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TRX40
Third-generation AMD 7nm ThreadRipper processors make use of the 14nm TRX40 platform. It is not backwards-compatible with first- or second-generation ThreadRippers, though the primary difference is in pin layout (the number of pins has not changed). It utilizes LGA (Land Grid Array--FCLGA-4094 to be precise) and is speced at 15W. AMD recommends liquid cooling for the 32-core 3970x and 64-core 3990x.
I'm likely going with a Gigabyte Aorus Master plus a 3970x.
TRX40
The TRX40 chipset is built around the sTRX4 socket, and supports:
- Quad-channel DDR4 w/ optional ECC
- Up to 72 PCIe 4.0 lanes
- The CPU provides 56 lanes, and the TRX40 chipset another 16.
- AMD literature quotes "88 lanes". The 16-lane difference refers to internal uplink lanes. Kinda lame to quote them, IMHO.
- Up to 12 USB3.2
- Up to 4 USB2.0
- Up to 20 SATA III
- Up to 2 4x NVMe
Motherboards
I'm kinda bummed by at least the initial set of TRX40 motherboards. They all tout high-end audio implementations--largely because the chipset doesn't offer HD Audio capability(!)--but anyone who cares about their audio switched to an external DAC years ago IMHO. I'd like to see a few more x1 and x4 slots on these boards; no one has more than a 4x16+1x1 physical configuration. The introduction of 10GigE is nice to see, but I've already got cards for that (I must admit that this reclaims a slot). Almost all the onboard NICs are Intel or Aquantia, both manufacturers with much better Linux support than Realtek or, Allah forbid, Broadcom. In particular, everyone's offering Intel wireless (since the AX200 is the only mainstream IEEE 802.11ax aka WiFi6 chipset), which is lovely.
At these price points, there's absolutely no excuse for an unattached I/O shield. Firm that shit up.
The Gigabyte Aorus XTREME, ridiculous name aside, is an absolutely beautiful board.
| Model | MSRP | Form | NICs | USB | Store |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme x16/x16(8)/x16/x16(8) |
$850 | EATX | AQC-107 10GigE I211-AT GigE AX200 WiFi6 |
4x USB 3.2 G2 (back) 2x USB 3.2 G2 (front) 3x USB 3.2 G2 (back 2xA+C) 3x USB 2.0 4x USB 3.2 G1 (back) USB 3.2 G2x2 (back C) |
5x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
| ASUS Prime TRX40 Pro x16/x16/x16/x1 |
$450 | ATX | 1211-AT GigE | 6x USB 3.2 G1 (back A) USB 3.2 G2 (front) 4x USB 3.2 G2 (back 3xA+C) 2x USB 2.0 4x USB 3.2 G1 (back) |
3x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
| Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Pro WIFI x16/x16(8)/x16/x16(8)/x1 |
$400 | ATX | 1211-AT GigE AX200 WiFi 6 |
4x USB 3.2 G2 (back 3xA+C) USB 3.2 G2 (back A) |
3x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
| Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Master x16/x16(8)/x16/x16(8)/x1 |
$500 | EATX | AQN108 5GigE 2x IL211 GigE AX200 WiFi 6 |
4x USB 3.2 G2 (back A) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (back C) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (back A) USB 3.2 Gen 2 support (internal C) 4x USB 3.2 G1 2x USB 2.0 (back A) 6x USB 2.0 (internal) |
3x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
| ASRock TRX40 Creator x16/x16(8)/x16/x16(8) |
$450 | ATX | AQC107 10GigE RTL8125-AG 2.5GigE AX200 WiFi 6 |
3x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 | |
| ASUS ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming x16/x16/x16/x4 |
$550 | ATX | RTL8125-CG 2.5GigE I211-AT GigE AX200 WiFi 6 |
4x USB 3.2 G2 (back) USB 3.2 G2 (front) 4x USB 3.2 G2 (back 3xA+C) 8x USB 2.0 4x USB 3.2 G1 |
3x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
| Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Extreme x16/x16(8)/x16/x16(8) AORUS AIC 4xNVMe card |
$850 | XLATX | X550-AT2 2x10GbE AX200 WiFi6 |
5x USB 3.2 G2 (back A) USB 3.2 G2 (back C) USB 3.2 G (internal C) 4x USB 3.2 G2 (internal A) 4x USB 2.0 (internal) |
4x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
| Gigabyte TRX40 Designare x16/x16(8)/x16/x16(8)/x1 AORUS AIC 4xNVMe card GC-Titan Ridge card |
$650 | XLATX | 2x I211-AT GigE AX200 WiFi 6 |
5x USB 3.2 G2 (back A) USB 3.2 G2 (back C) USB 3.2 G (internal C) USB 3.2 G2 (internal A) 2x USB 2.0 (back A) 4x USB 2.0 (internal) |
4x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
| MSI Creator TRX40 x16/x16(8)/x16/x16(8) MSI M.2 Xpander-Aero Gen4 card |
$700 | EATX | AQC107 10GigE I211-AT GigE AX200 WiFi 6 |
3x USB 3.1 G2 (back A) 5x USB 3.1 G1 (back A) USB 3.2 G2 (back C) |
3x M.2 S3 6x SATA3 |
| ASRock TRX40 Taichi x16/x16/x16/x1 Hyper Quad 4xNVMe card |
$500 | ATX | RTL8125-AG 2.5GigE I211-AT GigE AX200 WiFi 6 |
2xUSB 3.1 G2 (back A) 4xUSB 3.1 G1 (back A) USB 3.2 G2 (back C) |
2x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
| MSI TRX40 Pro 10G x16/x16(8)/x16/x16(8)/x1 MSI M.2 Xpander-Aero Gen4 card |
$500 | ATX | 2x I211-AT GigE AQC107 10GigE |
3x USB 3.1 G2 (back A) 4x USB 3.1 G1 (back A) USB 3.2 G2 (back C) |
2x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
| MSI TRX40 Pro WiFi x16/x16(8)/x16/x16(8)/x1 MSI M.2 Xpander-Aero Gen4 card |
$470 | ATX | 2x I211-AT GigE AX200 WiFi 6 |
3x USB 3.1 G2 (back A) 4x USB 3.1 G1 (back A) USB 3.2 G2 (back C) |
2x M.2 S3 8x SATA3 |
Cooling
Third-generation Threadrippers are rated at 280TDP at a large 58.5mm×75.4mm geometry. As of February 2020, very few AIO coolers cover the entire IHS (integrated heat spreader). Noctua's 140mm NH-U14 TR4-SP3 HSF does provide full coverage. The Enermax Liqtech TR4 II AIO is similarly designed for this large socket (though you'll find many negative reviews regarding internal gunkification after a few months).
Waterblocks
Remember, any waterblock designed for TR4 will work fine with sTRX4. Only the pin configuration changed.
External links
- Anandtech, "The AMD TRX40 Motherboard Overview: 12 New Motherboards Analyzed", 2019-11-28
- WCCFTech, "AMD TRX40 Motherboard Roundup For 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper CPUs", 2019-11-07
- Wikipedia's Socket sTRX4 page
- KitGuru, "AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X & 3970X CPU Review", 2019-11-25
