AMD Threadripper 3990X Review: Absolute Madness!

[Nobina]

If you haven't realized it by now, all Quantum ever does is come into AMD threads, boast about how much he's spent on his 2080Tis and/or say Intel is still better for gaming despite the opening sentence of the gaming benchmarks indicating "it's dumb" to game on this processor.

Big shocker here he is AGAIN.

Don't question someone called "Quantum Physics".

 

[krizby]

Dang I was reading TPU's 3960X overclocking article and it absolutely is a beast once overclocked. Looking at this article and the 3960X even beat 9900K in some games, might as well upgrade my 5.1Ghz 8700K to this 3990X's "little brother" for some overclocking fun.

 

[Steve]

So can this CPU actually be purchased? Can't find a link anywhere... how many are they making? It's all well and good to have the best CPU on the planet - but if you don't have any to sell, who cares?

They will have enough, wait for retailers to update their listings on Monday.

 

[JimboJoneson]

Just checked Newegg and they have it in stock. Limit one per customer though.

Also in stock at Canada Computers - that's the first place I checked. MemoryExpress has it for special order, the second place I checked ... available on NewEgg Canada as well.

If someone actually wants one, it seems you can get them - its not like AMD will be selling thousands of these, so they don't need to stock thousands or get them into every retailer.

If someone just wants to try to crp on AMD, I guess they can just see it not available in one place then write a damning post, when they actually don't even care nor would actually buy one. Gotta love those posts ...

 

[Squid Surprise]

If someone just wants to try to crp on AMD, I guess they can just see it not available in one place then write a damning post, when they actually don't even care nor would actually buy one. Gotta love those posts ...

When I posted originally it WAS NOT available at any of those locations - I’m in Canada and Newegg still doesn’t have it...

I’m not crapping on AMD - I’ve been looking forward to this CPU for months and am super psyched that it performs as well as I’d hoped.

I had hoped that the article, which provided links to the 3970 and 3960, etc., would also provide links to the actual CPU they were reviewing!

Fortunately, it is now available - waiting on Techspot to update the link section

 

[Steve]

I had hoped that the article, which provided links to the 3970 and 3960, etc., would also provide links to the actual CPU they were reviewing!

You don't really need to be spoon-fed do you?

Fortunately, it is now available - waiting on Techspot to update the link section

Don't hold your breath, we're busy with other stuff and we trust most of our audience knows how to use Google, Amazon and so on.

 

[Squid Surprise]

You don't really need to be spoon-fed do you?



Don't hold your breath, we're busy with other stuff and we trust most of our audience knows how to use Google, Amazon and so on.

Really? Why not? You bothered to reply to this, but can’t add a link to the actual CPU you’re reviewing?

And if that’s being “spoon fed”, why do you have ANY purchasing links?

 

[Steve]

Really? Why not? You bothered to reply to this, but can’t add a link to the actual CPU you’re reviewing?

And if that’s being “spoon fed”, why do you have ANY purchasing links?

Are the other links for Amazon? Hint, it's not listed on Amazon yet. As I said, expect retailers to update next week.

"And if that’s being “spoon fed”, why do you have ANY purchasing links?"

We post links when possible and when convenient, it's not a service we guarantee or necessarily offer with our free content.

"You bothered to reply to this"

Yeah it was the sense of entitlement I was getting from your comment that pushed me to take the piss out of you. Demanding links like a spoiled brat when instead, in the time if took you to complain about TechSpot not including links for a product, that's not listed yet, you could have easily run a search for 3990X on Amazon and quickly put two and two together.

edit: Here's the service with a smile version, a 3990X placeholder link for you sir: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ryzen+Threadripper+3990X&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

 

[cliffordcooley]

edit: Here's the service with a smile version, a 3990X placeholder link for you sir: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ryzen+Threadripper+3990X&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Be sure to keep updating the link over the upcoming years. lol

 

[Squid Surprise]

Are the other links for Amazon? Hint, it's not listed on Amazon yet. As I said, expect retailers to update next week.

"And if that’s being “spoon fed”, why do you have ANY purchasing links?"

We post links when possible and when convenient, it's not a service we guarantee or necessarily offer with our free content.

"You bothered to reply to this"

Yeah it was the sense of entitlement I was getting from your comment that pushed me to take the piss out of you. Demanding links like a spoiled brat when instead, in the time if took you to complain about TechSpot not including links for a product, that's not listed yet, you could have easily run a search for 3990X on Amazon and quickly put two and two together.

edit: Here's the service with a smile version, a 3990X placeholder link for you sir: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ryzen+Threadripper+3990X&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Sense of entitlement?!? You have TWELVE purchasing links at the end of this article! Some are for video cards and some for Intel CPUs... please tell me why I’m so “entitled” that I thought there would be a link to the 3990?

