AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X BOX (YD195XA8AEWOF)

Half server

The flagship of the AMD Threadripper line was the 1950X processor. It has 16 cores and 32 threads, which is twice as much as the Ryzen 7, and exactly half of the Epyc server chip (32 cores, 64 threads). The maximum amount of RAM (128 GB) and the number of PCI-E lanes (64 pcs) are the same as in the younger Threadripper models.

Hot stuff

But where the 1950X differs from the younger Threadripper is heat dissipation and heating. Theoretically, the same 180 watts are claimed for it as for the 1900X and 1920X. But in the case of junior chips, the TDP is too high for reinsurance, while the actual heat dissipation is much lower. The flagship 1950X really heats up at 180 watts. And given the relatively low critical temperature of 68°C (for comparison, Intel has up to 100°C), the choice of a cooler (there is no boxed one) should be taken seriously. The 1950X will require a dropper or an air supercooler with a 200+W heat sink (regular coolers are only rated for 150W) and a TR4 socket mount. Many well-known cooler manufacturers offer to send the mount by mail for free if the old version of the cooler did not have it.

The game is worth the candle

It turns out that assembling a PC based on the Threadripper 1950X is not an easy and troublesome business, but it is definitely worth it. The fact is that the 1950X renders videos faster than the top-end GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics card with almost the same price ($1000) and even higher power consumption (250W). And Intel's competing 16-core processor, the Core i9-7960X, costs nearly $2,000.