Since the launch of AMD’s Threadripper Pro platform, the will to see what eight channels of reminiscence brings to compute over the common quad-channel Threadripper has been an intriguing prospect. Threadripper Pro is successfully a quicker model of AMD’s EPYC, restricted for single CPU workstation use, but additionally heralds a full 280 W TDP to match the frequencies of the usual Threadripper line. There is a 37% worth premium from Threadripper to Threadripper Pro, which permits for ECC reminiscence assist, double the PCIe lanes, and double the reminiscence bandwidth. In this assessment, we’re evaluating each member of each platforms that’s commercially accessible.
Threadripper Pro: Born of Need
When AMD embarked upon its journey with the brand new Ryzen portfolio, the delineation of the place every product sat within the conventional market has not all the time been solely clear. The first era Ryzen was earmarked for traditional customers, nevertheless the highest of the road Ryzen 7 1800X, with eight cores, competed towards Intel’s high-end desktop market. The Zen 2-based portfolio noticed the mainstream Ryzen go to 16 cores, pushing previous Intel’s finest 18-core HEDT processor on the time in most exams. That Zen 2-based Ryzen 9 3950X was nonetheless categorized as a ‘mainstream platform’ processor, because it solely had 24 PCIe lanes and dual-channel reminiscence, ample for mainstream customers however not sufficient for workstation markets. These mainstream processors had been additionally restricted to 105W TDP.
At the opposite finish of the size was AMD EPYC, with the primary era EPYC 7601 having 32 cores, and the second era EPYC 7742 having 64 cores, as much as 225W TDP. These share the identical LGA4094 socket, have eight channels of reminiscence, full ECC assist, and 128 PCIe lanes (first PCIe 3.0, then PCIe 4.0), with dual-socket assist. For workstation customers inquisitive about EPYC, AMD launched single socket ‘P’ variations. These provided the identical options, at round 200 TDP, dropping some efficiency to the common non-P variations.
AMD then launched Threadripper, a high-end desktop model of EPYC that went all the best way as much as 280 W for peak frequency and efficiency. Threadripper sat above Ryzen with 64 PCIe lanes and quad channel reminiscence, enabling mainstream customers that needed a bit extra to get a bit extra. However workstation customers famous that whereas 280 W was nice, it lacked official ECC reminiscence assist, and in comparison with EPYC, generally the diminished reminiscence channel assist and diminished PCIe in comparison with EPYC stopped Threadripper being adopted.
So enter Threadripper Pro, which sits between Threadripper and EPYC, and on this occasion, very far more on the EPYC facet. Threadripper Pro has virtually all of the options of AMD’s EPYC platform, however in a 280W thermal envelope. It has eight channels of reminiscence assist, all 128 PCIe 4.Zero lanes, and might assist ECC. The solely draw back to EPYC is that it may possibly solely be utilized in single socket programs, and the height reminiscence assist is halved (from Four TB to 2 TB). Threadripper Pro additionally comes at a small worth premium as effectively.
| AMD Comparison | ||||
| AnandTech | Ryzen | Threadripper | Threadripper Pro |
Enterprise EPYC |
| Cores | 6-16 | 32-64 | 12-64 | 16-64 |
| Architecture | Zen 3 | Zen 2 | Zen 2 | Zen 3 |
| 1P Flagship | R9 5950X |
TR 3990X |
TR Pro 3995WX | EPYC 7713P |
| MSRP | $799 | $3990 | $5490 | $5010 |
| TDP | 105 W | 280 W | 280 W | 225 W |
| Base Freq | 3400 MHz | 2900 MHz | 2700 MHz | 2000 MHz |
| Turbo Freq | 4900 MHz | 4300 MHz | 4200 MHz | 3675 MHz |
| Socket | AM4 | sTRX40 | sTRX4: WRX80 | SP3 |
| L3 Cache | 64 MB | 256 MB | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| DRAM | 2 x DDR4-3200 | Four x DDR4-3200 | eight x DDR4-3200 | eight x DDR4-3200 |
| DRAM Capacity | 128 GB | 256 GB | 2 TB, ECC | Four TB, ECC |
| PCIe | 4.Zero x20 + chipset |
4.Zero x56 + chipset | 4.Zero x120 + chipset | 4.0… |