I understand it’s not on Amazon yet - but I’d fully expect to see it there when it was... you’re a tech site - spoon feeding aside, we can always google other reviews too - but we like THIS site!

Are you implying that we’d be smarter using other websites for reviews as well?

 

[Steve]

I had hoped that the article, which provided links to the 3970 and 3960, etc., would also provide links to the actual CPU they were reviewing!

The bottleneck here is Amazon mate, if you understand it's not on Amazon yet then why make the snarky comment in the first place?

'Are you implying that we’d be smarter using other websites for reviews as well?' Sure go for it, there are plenty of other great review sites you can also access for free.

Do you need me to provide direct links or can you use Google for this one?

 

[Squid Surprise]

The bottleneck here is Amazon mate, if you understand it's not on Amazon yet then why make the snarky comment in the first place?

'Are you implying that we’d be smarter using other websites for reviews as well?' Sure go for it, there are plenty of other great review sites you can also access for free.

Do you need me to provide direct links or can you use Google for this one?

I see I caught you in a bad mood.... I suggest you re-read my initial comment... there was nothing snarky intended.... after your posts, however, there is....

I love this website - you guys generally do a great job.... but if you stop and think rationally for a bit, can you admit it’s kind of weird to include 12 purchasing links to products OTHER than the product being reviewed without even mentioning why? Even a “ this will be available soon on...” would have been sufficient.

I post because I care - not because I hate.

 

[amstech]

And its seems to be the same 3 people every review of an AMD processor.

I was responding to someone else, lol.
I have no intentions of slamming AMD or botching threads the way most AMD fannies do when its about Intel or Nvidia.

 

[JimboJoneson]

When I posted originally it WAS NOT available at any of those locations - I’m in Canada and Newegg still doesn’t have it...

I’m not crapping on AMD - I’ve been looking forward to this CPU for months and am super psyched that it performs as well as I’d hoped.

I had hoped that the article, which provided links to the 3970 and 3960, etc., would also provide links to the actual CPU they were reviewing!

Fortunately, it is now available - waiting on Techspot to update the link section

Are you going to get one? I actually wouldn't mind a 3960X considering they OC pretty decently and can game well enough ... I do rendering, animation, so 3960x would be a dream. Can't really afford one though ...

 

[Bluescreendeath]

These AMD processors look fantastic if I was doing work, but in gaming Intel is blowing their socks off.

Intel is not blowing their socks off in gaming. The difference in frame rates is quite small to almost non existent. Look at the 3700X vs 9900k review with a GTX2080Ti. At 1440p, the difference is basically non existent. If you lower the resolution to 1080p, you're looking at maybe a 7-8% difference in most games.

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X and Ryzen 7 3700X Review

It's finally time to review AMD's new 3rd-gen Ryzen processors. The Ryzen 9 3900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor with a massive 64MB L3 cache. It costs...

www.techspot.com

The 2080Ti accounts for less than 2% of all registered STEAM users.
Even tho I have one, the reality is the bulk of the market doesn't.
Tell me what the difference looks like when you're using a GTX 1060.

The difference with a weak GPU like the GTX1060 is nonexistent because you would have a GPU bottleneck and you'd be hitting the same frame rates with many different CPUs 9900K, 3700X, 3900X, 9700K, thread rippers, etc.

You can only notice the minor difference in gaming between a 9900K and a 3700X with a high end GPU like a 2080Ti running at lower resolutions like 1080p.

So to even get a measurable difference, you'd have to create an unrealistic scenario where you pair a top notch GPU like the 2080Ti with running games in lower resolution like 1080p to even get a measurable FPS difference. In realistic real world gaming scenarios where you'd be running a 2080Ti at 1440p or 4K, or running weaker GPUs like a 1060 or 1660Ti at 1080p, you wouldn't get any difference between Intel or AMD in gaming.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Are you going to get one? I actually wouldn't mind a 3960X considering they OC pretty decently and can game well enough ... I do rendering, animation, so 3960x would be a dream. Can't really afford one though ...

I think I might.... I like to “psych myself up” over several weeks any time something new comes out before I buy though....

Will be checking out various reviews and benchmarks - which will almost certainly reinforce my pre-made decision but fool myself into thinking it’s “necessary”.

I have the Intel 5960 right now.... getting old, but still runs great... but this would be like, 30 times faster, so worth the 5x asking price, right? Right? RIGHT??

