64 Core Threadripper 3 to cost $3,800(Opinion)

[Yotsugi]

Especially now with the option to go completely EPYC, the large customers suddenly have even more leverage.

The big-big customers value TCO over everything else, where I doubt even free Xeons would do anything.
These discounts are mostly for medium and small enterprises

 

[amd6502]

Any core counts beyond 24 on the TR4 platform might be named Opteron and go for lower clockspeeds within the frequency range for high perf/watt.

 

[nicalandia]

64c would be stupidly impractical on HEDT.
Zen2 parts have a higher frequency ceiling, so 32c but without NUMA wonkiness and with way more clocks is the definitive way to go!

How so? What makes a 32 UMA core CPU better than 64 UMA core CPU?

 

[Kenmitch]

How so? What makes a 32 UMA core CPU better than 64 UMA core CPU?

Isn't that more of a riddle than a question? I'd imagine they'd both have their strengths and weaknesses, but there's gonna be a sweat spot somewhere in there. A careful balance of cores, clocks, and power consumption dictates the end results.

Looks at the Anandtech 3900x review and compare the 3900x to the TR2 2920x. I see no reason why TR3 won't follow the trend. Depending on the test even the 3700x gives the 2920x a run for it's money.

 

[moinmoin]

How so? What makes a 32 UMA core CPU better than 64 UMA core CPU?

I guess Yotsugi expects power usage and heat produced to become too unwieldy in a 64c Threadripper. Note how the boost frequency of Epyc 2 chips so far is right around the frequency point with the best possible efficiency. I still think AMD will do it anyway. Threadripper is essentially their platform for insane stuff, combining Epyc scalability with Ryzen frequencies.

 

[Kenmitch]

64c at lower clocks just because is possible. Maybe 48c higher clocked max? Beastly either way!

 

[Flayed]

You were way off mark as Anandtech's article lists the cheapest 64c Threadripper at $6450. Just saw that was for a 2P one. The 1P one is $4425

 

[Yotsugi]

You were way off mark as Anandtech's article lists the cheapest 64c Threadripper at $6450. Just saw that was for a 2P one. The 1P one is $4425

These are EPYC, not TR.

 

[lopri]

What you are looking at are Eypc, server CPUs. (note ~3.4 GHz max frequency, where Matisse is known to peak in efficiency) There will be no 2P Threadripper CPUs and their boost frequencies will be most likely north of 4.0 GHz.

Edit: Yotsugi beat me to it.

 

[Flayed]

Oh yeah I see my mistake.

 

[nicalandia]

AMD 3990X, One CPU to rule them all in 2020 for about $4,000? I think I was close(no official Price yet but should be close to 4k)

 

[Kocicak]

My bet, provided 48 and 64 core processors will be on 8 channel RAM:

48C: 3200 USD
64C: 4500 USD

My second pesimistic bet is 3500 and 5000.

 

[Atari2600]

I can't see much of a use for 64C TR outside of rendering studios.

Are there many other workloads can use that degree of width without being bandwidth starved?

 

[Markfw]

I can't see much of a use for 64C TR outside of rendering studios.

Are there many other workloads can use that degree of width without being bandwidth starved?

I have a 64 core 128 thread EPYC system, and I use 100% of it 24/7 for DC work. I would like a TR more, so I wouldn;t have to use ECC registered 2666 memory, and it would run faster than 2400mhz

 

[Atari2600]

I have a 64 core 128 thread EPYC system, and I use 100% of it 24/7 for DC work. I would like a TR more, so I wouldn;t have to use ECC registered 2666 memory, and it would run faster than 2400mhz

I know you do - but you are very much an outlier. It is quite possible, if not probable, that you are unique across the entire world in how you use such high end hardware Mark.

They aren't gonna make much of a business case of designing/building/selling 64c TR3 based on that usage model!

 

[Markfw]

I know you do - but you are very much an outlier. It is quite possible, if not probable, that you are unique across the entire world in how you use such high end hardware Mark.

They aren't gonna make much of a business case of designing/building/selling 64c TR3 based on that usage model!

I realize that. But they would not make such a beast if there wasn't a market for it.

 

[Gideon]

Hopefully it is indeed around $4000. It wouldn't surprise me though, if AMD wants to charge more, especially if the rumors about 8-channel TRX80 chipsets are correct. That would make it the best AMD CPU this generation. It has the same TDP as the top-of-the line EPYC 7H12 water cooled HPC CPU and probably even better single-threaded turbo (required for desktop work). But just look at the 7H12 pricing:

• Single Socket EPYC 7702P is indeed $4425
• Dual socket EPYC 7742 is already $6950
• EPYC 7H12 list price is unknown but probably over $8000

AMD is selling every chiplet they can make. They might look at the above and realise they'd much rather sell the best ones as EPYC rather than a "cheap" Threadripper.

TL;DR: IMO even $4500-5000 isn't out of the question (though I'd obviously prefer <4000)

 

[amrnuke]

I can't see much of a use for 64C TR outside of rendering studios.

