AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X and 9970X Review: Zen 5 to the Extreme

[Steve]

AMD's Threadripper 9000 series pushes Zen 5 to the extreme, with up to 64 cores and sky-high specs. We review the HEDT 9970X and 9980X – powerful, pricey, and not for the faint of budget.

Read the full article here.

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X and 9970X Review: Zen 5 to the Extreme

 

[yRaz]

I don't think $5000 for the 64 core is that bad, especially if you need more RAM, ECC and the extra PCIe lanes. the 9950X is usually between 600 and 700 depending on who you look at for 16 cores and it doesn't have NEAR the PCIe expansion. The memory issue I see as more of a "soft lock" but the PCIe lands are a physical connection between CPU and device so I definitely see the extra cost there.

I have a feeling that local AI models are going to become a thing in a few years for video games and we're going to see a sharp spike in both storage in memory needs for users. in 5 years I think games that use AI models to "procedurally generate" content will reach 1TB+ in size and need 128GB or more of memory. I also think that's what's going to push us from the 8cores everyone is happy with to needing 12-16 core CPUs in just a few years.

I also see multi GPU setups coming back where one card is an AI card. Just like RT was the big thing in gaming over the last few years, I see AI games creating unique experiences in the future and people "recycling" their only GPUs as an AI card in their system.

 

[winjer]

Would it be possible to get benchmarks for software like Autocad, Solidworks, Revit, etc.

 

[yRaz]

Would it be possible to get benchmarks for software like Autocad, Solidworks, Revit, etc.

I'm sure someone has to have them. Id say your best bet is to look at programs that scale similarly to the ones your interested in and then use those to approximate performance from other benchmarks.

 

[loki1944]

Except if you're gaming with top end GPUs you aren't at 1080p; willing to bet at 4K Ultra settings that the performance difference between top end AMD and Intel CPUs is pretty much yawn inducing.

 

[yRaz]

Except if you're gaming with top end GPUs you aren't at 1080p; willing to bet at 4K Ultra settings that the performance difference between top end AMD and Intel CPUs is pretty much yawn inducing.

Currently, 4k gaming is 99% GPU limited.

 

[Melkor Unlimited]

Currently, 4k gaming is 99% GPU limited.

Even gaming in 1440 is GPU limited if you do not have at least rtx 4080 as test results say
https://www.techspot.com/review/3017-ryzen-9800x3d-vs-7600x-cpu-scaling/

 

[redgarl]

I am not sure you guys should review those CPUs if the only thing you are going to do are a bunch of CINEBENCH and some ADOBE benchmarks.

Leave the work to Phoronix for these kind of workloads.

Also, the Cyberpunk benchmark is ridiculous and don't really bring anything of value for a CPU like that. These are server parts packaged for HEDT.

 

[redgarl]

Would it be possible to get benchmarks for software like Autocad, Solidworks, Revit, etc.

No, because they are not having licenses for such softwares that would be used with those CPUs...

If you were expecting an Anandtech review, then think twice. Behind their look of SME, HU is basically 2 gamer enthusiasts.

 

[redgarl]

Except if you're gaming with top end GPUs you aren't at 1080p; willing to bet at 4K Ultra settings that the performance difference between top end AMD and Intel CPUs is pretty much yawn inducing.

You are not gaming on a 32-64-96 cores Server part!

You are using software that leverage multi-threading scaling.

 

[wiyosaya]

I'm glad to see AMD doing so well in this realm.

Many years ago, I would have considered buying these CPUs and building a system based on them just for the hell of it. But now that I have grown older and hopefully, wiser, I cannot justify the cost of the CPU let alone a complete system.

I am not sure you guys should review those CPUs if the only thing you are going to do are a bunch of CINEBENCH and some ADOBE benchmarks.

Leave the work to Phoronix for these kind of workloads.

Also, the Cyberpunk benchmark is ridiculous and don't really bring anything of value for a CPU like that. These are server parts packaged for HEDT.

I was thinking somewhat the same thing. 7-zip?? People are going to pay big bucks for a system built around these CPUs just to run 7-zip?

No, because they are not having licenses for such softwares that would be used with those CPUs...

If you were expecting an Anandtech review, then think twice. Behind their look of SME, HU is basically 2 gamer enthusiasts.

TS has, in the past, run Solidworks benchmarks see this for what looks like most recent example - https://www.techspot.com/review/1299-intel-core-kaby-lake-desktop/page5.html

Search TS for Solidworks for more.

You are, however, correct that Current Solidworks CPU benchmarks, especially the SPEC benchmarks, require a license. GPU SPEC benchmarks do not require a license, but that would fall into that pointless, IMO, category for a CPU performance article.

 

[jpvalverde85]

No AVX-512 tests? it would be pretty interesting to see up to where this monsters can stretch their legs, and also for the lols watching Intel faaaaaar behind in the rearview mirror.

 

[trieste1s]

I am not sure you guys should review those CPUs if the only thing you are going to do are a bunch of CINEBENCH and some ADOBE benchmarks.

Leave the work to Phoronix for these kind of workloads.

Also, the Cyberpunk benchmark is ridiculous and don't really bring anything of value for a CPU like that. These are server parts packaged for HEDT.

Wait are you saying we un-democratise hardware testing?

 

[CasinoDingo]

You are not gaming on a 32-64-96 cores Server part!

You are using software that leverage multi-threading scaling.

Not necessarily. I'm a 3d freelancer, I use my fancy threadripper workstation for rendering and sometimes gaming too, because it's in my home office! However it's fair to say I don't care if cyberpunk runs a few frames slower than on a better gaming cpu, it's really not a deal breaker.

 

[saladbarsmash]

I plan on using this as my gaming rig along with everything else. No one that has any aptitude is going to spend $5k plus tax on a processor and play a game at 1080p or even have a 1080p monitor in that case, so it would be nice to show 1440p and 2160p gaming benchmarks (knowing it is all GPU at those resolutions, but for completeness). It would also be nice to show encryption benchmarks (showing how fast it encrypts/decrypts for read and write speeds) for PCIe 5 m.2 drives in RAID configurations using RAID cards like the Apex Storage X21 Gen4 and Apex Storage X16 Gen5 once that's released to show how it fairs with the extra available PCIe 5 lanes that would be the significant purpose of having a Threadripper all in one PC.

 

[chito tanginamo]

Except if you're gaming with top end GPUs you aren't at 1080p; willing to bet at 4K Ultra settings that the performance difference between top end AMD and Intel CPUs is pretty much yawn inducing.

Always present to defend the dying intel, accept it AMD right now is better, intel was better for more than a decade. What they need is to step up their game. Yes we need competition but turning blind eye won't save them

 

[Anton Longshot]

Great article.
Should I run into the right amount(s) of cash I'll consider the 24-core 9960X & and all it needs to build a proper PC.
Amusingly that would also convince me to keep using Microsoft stuff and even *drumroll* Windows 11! Right now Win 11 isn't an acceptable option for me.
I've installed Mint on my laptop but I'd lie if I said I'm fond of it. It seems quite likely I'll swap both my laptop and my main PC for Apple machines soon because of an incoming modest inheritance.
Strange (and interesting) times. Two years ago I saw NONE of this coming!

 

[Gars]

Lil infographic, for how(long) AMD get there: