Armari AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX – 32-Core Threadripper 2 Workstation Review

1. Introduction2. Armari Magnetar S3. AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX4. AMD Radeon Pro WX 91005. Testing Methodology6. Cinebench R157. SPECviewperf 12.18. SPECviewperf 139. CPU, OpenCL and CUDA Rendering10. Video Encoding11. Total System Power Consumption12. SSD Performance13. Closing Thoughts14. View All Pages

It's hard to be anything other than gobsmacked by the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, and it's presented at its best by the Armari Magnetar S32T-RD1000G2. This is without question the most powerful workstation processor currently available. The 32 cores blast through any rendering task you can throw at it, but it also has high single-core clock frequencies in Boost mode. So software that favours this will flourish too.

Your electricity bill won't even suffer with all that performance, with just a small increase over a workstation with half as many cores. The one niggle is video encoding performance with Adobe Media Encoder, which was a surprise when the Threadripper 1950X excels in this area. But the performance in other areas implies that this is more an issue with the coding of Adobe's software than the 2990WX's abilities.

Looking at Intel's current roadmap, we're not sure what is on the horizon in 2018 that will be able to compete with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX. If you want fewer cores and a higher clock, there are options from Intel like the forthcoming Core i9 9900K. But Intel's current models with close to 32 cores are hideously expensive and run at a slower clock. So this AMD CPU should have a clear run for the rest of the year.

At close to £6,000, the Armari Magnetar S32T-RD1000G2 is around £1,500 more than the 1950X equivalent was when we tested it. But taking into account how much the pound has weakened since the end of 2017, you're not really paying a huge premium for the extra 16 cores. In other words, if you're looking to buy a new high-end workstation, one based around the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX like this Armari system comes highly recommended.

Armari Magnetar S32T-RD1000G2:

Pros:

• Fastest 3D rendering currently available in a single-socket workstation.
• High single-core clock speed provides good 3D modelling potential.
• Amazing value for the performance.
• Surprisingly reasonable power consumption for performance.
• Compatible with existing X399 chipset motherboards.
• Excellent new Ryzen Master overclocking software.

Cons:

• Questionable performance when video encoding with Adobe Media Encoder.

Price: £5,994.00 inc VAT (Buy from Armari HERE)

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Kitguru says: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is the most powerful workstation processor currently on the market, and it's presented at its best in Armari's Magnetar S32T-RD1000G2.

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