[Editor's Note: Our review of the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X is out already, and that of the Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX will follow soon after.]

Today, AMD announced availability of two additional 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor models, 2970WX with 24 cores and 48 threads and the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X with 12 cores and 24 threads. The Ryzen Threadripper WX series commands class-leading core counts, purpose-built for prosumers focused on raw computational power for the heaviest workloads. In turn, Ryzen Threadripper X series provides enthusiasts, gamers, and streamers high performance with a beautiful and smooth gaming experience based on higher base and boost processor clock speeds than the previous generation.

"The dramatic transformation in the HEDT and overall PC market is driven by AMD leadership and innovation, and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper family is central to this global excitement," said Saeid Moshkelani, senior vice president and general manager, Client Compute, AMD. "We are expanding this excitement while also ensuring the HEDT market remains accessible to a broader range of creators and gamers with two new Threadripper processors that start at $649."

AMD has made a blog post describing an upcoming feature for their Threadripper processors called "Dynamic Local Mode", which should help a lot with gaming performance on AMD's latest flagship CPUs.Threadripper uses four dies in a multi-chip package, of which only two have a direct access path to the memory modules. The other two dies have to rely on Infinity Fabric for all their memory accesses, which comes with a significant latency hit. Many compute-heavy applications can run their workloads in the CPU cache, or require only very little memory access; these are not affected. Other applications, especially games, spread their workload over multiple cores, some of which end up with higher memory latency than expected, which results in a suboptimal performance.

ENERMAX has put up a product page for a revised version of its LIQTECH TR4 II 240 liquid cooler, which they've readied in expectation of AMD's second-gen Threadripper CPU lineup. Remember that the new AMD Threadrippers will bring about much increased levels of performance due to their doubled core-counts in relation to first-gen Threadrippers - and of course, a doubling in core counts necessarily translates into increased power consumption, even if AMD did bring about some more power efficiency improvements to the design (besides those already enabled by the usage of the 12 nm fabrication process).

The new LIQTECH TR4 II features support for AMD's TR4 socket, and according to ENERMAX, can dissipate up to 500 W of waste heat due to the usage of multiple technologies, such as their patented Shunt-Channel-Technology (SCT) which boosts thermal conductivity, alongside an EF1 pump with high flow rate up to 450L/h. Innovative batwing blades improves overall airflow for increased thermal dissipation at the radiator level, and revised pumps work to allow fluid circulation to flow unimpeded. Additionally, ENERMAX have added addressable RGB functionality to the water block, so users can personalize their cooling champion. The LIQTECH TR4 II coolers will be available in this month of August - right around the time of AMD's Threadripper II.

Hardware diagnostics and reporting utility HWBot has added preliminary support for AMD's upcoming Threadripper II CPU lineup, the high core-count, up to 32-cores and 64-threads monster CPUs. The 2990X is the cream of the crop with its full configuration, and its TDP is again being reported at 250 W, upwards 70 W from last generation's flagship 1990X - a 100% increase in computing resources that is accompanied by what can only be referred to a "very limited" 38% increase in reported TDP, whilst delivering a 3.4 GHz base clock.

The 2970X, which has a 24-core, 48-thread configuration, maintains the 180 W of the previous 16-core flagship, while the new "mainstream" (isn't it crazy to call a 16-core, 32-thread CU mainstream?) 2950X is rated at only 125 W compared to the same 180 W of previous-gen Threadrippers. Of course, TDPs do mean what they mean - and sometimes that is very little, especially when comparing across manufacturers - but it still puts in perspective how much AMD managed to improve not only core counts and density, but also power envelope, on TSMC's new 12 nm process.

A storepage for AMD's upcoming 32-core, 64-thread monster of a CPU Threadripper 2990X popped up at Canadian hardware etailer CanadaComputers. The processor, listed for $2399 CAD, converts to some $1850 US dollars and doesn't stray too far from its earlier cameo over at German Cybersport.de.

The chip over at Canada Computers is being sold in a "in-store back order" template, so this pricing is likely close to the final mark - it does make sense that AMD would edge out its profits a little more on this behemoth of a CPU. Packaging seems to be a regurgitated, first-gen Threadripper box - it's unlikely AMD would simply keep the product packaging from first gen, especially since AMD themselves are branding these "Threadripper II". We still don't have confirmation on actual TDP - Cyberport listed some 180 W, CanadaComputers lists 250 W.

