The first of the third-generation Ryzen processors was officially launched in May earlier this year. More processors were released in July. And now, perhaps the most anticipated of them all, AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is coming out within the next couple of months. AMD has been promoting the Ryzen 9 3950X as the world’s first mainstream 16-core desktop processor.
The third-generation Ryzen is based on AMD’s Zen 2 architecture and is fabricated on TSMC’s 7nm process. This gives AMD an edge over Intel as it’s processors are still based on the 14nm process. AMD processors have always been more affordable than Intel’s and now it seems they are becoming more powerful and efficient. This has even resulted in Intel slowly lowering the prices of its Core i processors.
In this article, we will be looking into the specifications, price and release date of the upcoming Ryzen 9 3950X. Is it worth investing in? Read on.
AMD Ryzen 3950X: Specifications
- Number of Cores: 16
- Number of Threads: 32
- Base frequency: 3.5 GHz
- Overclocking: Up to 4.7 Ghz
- Cache: 72 MB
- PCIe 4.0: 16+4+4
- TDP: 105W
The Ryzen 9 3950X is AMD’s most powerful mainstream desktop processor yet. And based on the specs and early performance reviews, it could very well be the most powerful of all desktop processors yet. The Ryzen 9 3950X features 16-cores and 32-threads, putting it head on with with Intel’s 16-core core i9-9960X. It is worth noting that the i9-9960X costs twice as much as the 3950X. Also thanks to it’s 7nm Zen 2 core architecture the Ryzen 9 3950X actually performs better than the i9-9960X.
Clock Speed
But that’s enough of the comparison. The base clock-speed of the Ryzen 9 3950X is 3.5 GHz, which can be over-clocked to a whopping 4.7 GHz. The 4.7 GHz boost marketed by AMD is however limited to just 2 cores. But a recent report claims that Gigabyte got 4.3 GHz boost on all cores of this magnificent CPU. As for the other specs, like the Ryzen 9 3900X and the 3800X, the 3950X has a TDP of 105W (at base frequency). The chip also features 72 MB of cache.
Zen 2
The zen 2 microarchitecture is what makes the third-generation Ryzen processors as good as they are. The CPU cores of the 3950X is fabricated on TSMC’s 7nm process while it’s I/O is fabricated on GlobalFoundries’ 12nm process. And finally, all of these components are connected together by Infinity Fabric. It is this unique architecture that has allowed AMD to bring specs that used to be specific to HEDT down to mainstream desktop users.
AMD Ryzen 3950X: Price
The price for the Ryzen 9 3950X has been set at $749. The 3950X is at the top of the stack of AMD’s third generation Ryzen processors. The price is significantly higher than the current AMD top-dog Ryzen 9 3900X (priced at $499). But this can be justified by the 3950X’s 16 cores versus the 12 cores in the 3900X.
But beyond that, the main concern here is definitely for Intel. Intel’s processors have historically been much more expensive than AMD ones, owing to their superior capabilities. But with the advent of the third-generation Ryzen, Intel could very soon be losing that cred. It has been reported that Intel is planning a massive cut in the prices of its processors in order to maintain competition with AMD.
AMD Ryzen 3950X: Release
The release date for the Ryzen 9 3950X was originally scheduled for release in September. But following huge demands for the 16-core desktop processor, AMD eventually moved the date to November. In an official statement from the company, they gave the following reason for the delay:
“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 has been reported that the reason behind the delay is actually TMSC. The company that gave AMD the 7nm process was reportedly unable to meet the increasing demands.
AMD’s Ryzen 3950X will be released in November alongside their third generation Ryzen Threadripper.
Threadripper 3000
The Ryzen 9 3950X isn’t the only CPU coming out of AMD this November. The company has also announced the simultaneous release of the 32-core 64-thread Ryzen Threadripper 3000. The Ryzen Threadripper is a range of high-end 64-bit x86 desktop processors from AMD. And like the 3950X, the Threadripper 3000 will also be adding to Intel’s woe.
The benchmark for the Threadripper 3000 was leaked back in August. It showed a base clock frequency of 3.6 GHz and an over-clocked frequency of 4.2 GHz. And while the single-core benchmark score is pretty much the same as the current Threadripper 2990WX, the multi-core benchmark scores were insane. The Threadripper 3000’s score was a whopping 23,015. In comparison, Intel’s i9-9900K has a score of just 8,726. The previous gen Threadripper had a score of 13,400. These comparisons however can only be considered conclusive once the CPUs come out on November and are tested in real world scenarios.
Conclusion
For a long time, AMD has had to accept the role of a second-tier processor manufacturer thanks to stifling competition with behemoth Intel. Well, not anymore. Based on what we’ve heard about the benchmark tests so far, AMD’s Ryzen 9 3950X is a beast of a processor. For less than half of the price of Intel’s monster 16-core core i9-9960X processor, the Ryzen 9 3950X by AMD offers competitive performances, thanks mostly to the 7nm manufacturing process. The Ryzen 9 3950X is not just a bang for the buck, it’s actually one hell of a processor!
We definitely recommend you get it, come November.
I remember as a kid I wanted that build your own computer kit and the first digital calculators just made it to consumers. Holey cow I never would have dreamed back then what we have now. Outstanding.