Question 1

Can i play minecraft with this CPU?

Accepted Answer

I would like to let you know that I have played different games like Crysis, Tomb Raider and other games that are new as well as the older games with no problems.     I have not played Minecraft but if I were to think the game could be played with the 2990WX AMD CPU.

Question 2

what watt  power supply  are you  using  for  for  this  CPU  system?

Accepted Answer

I am using an EVGA 1300 Watt power supply.     I wanted to have enough power to run my computer system with having to power my high end MSI motherboard, 2 - 1080 Ti graphics cards, 2 - 960 Evo SSd's, AIO cooler, 10 - high end case fans and 128 GB memory modules.   You should take a look at what power consumption your computer parts will need and you should add more power than you need if you are to upgrade later on.

Question 3

Current workstation is 7980XE @ 4.4ghz, 128gb RAM, 2 x 1080Ti SLI.  Would a switch to the 2990WX be worthwhile for data science or numerical operations work?  I own both the Intel x299 platform and AMD x399, and want to know which direction to put more money.

Accepted Answer

I bought a TR 2990WX, and from a purely fundamental process, I think it is hands down the top of class for price / performance standpoint.. I will wholeheartedly admit; that I was a little "disappointed" with my expectation on performance... I don't know how or why I am disappointed; because I have ZERO basis to be disappointed.. The video compression and rendering for this CPU is off the chart... Part of my issue was with a VMWare Hypervisor.. but a week into the release; it was resolved... so that removed my barrier to have a negative result... I don't do scientific data analysis and I know the compute cycles are substantially different...

All things equal, I think you will not be let down; I believe AMD has done for CPU evolution what Henry Ford did for automobiles.. The benefits vs costs are unquestionable... So give it a try; just go in with no expectations; and therefore you can't be disappointed..

Question 4

But can it run Crysis?

Accepted Answer

I had the best game performance by simply disabling SMT. However, I do not recommend this CPU for gaming. The 2950X would be a much better option for a mixed workload.

Question 5

Max Turbo/all core turbo?

Accepted Answer

Default is 3.4. You can use Ryzen Master to increase the TDP thresholds. This will allow for a higher all core clock speed if your cooling solution can handle it.

Question 6

Just curious, is there any compiled software that will utilize 32 cores other than data mining programs, etc?????.

Accepted Answer

I use mine for embedded software development, the cores power through C and C++ compiles. 3D rendering (eg Blender) can also take advantage. But of course this may CPU may be overkill for some tasks, and it may be better to spend on GPU, RAM, etc. If you have a specific use case in mind I’d suggest looking at the benchmark results on Phoronix or other sites to see what works best for your needs and budget.

Question 7

How many PCI Express lanes on the Threadripper 2990WX? (32 core, 64 thread)

Accepted Answer

I believe 60, but I am not totally sure.  Hope this helps.

Question 8

What cooler is recommended?

Accepted Answer

I have a first gen 8 core 1900X and power/heat equals a 2700X. A 32 core is 4 x 2700X dies. Raystrom and watercool Heatkiller Pro IV are the top two waterblocks for Threadripper. The air cooler Wraithcooler will work but it has already been tested to only work with stock speeds. I went with a Heatkiller for my little 8 core to be ready for any tr4 socket cpu.

Question 9

Does this come with a cooler?

Accepted Answer

No, it clearly states "Cooling device not included - Processor Only"

Question 10

I'm guessing there is a wide range of motherboards available for this beast?

Accepted Answer

It uses the same motherboards as the original Threadripper chips, with the sTR4 socket and AMD X399 chipset.  Such as:
GIGABYTE X399 AORUS series or Designare series
ASUS ROG X399 sTR4 Zenith or Strix
MSI MEG X399 CREATION sTR4, or GAMING PRO CARBON
ASRock X399 Taichi

So you have 4 major manufacturers each offering a couple boards apiece... all in the $300-$500 range, and all with reasonably good reviews and endorsements.

Questions & Answers