Thermalright today introduced a variant of its Silver Arrow dual fin-stack, tower-type CPU cooler for AMD socket TR4, meant for Ryzen Threadripper processors. Capable of handling thermal loads of up to 320W, the cooler can be paired with even upcoming 250W TDP 24-core and 32-core Threadripper II models. Although bearing the same name, the Silver Arrow TR4 bears little design resemblance with the Silver Arrow ITX-R or the Silver Arrow SB-E, or even the original Silver Arrow from 2010. It's the largest cooler of this class, with an enlarged nickel-plated copper base designed to provide full coverage of the Threadripper IHS, from which eight 6 mm-thick heat pipes draw heat, with the two aluminium fin-stacks propagating along their ends.

Nested between the two fin-stacks is a 140 mm fan which takes in 4-pin PWM input, spins between 600 to 2,500 RPM, pushing 53.3 - 220.9 m³/h, with a noise output ranging between 21 - 45 dBA. With its fan in place, the Silver Arrow TR4 measures 155 mm x 103 mm x 163 mm (LxWxH). The narrow width ensures clearance for the memory slots that flank the CPU socket from either side. The fin-stack itself is offset sideways to ensure clearance for the topmost PCI-Express slot on your motherboard. You can latch on two additional fans. A syringe of Thermalright's Chill Factor III TIM comes included. The cooler tips the scales at 1,050 g. The company didn't reveal pricing.

AMD's second generation Ryzen Threadripper processors will be accompanied by a new wave of socket TR4 motherboards (while the processors themselves are very much compatible with existing TR4 motherboards with BIOS updates). At Computex, we had already seen one of these, with the MSI X399 Creation, and now it's GIGABYTE's turn with the X399 Aorus Extreme. A leaked slide details not just the motherboard, but also confirms the TDP of the upcoming 24-core and 32-core Threadripper II models - 250 W.

This explains why these latest socket TR4 motherboards have heavy CPU VRM designs. The X399 Aorus Extreme employs a 10+3 phase VRM, drawing power from a pair of 8-pin EPS connectors. The board is almost entirely enveloped in metal and plastic, with a metal back-plate covering most of the reverse side, a rear I/O shroud with integrated I/O shield, which runs the length of the board, and a large chipset heatsink that extends into an M.2 heatsink for the board's third M.2 slot, with heatsinks over the other two. The TR4 socket is flanked by eight DDR4 DIMM slots. You get four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, from which two run at full x16 bandwidth. Networking includes 10 GbE besides two 1 GbE interfaces, 802.11ac WLAN + Bluetooth 5.0, and a number of USB 3.1 ports.

It's becoming clear that AMD is naming its 32-core flagship HEDT processor Ryzen Threadripper 2990X. The chip was even listed on a German online retailer for a little over 1,500€, which if it turns out to be true, could spell doom and gloom for Intel's Core X HEDT processor lineup, as it could demolish the price-performance equations of every Intel SKU priced 1,000€ and above.

Thai PC enthusiast Tum Apisak scored a screenshot of this chip lurking around on 3DMark database. The screenshot hints at the possible clock speeds of the 2990X, with a rather healthy nominal clocks of 3.00 GHz, with boost frequencies of 3.80 GHz. XFR 2.0 could automatically overclock the chip even beyond the boost frequency, if your cooling is up to the task. The screenshot also reveals that this database submission was made by someone testing the processor, as a prototype motherboard codenamed "Whitehaven OPS rev B CF4" is listed. AMD is expected to launch its 2nd generation Ryzen Threadripper HEDT processors, based on the 12 nm "Zen+" architecture, some time in Q3-2018.

After rearing up its performance chops in Cinebench, impressing with its score (as well it should, considering it's a 32-core, 64-thread beast), we can now add another, arguably more important metric to the upcoming AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X... Price. And pricing, if the early listing from German site Cyberport.de is anything to go by, seems adequate to the level of performance - and bragging rights - earned from dropping one of these onto your AMD system. €1509 (~$1750) is almost double that of AMD's previous top-end Threadripper 1950X, which is on sale, through Amazon.de, for €777 ($999). A doubling in cores does seem to warrant a doubling in price - the fact that the 2990X is selling for less than that, though, remains slightly impressive. Let's see what Intel can pull anything else to compete out of its proverbial hat.