The CPU Wars are staying hot, even at the end of the year. AMD recently revealed that a new line of processors is coming soon—the company’s second line up new CPUs in 2019 alone. These new processors cap AMD’s top of the line chips, offering a new “best” for PC enthusiasts. But the new line also includes a new chip at the lower end of the spectrum, too.
Here’s everything we know so far about these new CPUs.
Ryzen 3950X
The Ryzen 3950X is the new HEDT champion of the Ryzen family, weighing in with a whopping 16-cores and 32-threads. Its base frequency is rated at 3.5Ghz, with a boost up to 4.7Ghz. It’s also got 24 Gen 4 PCIe lanes for high speed components.
It’s rated at 105W TDP, but also comes with an Eco-Mode feature that allows you to downshift to 65W for small form factor PCs. This will provide 77 percent of the performance and a power savings of 44 percent, with a 7C reduction in temperature, according to Tom’s Hardware.
It’ll cost $749 and slots into mainstream AM4 X570, X470, and B450 motherboards – but be sure to refer to your mothoerboard manufacturer for BIOS updates and compatibility information.
Unlike previous entries in the product line, the Ryzen 3950X doesn’t come with an AMD Wraith Spire cooler. In fact, AMD recommends an AIO liquid cooler of at least 280mm.
Threadripper 3960X and 3970X
For enthusiasts seeking even more power, AMD also announced the Threadripper 3960X and 3970X, with 24/48 and 32/64, respectively. The 3960X costs $1399, while the 3970X costs $1999. The 3960X has a base/boost clock of 3.8/4.5Ghz, and the 3970X is almost as fast with a base/boost of 3.7/4.5Ghz. This represents a significant improvement over last generation’s 2970WX and 2990WX, which both clocked in at 3.0/4.2Ghz.
Both hit a TDP of 280W and have 72 usable Gen 4 PCIe lanes. They both hit a TDP of 280W. These new Threadrippers will require a new, but almost mechanically identical TRX40 socket, and thus coolers designed for the original TR4 socket will still work.
These chips will arrive on Nov. 25, according to AMD.
Athlon 3000G
Users looking for a super-affordable low-end chip should take a look at the Athlon 3000G APU. It has two cores and four threads, a base/boost of 3.5/3.5Ghz, and an onboard Radeon Vega 3 GPU with three cores. It has a tiny TDP of 35W, and is unlocked for overclocking, unlike the previous generation Athlon 200GE.
Folks on an extremely tight budget should consider this chip for 720p gaming on some less graphically intense esports titles like League of Legends, Fortnite, and CS:GO.
