Traditionally, when a chipmaker starts pushing the core counts for its mainstream processors, it's only a matter of time before the chips start cannibalizing the HEDT (High-End Desktop) offerings. With AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16-core and AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-core parts debuting yesterday and creeping into the territory of AMD's core-heavy Threadripper CPUs, prices for the Threadripper 2950X and Threadripper 2920X have dropped.
Unlike in the past, AMD hasn't officially announced any price cuts for either Threadripper CPU. However, both Threadripper processors are now available at fairly lower prices, just as the Ryzen 3000 CPUs came out yesterday with the Ryzen 9 3950X set to arrive in September.
The Threadripper 2950X, which originally debuted at $899, can be purchased for as low as $730.59. According to the Camelcamelcamel price tracker, it was $800 last month. The Threadripper 2920X used to have an MSRP of $649 but currently sells for $389.99. Just last week, its lowest price tag was $550. It almost feels like Amazon Prime Day has arrived early.
AMD Threadripper 2 vs Ryzen 3000
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Cores /Threads | Base / Boost Clock Speed (GHz) | L3 Cache (MB) | PCIe Lanes | DRAM | TDP | MSRP | Price Per Core |
| Threadripper 2950X | 16 / 32 | 3.5 / 4.4 | 32 | PCIe 3.0 x 64 | Quad DDR4-2933 | 180W | $731 | $45.69 |
| Ryzen 9 3950X | 16 / 32 | 3.5 / 4.7 | 64 | PCIe 4.0 x 24 | Dual DDR4-3200 | 105W | $749 | $46.81 |
| Threadripper 2920X | 12 / 24 | 3.5 / 4.3 | 32 | PCIe 3.0 x 64 | Quad DDR4-2933 | 180W | $390 | $32.50 |
| Ryzen 9 3900X | 12 / 24 | 3.8 / 4.6 | 64 | PCIe 4.0 x 24 | Dual DDR4-3200 | 105W | $499 | $41.58 |
At first glance, the Ryzen 3000-series processors look far superior, and they are. The recently released 7nm parts offer higher operating clock speeds, double the L3 cache and 75W lower TDP (thermal design power) than the Threadripper counterparts. The third-generation Ryzen chips also support the latest PCIe 4.0 interface. But don't count the Threadripper processors out of the game yet.
While the Ryzen 3000-series are compatible with the PCIe 4.0 standard and DDR4-3200 memory modules, the processors are limited to 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes and 64GB of memory. The Threadripper parts are far more generous in both departments. They deliver up to 64 PCIe 3.0 lanes and support up to 256GB of RAM. If you use a lot of PCIe devices or need huge amounts of memory, Threadripper is still the way to go.
The Ryzen 9 3950X, Ryzen 9 3900X, Threadripper 2950X and Threadripper 2920X are priced very closely now. Shoppers will have to analyze their needs carefully and pick a processor that's most fitting, not just the fastest chip available. For help, check out our CPU Buying Guide.