Agreed

 

[Irata]

Sense of entitlement?!? You have TWELVE purchasing links at the end of this article! Some are for video cards and some for Intel CPUs... please tell me why I’m so “entitled” that I thought there would be a link to the 3990?

I understand it’s not on Amazon yet - but I’d fully expect to see it there when it was... you’re a tech site - spoon feeding aside, we can always google other reviews too - but we like THIS site!

Are you implying that we’d be smarter using other websites for reviews as well?

I think those are links that earn the site a commission and why not. I much prefer that to advertorials you see on some other sites.

Running Techspot costs money and those who work for it have bills to pay - I assume they aren't bored Millionaires.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I almost wish I wanted the link added to the article. As it stands I am baffled as to why I don't care. Perhaps because I know reviews are not retailer promotions. And for that I am thankful.

 

[Ludak021]

At this point you might be wondering where are our usual price vs. performance graphs, but for this one we decided not to bother.

if it were intel cpu you would have bothered. As you bothered to mention the price of,at the time, best intel HEDT and how ridiculous it was ($1700). Mind you, at $4000, every test you did on this CPU is pointless, and this is not desktop CPU for unzipping files, running cinebench 20 and the lot, still you are fine with $4000 and AMD overpricing stuff, but not intel when they are at the top of their game. No no. AMD is charity, so everything is forgiven.
At least you made a note of gaming not really being important here. On the other side "9900K requires custom water cooling loop" what does this require then fanbois? A pot and LN cooling 24/7? I am sure if intel made CPU with this power draw you would be somewhere in those lines. But sure, it's a desktop CPU.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I think those are links that earn the site a commission and why not. I much prefer that to advertorials you see on some other sites.

Running Techspot costs money and those who work for it have bills to pay - I assume they aren't bored Millionaires.

Well obviously - which is why I’d assume they’d update the links to include the 3990 as well once it becomes available... wouldn’t they want the extra revenue?

 

[mailpup]

I think those are links that earn the site a commission and why not.

Personally, I doubt it. If that were the case, they would disclose it.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Personally, I doubt it. If that were the case, they would disclose it.

Hmmmm... Here's the link for the 3970 Techspot entered...
www.amazon.com/AMD-Ryzen-Threadripper-3970X-64-Thread/dp/B0815JJQQ8/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Ryzen+Threadripper+3970X&qid=1578307802&sr=8-1&tag=httpwwwtechsp-20

Sure looks like a sponsored link to me...

 

[amstech]

Can't really get on Steve's case for pricing, its been all over the place with AMD due to popular demand. So what if some of the links he has changed/moved some, its a very weird time for CPU pricing on both sides.
eBay pricing is all over the place, I saw new in box 9900K's for $425 shipped about 10 days ago, some guy had about 10 of them, gone by the next day. Most are selling for over $550-$600 bucks and even Newegg upped their price from $475 to $525.
You have a lot of demand for gaming builds, and a lot of demand for all-around powerhouse builds running AMD's new Ryzen cause its so damn good for the money.
Can't really go wrong at this point with either IMO.

 

[bviktor]

How is that wasteful ? Sure, the CPU uses more power, the mainboard does too, then there's cooling, PSU are not 100% efficient...

But look at it another way: It has eight times the cores / threads of the i9-9900k system but does not even use twice as much power (452W vs. 244)

Now, this is not something that most of us would buy, but if you are e.g. doing rendering, you are getting around 5x the performance for 1.9x the energy consumption. Seems quite efficient to me.

If you get this to browse the web or play Fortnite...much less so.

Efficiency = the good use of time and energy in a way that does not waste any.

What I wanted to say is that increasing the power budget is not the way to move forward. They need to increase performance WHILE maintaining the previous budget. All this insane increase of real usage plus these useless TDP values serve is that companies can say "we have the fastest CPU". NV does the same thing, they just throw die at it, and then we have "250W" GPUs with 340W real world peaks. Stupid. When will it end? Is there a limit? Or will we have kW CPUs and GPUs in 10 years? All that while the whole world is facing an energy problem? If anything, they should REDUCE TDP values, not increase them.

 

[Lew Zealand]

Performance per watt is going up as it consistently has for decades. If you want something that has the same performance of the TR2950X in rendering jobs, you can now buy the Ryzen 7 3900X which uses 22% less power. Same goes for GPUs, the GeForce 1660 Super uses similar power as the 1060 but is 24% faster.

If you're arguing that they shouldn't be adding more cores (CPU or GPU), then tell me where should they have stopped? There's no answer as it's all arbitrary. 50W, 200W, 500W? All arbitrary.

edit: bad typo