HEDT is Back: AMD’s Threadripper 7000 CPUs Bring the Heat
AMD Takes the Lead Threadripper Outshines Intel in Competition | ENBLE
AMD’s Threadripper wins over Intel, ending the competition. | ENBLE
Image by Jacob Roach / ENBLE
Remember the glory days of high-end desktops (HEDT) when Intel’s X-series processors ruled the roost? Well, those days vanished into thin air. Intel abandoned ship, leaving AMD’s Threadripper CPUs withered and forgotten. Enthusiasts with money to burn were forced to settle for flagships instead of HEDT powerhouses…but hold on to your hats! The long-awaited comeback is here.
AMD’s Threadripper 7000 CPUs are breathing new life into the HEDT scene, making even the best processors look puny in comparison. With a generation-long hiatus behind them, AMD has brought Threadripper back with a vengeance for consumer desktops. These CPUs are not only significant for their mind-boggling performance numbers, but they carve out a performance class of their own, straddling the line between flagship consumer chips and data center CPUs, where Intel simply has no response.
But before you jump on the Threadripper bandwagon, take a deep breath. These powerful CPUs aren’t for everyone. If you can’t fully utilize the massive core arrays they offer, putting them in your PC would do more harm than good. But fear not, for those who can match the performance of Threadripper 7000 with an equally demanding workload, get ready to be treated like royalty.
Wait, How Much Faster?
Sure, you can look at the spec sheet and see that AMD’s Threadripper 7000 CPUs are fast, but let’s put those numbers in context. Picture this: I tested two parts—the 32-core Threadripper 7970X and the 64-core Threadripper 7980X. These behemoths come with 160MB and 320MB of cache, respectively, a total power draw of 350 watts, and the Zen 4 architecture that also graces consumer chips like the mighty Ryzen 9 7950X.
Now, hold onto your socks for the jaw-dropping results. In Cinebench R23’s multi-core test, the Threadripper 7970X left the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X in the dust with a staggering 58% performance boost. And if you thought that was mind-blowing, prepare for the Threadripper 7980X to blow your socks right off—this beast is an insane 147% faster!
So, are you ready to be astonished again? The Threadripper 7970X matches the performance of the Threadripper 3995WX in the Lenovo Thinkstation P620, a 64-core processor. Seems underwhelming at first glance, right? Think again! The Threadripper 7970X accomplishes that with just half the cores of its counterpart.
But wait, there’s more! Geekbench 5’s multi-core test showcases the Threadripper 7970X’s superiority once again. This CPU scales even higher than the Threadripper 3995WX, proving just how much faster the Zen 4 architecture is compared to Zen 2.
Now, let’s translate those numbers into real-world applications. Just take a look at the performance gains in 7-Zip and Blender. The jumps in 7-Zip are staggering, but it’s when you’re rendering entirely on the CPU in Blender that you truly sense the raw power these massive core arrays possess.
And the fun doesn’t stop there. In Handbrake, both Threadripper CPUs shattered records for transcoding a short video. And brace yourselves—Y-Cruncher produced the highest results ever recorded. Don’t dismiss those few seconds of time-saving, my friend. The Threadripper CPUs finish the transcode anywhere from 20% to 37% faster, depending on the CPUs you’re comparing. Those time savings add up quickly if you’re dealing with a massive amount of video.
Now, before I reveal the price tag, please forgive me for holding back some information. The Threadripper 7970X and 7980X are ridiculously fast, sure, but they’re also incredibly expensive. We’re talking about a whopping $2,500 and $5,000, respectively. No wonder they outclass processors in the $600 and $700 range, like Intel’s Core i9-14900K and AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X. Take a look at the single-core results in Cinebench and Geekbench. Even with slightly lower clock speeds, the Zen 4 architecture hides nothing.
But hey, more money means more cores, right? It might not be a fair fight, but who says Threadripper 7000 needs a fair fight? Considering what’s currently available for purchase, Threadripper 7000 stands tall in a league of its own.
Best by Default
Image by Jacob Roach / ENBLE
Cast your mind back to six years ago when Intel unleashed its X-series processors, offering a staggering 18 cores in a desktop processor for a clean $2,000. At that time, AMD fired back with Threadripper, promising 16 cores. Today, those figures might not seem so impressive, but back in 2017, accessing that level of multi-core muscle outside of enterprise contracts and pricey wholesalers was nothing short of revolutionary.
This is the most recent era of HEDT, but the history of the enthusiast desktop dates back to the early 2000s. It was a battle of core counts between AMD and Intel. But by the time 2020 rolled around, both companies dropped the ball, losing their competitive edge. Those epic core count races no longer played out on enthusiast tables, surrounded by cheering fans, but rather in secret data center rooms, far from prying eyes.
