At this year’s Computex, AMD officially launched its Ryzen Threadripper 9000 series processors, based on the Zen 5 architecture and designed for the high-end desktop (HEDT) and workstation markets. The series is spearheaded by the flagship Threadripper PRO 9995WX, boasting up to 96 cores and delivering insane multi-threaded performance. Recently, AMD officially released its benchmark scores, showing it’s nearly twice as fast as the competing Xeon W9-3595X.
The Ryzen Threadripper 9000 series is divided into two sub-series: PRO and non-PRO, targeting professional workstations and high-performance desktop users, respectively. The PRO series includes six models: the 9995WX (96 cores, 192 threads), 9985WX (64 cores, 128 threads), 9975WX (32 cores, 64 threads), 9965WX (24 cores, 48 threads), 9955WX (16 cores, 32 threads), and 9945WX (12 cores, 24 threads). The non-PRO series offers three models: the 9980X (64 cores, 128 threads), 9970X (32 cores, 64 threads), and 9960X (24 cores, 48 threads). All models utilize the Zen 5 architecture, feature a unified Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 350W, and offer a maximum boost clock of up to 5.4GHz, with the flagship 9995WX reaching 5.45GHz.
Zen 5 Architecture: The Core of Performance Enhancement #
The Zen 5 architecture is central to the Threadripper 9000 series’ performance improvements. Compared to Zen 4, Zen 5 boasts a 16% increase in Instructions Per Cycle (IPC) performance, achieving more efficient computing capabilities through wider execution units, optimized cache structures, and enhanced AVX-512 instruction set support. Each Zen 5 Compute Die (CCD) contains 8 cores and 40MB of L3 cache. The flagship model is equipped with 12 CCDs, totaling 384MB of L3 cache, while the non-PRO 9980X features 8 CCDs, providing 256MB of L3 cache. Furthermore, an improved System-on-Chip (SoC) further optimizes memory and I/O performance, supporting up to 480MB of total system cache.
Memory and I/O Support #
For memory support, the Threadripper 9000 series PRO models offer 8-channel DDR5-6400 memory, with a theoretical peak bandwidth of 410GB/s. They also support ECC configurations and up to 2TB of memory capacity. Users can select 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel interleaved modes with RDIMM modules and achieve speeds exceeding DDR5-7000 through overclocking. The non-PRO models support 4-channel DDR5-6400 memory, suitable for HEDT users with slightly lower memory demands. In terms of I/O, all models provide 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes (up to 32Gbps), with the PRO series additionally supporting 32 SATA channels. The new generation SoC topology enhances overall PCIe bandwidth, meeting the demands of multiple GPUs, storage devices, and high-performance networking.
Impressive Performance Benchmarks #
The performance of the Threadripper 9000 series is remarkable. Official AMD benchmarks show that the flagship Threadripper PRO 9995WX exhibits a clear advantage over Intel’s Xeon W9-3595X (60 cores, 120 threads) across various workloads:
- Design & Manufacturing: Over 2x performance increase
- Media & Entertainment: Up to 2.5x performance increase
- Architecture, Engineering & Construction: 2.18x performance increase
- Software & Scientific Computing: 75% performance increase
- AI Workloads: 49% performance increase
Compared to the previous-generation Threadripper PRO 7995WX, the 9995WX shows up to a 26% performance increase in multiple benchmarks, with an average increase of 19.8%. The non-PRO 9980X also demonstrates significant performance advantages over the Xeon W9-3595X, with a 108% increase in Corona rendering, 41% in Autodesk Revit, 68% in MATLAB computations, and 65% in Unreal Engine compilation.
Compatibility and Platform Support #
The Threadripper 9000 series maintains compatibility with existing sTR5 sockets, allowing users to upgrade by simply updating their motherboard BIOS, thereby reducing hardware replacement costs. For motherboards, the WRX90 platform supports all PRO series features, including 8-channel memory and 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes, while the TRX50 platform is more suitable for non-PRO models, supporting 4-channel memory and 48 PCIe 5.0 lanes. Additionally, the PRO series integrates AMD PRO management technology, supporting enterprise-grade security and remote management, and features AIM-T wireless LAN functionality, ideal for professional IT environments.
Meeting Growing Workstation Market Demands #
The release of this series comes at a time of rapid growth in the workstation market. According to industry data, the global workstation market is expected to see an additional 9 million units shipped by 2029, covering various fields such as cloud computing, healthcare, industrial, automotive, and AI. The Threadripper 9000 series, with its high core counts, large cache, and powerful multi-threaded performance, is particularly well-suited for compute-intensive tasks like visual effects, scientific simulations, and AI model development. For example, in content creation, the 9995WX is 145% faster than the Xeon W9-3595X in V-Ray rendering and 80% faster in After Effects, demonstrating its leading position in professional creative work.
Optimized for AI Workloads #
The Threadripper 9000 series also optimizes AI workload support. The Zen 5 architecture’s AVX-512 instruction set utilizes a full 512-bit data path, compared to Zen 4’s 256-bit path, which increases throughput for AI and machine learning tasks. In the SPEC Workstation AI/ML benchmark, the 9995WX shows up to a 25% improvement over previous-generation processors with the same core configuration. Furthermore, AMD plans to pair these processors with its Radeon AI PRO R9700 GPU (based on the RDNA 4 architecture, with 32GB GDDR6 VRAM) to provide stronger support for local AI inference and model fine-tuning, further expanding the AI application scenarios for workstations.
Pricing and Availability #
The Threadripper 9000 series will officially launch in July 2025. Based on the market performance of the previous-generation Threadripper 7980X (64 cores, retail price approximately $4999) and 7995WX (96 cores, approximately $6000), the 9995WX is expected to be priced between $5000 and $6000, and the 9980X around $4000 to $4500. Motherboard manufacturers such as ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte have confirmed they will release compatible products supporting the WRX90 and TRX50 platforms, ensuring users can quickly build high-performance workstations.
Conclusion #
The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture, solidifies AMD’s leading position in the high-end workstation and HEDT markets through its high core counts, powerful memory and I/O support, and optimized AI performance. Its performance advantage over Intel Xeon makes it an ideal choice for professional users and enthusiasts. In the coming weeks, more real-world data and user feedback will further reveal the actual performance of this series, making it a continued point of interest for tech enthusiasts.