AMD’s 32-core Threadripper 2990WX is available to preorder for $1,800

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The 32-core/64-thread beast ships next week.

AMD has been teasing a "heavy metal" 32-core/64-thread second generation Threadripper processor since June, and it is now up for grabs, provided you have deep pockets and a need for all of that computing muscle.

The Threadripper 2920X is arguably the most intriguing SKU of the bunch, given its core/thread counts and $649 price tag. It offers relatively fast clockspeeds, 64 PCIe lanes (same as the higher end SKUs), and will likely end up on sale at some point as we have frequently seen with AMD's Ryzen processors.

For now, all eyes are on the Threadripper 2990WX. As AMD gleefully points out in its announcement, the 32-core chip set a Cinebench R15 benchmark record last month, dethroning Intel's Core i9-7980EX in the application's multi-threaded CPU test.

"We created a new standard for the HEDT market when we launched our first Ryzen Threadripper processors a year ago, delivering a ground-breaking level of computing power for the world’s most demanding PC users," said Jim Anderson, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Business Group, AMD. “Our goal with 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors was to push the performance boundaries even further and continue innovating at the bleeding edge."

The Threadripper 2990WX is an impressive chip, but would you benefit from having it in your rig? If you use your PC exclusively for gaming, the answer is no. You would be better off buying a less expensive second generation Ryzen or Intel 8th generation Core processor and using the money you save on a fast graphics card.

High-end desktop (HEDT) chips like the Threadripper 2990X flex their muscle in heavily threaded workloads, like certain types of content creation. In those situations, the pricing premium over a 6-core or 8-core mainstream processor can be worth it.

For those who are interested, you can preorder the Threadripper 2990X now for $1,799 at Amazon, $1,799.99 at Newegg and Micro Center, and $1,999.99 at Frys. 

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Paul Lilly
Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).