Third-generation AMD Threadripper coming in November - along with delayed Ryzen 9 3950X

AMD reveals release date for 3rd gen' Threadripper and its high-end Ryzen 9, but stays quiet on rumoured 32-core, 64-thread range-topping Threadripper

AMD will unveil its third-generation Threadripper CPUs in November, at the same time that the 16-core, 32-thread Ryzen 9 3950X is released. The Ryzen 9 3950X was due to arrive this month, but has been delayed as TSMC struggles to meet demand for parts built on its 7nm process.

In a statement on Twitter, AMD said that its much-leaked third-generation Threadripper workstation processors, details of which showed up only last week in a fresh Geekbench listing, will be landing in two month's time.

"We are focusing on meeting the strong demand for our 3rd generation AMD Ryzen processors in the market and now plan to launch both the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X and initial members of the 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor family in volume this November," AMD's statement explained.

It continued: "We are confident that when enthusiasts get their hands on the world's first 16-core mainstream desktop processor and our next generation of high-end desktop processors, the wait will be well worth it."

An accompanying slide confirmed that the Zen 2-based Threadripper line-up will include a 24-core processor, with rumours also circulating that AMD is also planning a 32-core, 64-thread CPU codenamed 'Sharkstooth'. Early benchmark results show that this 32-core top-of-the-line chip, with a single-core score of 1,275 in single-core performance and 23,015 in the multi-core, will be around per cent faster than the Threadripper 2990WX.

AMD's announcement also confirms that the Ryzen 9 3950X has been delayed. This is believed to be down to TSMC reportedly struggling to keep up with the demand for 7nm chips.

The processor, which AMD revealed at Ryzen E3 2019, has been touted by the company as the "world's first 16-core gaming processor". Geekbench 4 benchmarks indicate that it could and it be more powerful than Intel's Core i9-9980XE, which costs more than £1,800, while the Ryzen 9 3950X is expected to cost anywhere between £750 and £950, including VAT.