AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X Review

Explore the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X! This Server processor is a highlight in AMD's high-end range. Introduced in 2020, it has 64 cores and 128 threads. It operates at a base frequency of 2.9GHz, can hit up to 4.3GHz, and has a power consumption of 280W, ready to upgrade your gaming setup. The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is designed on the Castle Peak 7nm architecture and is a part of the respected Ryzen Threadripper series.

And guess what? The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is the ultimate successor to AMD's previous-gen gaming champion, the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX. The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX was based on the legendary Zen+ and 12nm process, and it made its grand entrance into the gaming scene back in 2018. But now, it's time for the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X to take the throne and conquer the gaming world!

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3rd Generation boasts the Zen 2 architecture, which brings 7nm processors to the mainstream for the first time. But there's more to this story than just a smaller size. Get ready for some serious performance upgrades!

Forget about low single-core performance being a weakness for AMD! With the 4.3GHz turbo boost and some sweet IPC improvements, the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is finally competitive on the single-core front. Time to fry some noobs!

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is an absolute monster, just like its 64 cores, 128 threads, and hefty price tag suggest. This is the top dog of mainstream processors, the king you've been waiting for. Games, video editing, 3D work – the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X handles it all with ease. Bow down to the king!

For gamers on a budget who aren't afraid of a little overclocking and have decent cooling, the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X is a solid option. You can get pretty much the same performance as the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X (especially for gaming) by overclocking it a bit. Plus, it's cheaper! This is why we gave the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X an Editor's Choice award.

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, like all the other CPUs in AMD's Castle Peak family, is built on a tiny 7nm manufacturing process – the smallest you can find right now. This means it uses less power and runs much faster than previous CPUs.

Shrinking down to a 7nm process gives the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X a whopping 15% boost in IPC (instructions per clock). Basically, compared to a similar CPU from the last generation (Ryzen Threadripper 2 Gen) clocked at the same speed, you'll get 15% better performance. It might not be a huge difference in everyday tasks, but it's still something.

The high number of threads (over 7!) in the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X makes it a monster for tasks that use all the cores at once (multi-threaded workloads), especially for the price. If you edit a lot of videos or work with giant spreadsheets, the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X will give you a noticeable performance boost.

Heads up! If you already have a Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, this new generation doesn't offer a huge jump in performance. You might be better off waiting a year to upgrade or spending more on a higher-end CPU.

Can you game on AMD's Ryzen Threadripper CPU? Absolutely! We got a solid 87% score in our gaming benchmarks.

The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is a great choice for both gaming and content creation, thanks to its high performance (1.16%) and at least 12 threads. Live streaming, eSports, and uploading gameplay videos are becoming increasingly popular, and this CPU can handle it all.

The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X boosts up to the advertised 4.3 GHz, and with AMD's software you can push one core even higher to 4.3+0.1 GHz. But don't expect much beyond that without a serious cooler upgrade and manual voltage tweaks.