Which brings us to the true significance of the availability of Threadripper 7000. Sure, Intel has its Xeon chips, and AMD continued its pursuit with Epyc CPUs; however, actually buying those CPUs proved to be a herculean task. They’re only sold through resellers at outrageous markups on marketplaces like Newegg or confined to workstations sold by manufacturers like Lenovo and Dell. But Threadripper 7000 breaks the mold. You can simply walk into a Micro Center or browse Newegg and purchase the processor, just like you would an Intel Core or AMD Ryzen CPU. AMD is even taking it a step further by also selling Threadripper 7000 Pro CPUs this way. These chips are compatible with TRX50 motherboards, offering you the power of up to 96 cores in a desktop you can build yourself.
Now, I won’t sugarcoat the truth; this level of power comes with a hefty price tag. But for professionals who require that extra muscle for tasks like transcoding and rendering, the investment will easily pay off compared to typical consumer CPUs. Furthermore, the ability to allocate cores to virtual machines means you can provide high-performance computing to multiple PCs. Think of Threadripper 7000 as the RTX 4090 of CPUs. Let’s face it, you probably don’t need one, but for those who can harness its power, having the option available outside of resellers and wholesaler rabbit holes is nothing short of a blessing.
But mark my words, even with these chips’ incredible capabilities, they’re not the right fit for every purpose. Don’t just slap one into your desktop for the sake of it, even if money is no object. In some cases, a regular consumer CPU will still outperform Threadripper 7000.
Where Threadripper Struggles
So, we’ve established that Threadripper 7000 is fast, but there are some applications where it stumbles, resulting in poorer performance compared to cheaper consumer processors. Allow me to give you a perfect example—PugetBench for Photoshop. The results speak for themselves. Not only do the flagship CPUs outshine Threadripper, but the 64-core Threadripper 7980X actually lags behind its 7970X sibling.
“But wait,” you might say, “that doesn’t make sense!” Well, dear reader, let me enlighten you. You see, Threadripper 7000 needs to run at lower clock speeds compared to typical desktop parts. In fact, the 64-core model runs slower than the 32-core and 24-core options. Clock-sensitive applications that don’t fully utilize 24 cores and above may experience slower speeds with Threadripper CPUs.
But clock speed isn’t the only factor; memory latency plays a crucial role as well. Threadripper requires RDIMMs, which introduce extra latency due to the added registers. Regular desktop memory, on the other hand, is unregistered. This trade-off is made for higher capacity, as Threadripper 7000 supports quad-channel memory with up to 1TB of capacity. Applications that are sensitive to memory latency, such as Photoshop, may exhibit slightly lower performance as a result.
Now, let’s be clear. The apps where Threadripper 7000 falls short are precisely the ones that don’t require an abundance of CPU power in the first place. Just take a look at the web-based JetStream 2 benchmark. Threadripper 7000 isn’t designed for them.
But wait! Even in apps that can’t fully leverage all those cores, Threadripper 7000 still offers performance improvements. Check out the Premiere Pro benchmark above, where both Threadripper chips achieved record-breaking numbers on the latest version. (Disclaimer: The most recent version wasn’t tested with all these chips, so the results are based on an average of several results from the publicly available PugetBench database, using identical configurations.)
However, let these results serve as a cautious reminder to potential Threadripper 7000 buyers. If you can’t make full use of the vast number of cores available in these CPUs, you’re better off opting for a much cheaper consumer desktop CPU.
The Start of a New Era
Image by Jacob Roach / ENBLE
Although Threadripper 7000 isn’t for everyone, it undeniably marks the beginning of a new HEDT era. For those who can tap into the power of these CPUs for work or simply for bragging rights, having the option to purchase Threadripper 7000 directly is an extraordinary development. No more relying on wholesalers or manufacturer machines.
Now, most people probably shouldn’t buy one of these beasts. However, if you find yourself in the market for a Threadripper CPU, I highly recommend checking out reviews from trusted websites that specialize in benchmarking workstations and comparing how Threadripper 7000 fairs against its direct competitors. ServeTheHome and AnandTech are personal favorites of mine when it comes to this type of testing.
And to wrap things up, keep in mind that while Threadripper 7000 may not have mass appeal, it certainly has its niche audience. So, if you’re one of the lucky ones who can truly take advantage of these technological powerhouses, go forth and conquer!
*Are you mind-blown by the performance of AMD’s Threadripper 7000 CPUs? Or do you think they’re overhyped? Let me know in the comments below!