Are there many other workloads can use that degree of width without being bandwidth starved?

The number of people who buy the highest-core fastest chip for investment banking, day trading, etc. is not small. Similarly, there are just as many business executives who simply want to NEVER have to wait on their computer, even if all they're doing is big Excel sheets, Access work, etc. I know a couple of them in my area, their kids and my son go to school together, I'm in awe of the excesses. One guy has a 2990WX, 128GB RAM, Quadro RTX 5000, pushing 4 monitors for investment banking and day trading work. He also has some commercial grade internet he claims is gigabit. I have to imagine this is a massive overkill.

I guarantee there will be way more than just studio guys buying these, even if the price is >$4000.

Also, I'm sure we all know guys who do DC. Anecdotally, a funny story, I know a guy (not @Markfw ), a family friend, who has 3 systems, who runs the Microbiome Immunity project on all 3. He claims he "has" to use that electricity anyway, in order to get a discount on his electricity (he gets a $25 discount on his bill if he hits 1000kwh, another $25 if he hits 2000kwh). I asked him, quietly, if he did the math, and he said yes, but his wife didn't, so it's his little secret that he's still paying more for the electricity, but she's happy to hear about the discounts.

As for my prediction, based on price scaling from Ryzen lineup, I think it's very possible that a 48 core 3980X will come in at $2999 and 64 core 3990X will come in at $3999.

 

[Magic Carpet]

First Gen Epyc 7551P was $2100 at launch, The 2990Wx was $1,799 at launch,

How much do you think the new Top TR3 will be? going by the difference between First Gen Epyc(7551P) and TR2(2990wx) and current Epyc Rome 7702P price of $4,425 I would gess it would be close to $3,800

What do you think?

AMD is likely going to follow current pricing tends, they are no longer a budget brand as it seems. 5700 pricing confirmed that. As to the exact price, well.., sky is the limit you know, but very likely cheaper than Intel. However, price is not everything, there is also specific support, discounts, bribery, basically everything that is usually not disclosed in public. Pentium 4 sold pretty well at the time

 

[Atari2600]

One guy has a 2990WX, 128GB RAM, Quadro RTX 5000, pushing 4 monitors for investment banking and day trading work. He also has some commercial grade internet he claims is gigabit. I have to imagine this is a massive overkill.

Its probably massively ineffective too.

A 2950 would likely net him better performance via higher ST boost clocks.

 

[amrnuke]

Its probably massively ineffective too.

A 2950 would likely net him better performance via higher ST boost clocks.

I agree - if it were just for day trading - I think the consensus is that the highest single-thread speed would be best, some Intel something-Lake overclocked on water would probably knock the socks off a 2990WX for that use-case.

However, before I speak too soon, I don't know if he's doing a bunch of other stuff in the background that might necessitate 64 threads, nor what that day trading software specifically requires for his case. I don't even know what he does on it relating to investment banking, perhaps there is a lot of analytics he's doing? I'll have to ask the next time I see him. Very interesting decision if all he does is day trading on it. But... as I'm typing this, I recall that he's out of town on average 3 days a week, and I'm just not sure, perhaps its primary use isn't day trading? It wouldn't make much sense to buy that system for just day trading 2-3 days a week. I'll ask and keep you posted.

 

[Minerva]

64cores needs a lot more than 256GB RAM offered on current motherboards. I guess if you really *need* it there's the server platform. There's also (usually) a decent gap between so called enterprise computing devices and desktop parts so $4k seems a bit high. The 24 core parts are showing up at Microcenter for $1399 now. Those will likely drop in a few months.

 

[amrnuke]

64cores needs a lot more than 256GB RAM offered on current motherboards. I guess if you really *need* it there's the server platform. There's also (usually) a decent gap between so called enterprise computing devices and desktop parts so $4k seems a bit high. The 24 core parts are showing up at Microcenter for $1399 now. Those will likely drop in a few months.

With Microcenter I kind of wonder if they'll be able to keep the 2990WX at $1499 when (and yes, I know this is not a complete picture of things, but it's shocking) the $1399 3960X beats it straight-up (Phoronix test suite) and a $749 3900X ties it.

I'm having a hard time seeing the second-gen TR price drops being enough to clear stock.

 

[heymrdj]

With Microcenter I kind of wonder if they'll be able to keep the 2990WX at $1499 when (and yes, I know this is not a complete picture of things, but it's shocking) the $1399 3960X beats it straight-up (Phoronix test suite) and a $749 3900X ties it.

I'm having a hard time seeing the second-gen TR price drops being enough to clear stock.

My guess is AMD will offer incentives to sellers to price drop. Cyberpower is already building PCs with the new Intel 10980XE at just above 1,000 unit SKU MSRP. Meanwhile, they are running 1,000$ discounts on the 9980XE and the like, making them slightly cheaper than the 10XXX counterparts. I think we all figured some sort of discount had to happen there to level the field and move the old shelf stock.

 

[Atari2600]

I'm having a hard time seeing the second-gen TR price drops being enough to clear stock.

Especially with the platform now being dead-end.