AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5000 WX CPU Pricing Revealed, Brace Yourself
AMD's latest round of high-end desktop (HEDT) processors based on its Zen 3 architecture were never going to be cheap, but exactly how much will they cost? We didn't know the answer when AMD announced its Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5000 WX series CPUs last week. Now we do, though, and it bears repeating—they're not cheap.
To be more specific, at the top end of the stack AMD's Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5995WX officially carries a suggested e-tailer price (SEP) of $6,499. To put that into perspective, the previous generation Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3995WX launched at $5,489, so AMD tacked on more than a grand to its latest generation model.
The real gut punch for enthusiasts is that AMD has done away with non-Pro SKUs for its Threadripper family, now and forever. So if you're an enthusiast looking to build an HEDT system around AMD's flagship consumer-slash-workstation processor, you're basically paying extra for features you might not even care about. A lot more—the non-Pro Ryzen Threadripper 3990X debuted for $3,990.
Here's how pricing breaks down, with previous generation models included for reference...
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5995WX (64C/128T): $6,499
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3995WX (64C/128T): $5,489
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X (64C/128T): $3,990
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5975WX (32C/64T): $3,299
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3975WX (32C/64T): $2,749
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X (32C/64T): $1,999
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5965WX (24C/48T): $2,399
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X (24C/48T): $1,399
AMD never launched a 24-core/64-thread Ryzen Threadripper 3000 Pro series CPU, but it did make one available for the standard HEDT segment. Compared to that one, the latest-gen Pro edition chip is $1,000 more. It's also $400 more than the non-Pro 32-core/64-thread Ryzen Threadripper 3970X.
These are not leaked prices, either, but official SEPs that AMD shared with Tom's Hardware. There are multiple takeaways here. One is that the HEDT market as it once was no longer exists in Threadripper land. It's either go Pro or bust, with higher prices to boot. Another takeaway is that AMD probably isn't looking to move a ton of these chips. By the time these release to the DIY market, Zen 4 will either be here (in mainstream form), or close to it.
It's no coincidence, then, that pricing is closer in line to Intel's Xeon W-3300 series for the workstation. Intel's MSRPs are set at $4,499 for the Xeon W-3375 (38C/76T), $3,499 for the Xeon W-3365 (32C/64T), and $2,499 for the Xeon W-3345 (24C/48T). Compared to those, AMD is charging a little less per core/thread.
