Ryzen 3rd Generation CPUs point towards an incredible future for Threadripper

Ryzen 3rd Gen points towards and incredible future for Threadripper

Ryzen 3rd Generation CPUs point towards an incredible future for Threadripper

If you haven’t already, please read our review for AMD’s Ryzen 7 3700X and Ryzen 9 3900X, as much of this article is based on our thoughts on the Zen 2 architecture and AMD’s innovative multi-die solution to CPU scaling. 

With Zen 2, AMD has moved away from the multi-die approach of their 1st/2nd Threadripper and 1st Generation EPYC processors, moving I/O connectivity and their memory controller to a single chip that remains separated from the company’s main CPU dies. Before Zen 2, AMD’s Threadripper and EPYC processors had their I/O and memory controllers split between each processor die, adding additional latency into the mix when CPU cores need data from the memory and the I/O devices that are connected to other chips, resulting in odd performance characteristics on AMD’s server and HEDT platforms. 

While AMD’s original Threadripper and EPYC series processors are capable units, they present PC users with a myriad of problems which can result in degraded performance in some scenarios. Just have a look at the Sony Vegas Video Rendering section of our Ryzen 3rd Generation 3700X/3900X review for context. Sometimes, AMD’s 1st/2nd generation Threadripper processor didn’t perform as well as a CPU with that core count should, and that’s what AMD hopes to address with Zen 2. 

With Zen 2 AMD has proved that a multi-die processor is possible with minimal downsides. We have found no workloads where AMD’s Zen 2 processors perform worse than their single-die Ryzen 2nd Gen counterparts, showcasing the power of AMD’s latest designs. With Ryzen 3rd Generation Threadripper, these gains will be amplified, as AMD will have addressed the main criticisms of Threadripper in one fell swoop by delivering what’s effectively a beefed up version of the company’s AM4 Zen 2 offerings. 

Unlike AMD’s existing Threadripper processors, Ryzen 3rd Generation/Zen 2 Threadripper will utilise a single, unified memory controller on a separate I/O/memory die, just like what AMD has shown with their Zen 2 EPYC processor. This will enable AMD to deliver a true quad-channel memory setup with identical memory access latencies to all CPU cores, something that’s impossible on AMD’s previous multi-memory controller solution. This addresses the memory access issues which have plagued Threadripper systems, making Threadripper exactly what it should be, a bigger version of AMD’s AM4 offerings that present no major performance downsides.

Ryzen 3rd Generation CPUs point towards an incredible future for Threadripper  (Not an official AMD Slide)

While this article is mostly based on our knowledge of Zen 2, it is hard to deny that AMD’s architectural shifts will enable the company to create some incredible HEDT systems moving forward, so much so that it is difficult to see how Intel can respond to the coming onslaught, at least in the short term.

AMD’s multi-die approach to CPUs has borne great fruit with their Zen 2 based Ryzen 3000 series processors, and that march will undoubtedly continue with the company’s future Threadripper offerings. Be prepared for a massive shift in the HEDT market, as Threadripper 3rd Gen is set to deliver an insane generational leap over its predecessors. 

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