top five AMD Threadripper processors to handle any type of work. It doesn’t matter if you are a professional gamer or 8K video editor; these five processors will be able to do all kinds of work.

If you’re short on time, here’s my recommended Threadripper CPU for you, and it’s mostly available as well.

5 Best AMD Threadripper CPUs Reviewed

Threadripper processors are very efficient and adding any of these processors to your setup will provide additional spice to your recipe.

Here are the best AMD Threadripper processors:

1. AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

The Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX processor conquers the world with eight memory channels. The AMD Threadripper Pro models offer many huge features that other brands might even imagine. However, with support for octa-core channel memory and 128 PCIe 4.0 lanes, this Threadripper PRO 3995WX has become the first choice of many gamers and office workers. But if you thought the price would be low or whoever could afford it, then you are wrong. As AMD has created the Ryzen Threadripper PRO series for those who are serious about gaming and want to take it to the next level, those working on 8K video editing may relate to how difficult it is to edit video on a slower computer. So the 3995WX processor is designed for professionals who are serious about their work. And the price of this monster is $ 5,488.99.With which you can build an entire computer. Don’t be serious; this processor is worth it.

The rendering performance of this processor is stunning. If you put a video in for rendering, it will make it easier to get it done in minutes. If you are a professional filmmaker or someone else, we would like to recommend you to buy this processor as it has an 8-channel memory interface, 128 PCIe 4.0 lanes support and fully proven ECC memory that will take your work to the next level. It also has excellent performance in GPU acceleration. This will keep your gaming experience smooth.

check also now the best AMD processors.

2. AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X processor feels like a battle among flagship chipsets. Together with a powerful 64-core and 128-thread processor, it is the best flagship processor among many other models. In addition to the previous one, this Ryzen Threadripper 3990X will charge you less. Excellent rendering performance and Indium solder will change your gaming experience. With all these fantastic features, this processor is only $ 3,968.99.

on November 7, 2020, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X was released with 64 cores and 128 threads. Costing only $ 3,968, the Threadripper 3990X delivers more performance than two of the $ 10,000 Intel Xeon 8280 processors, according to AMD. This one CPU with 64 cores 128 threads package will provide better performance for specialized applications such as Hollywood VFX style rendering. Surprisingly, the latest processor fits in with standard gaming motherboards. This processor will also allow you to build a high-end desktop platform and will have enthusiast-grade features, such as the ability to overclock or render 8K video, which provide a different value proposition.

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X belongs to the Threadripper 3000 family and will become a 64-core, 128-thread feature partner by connecting to the new TRX40 motherboards. Despite having a similar slot to the earlier Threadrippers, AMD thought it would improve the adaptability of the motherboard this time by supporting PCIe 4.0. However, the CPU will allow you more bandwidth and configurations for extra control from now on.

The short answer is yes. Yes, they can run games – and they can definitely make them as well. More complicated is the question of whether Threadrippers should be used for games?

Double trouble

When AMD unveiled its Zen architecture, which ultimately evolved into a product as Ryzen, much was said about Infinity Fabric, the company’s new interconnect designed for maximum scalability. The 14nm FinFET Zen core was designed as a quad-core complex (CCX), with Infinity Fabric technology being used to combine two CCXs to create eight-core Ryzen 7 processors. (at least after some initial problems have been resolved) and how far AMD can push that.

Specifications at a glance	AMD Threadripper 1950X	AMD Threadripper 1920X	AMD Threadripper 1900X	AMD Ryzen 1800X
Architecture	Zen	Zen	Zen	Zen
Cores / threads	16/32	12/24	8/16	8/16
Base clock	3.4 GHz	3.5 GHz	3.8 GHz	3.6 GHz
Maximum boost timer	4.0 GHz	4.0 GHz	4.0 GHz	4.0 GHz
XFR enhancement	200 MHz	200 MHz	200 MHz	100 MHz
L3 cache	32MB	32MB	?	16 MB
Process	14nm	14nm	14nm	14nm
TDP	180W	180W	125W	95W
Price	$ 1,000 / £ 1,000	$ 799 / £ 799	$ 549/549	$ 500 / £ 449

Threadripper 1950X are actually two Ryzen 1800X octa-core processors in the same chassis connected together via Infinity Fabric. The result is a 72mm by 55mm mammoth processor that fits into the even larger socket of the TR4 motherboard. Threadripper is, at least physically, the largest consumer processor released since the Pentium 2’s cartridge slot format – and even then the processor itself was only a small part of the cartridge.

The retail experience

AMD enthusiastically embraced the Threadripper’s voluminous frame. It comes in a ridiculously ostentatious retail package that’s as oversized and dramatic as the processor itself. Opening is a multi-step process of breaking through the paper seals, twisting the latch to “unlock the power”, and removing the steel clips and protective windows.

Yes, it’s exaggerated and yes, it’s a bit silly. But the eye-catching packaging and associated unboxing experience is as much a testament to AMD’s stubborn enthusiasm as it is for its overzealous marketing team.

The pros and cons of AMD’s Infinity Fabric design are well documented at this point – and to learn more, I advise you to take a look at Peter Bright’s excellent deep immersion into Zen architecture – but many of the quirks that come with it have already been tweaked or modified. However, keep in mind that Infinity Fabric’s performance is still heavily dependent on memory speed. Fortunately, supporting 3200MHz memory with a Threadripper CPU is as simple as loading an XMP profile – which is far from the memory issues that plagued Ryzen at startup.

Indeed, because Threadripper is so heavily based on Ryzen, it’s a pleasantly stable platform. The only real difference is the memory configuration – which is now four-channel with ECC support, thanks to the two dual-channel controllers present on each eight-core matrix – and the PCIe lane configuration, which now includes 64 lanes, four of which are reserved for connection to the new X399 chipset.

With Threadripper, you can run two graphics cards at X16 PCIe speeds, two at X8 speeds, and still have enough lines for three X4 NVMe SSDs plugged directly into the CPU. Intel’s i9 series compared to only 44 PCIe lanes in the CPU, but makes a difference with another 24 lanes on the motherboard (however, they share one PCIe X4 link with the CPU).