2019 is clearly AMD's biggest E3 ever, with a slew of new information rolling out on the upcoming Radeon RX 5700 series (aka "Navi") GPUs, along with a mix of reheated and blockbuster info about chips based on the company's refresh of the Zen CPU architecture, "Zen 2."

Why do we say "reheated"? Some of what PCMag was briefed on regarding new products based on Zen 2, at private sessions just before E3, we previously reported during AMD's Computex keynote back in late May. But there were some key new additions this time around. For one, the introduction of a previously unmentioned mega-CPU: the 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X. Also in the offing? More details on two of AMD's next-gen APUs (that is, its Ryzen CPUs with onboard graphics), code-named "Picasso." And much more detail about Zen 2 itself.

More Cores Than We'd Know What to Do With

First, let's talk about the big chip. Billed as the "world's first 16-core gaming CPU," the Ryzen 9 3950X will feature 16 cores and 32 threads, and operate on the same AM4 socket as the rest of the new 3rd Generation Ryzens. The base clock will be 3.5GHz, with a boost clock of 4.7GHz, and the chip will have 72MB of total cache and a power limit of just 105 watts TDP. And while we'd like to tell you more about the 3950X, AMD was very tight-lipped on any more speed specifics, beyond what we saw in that one slide you see here.

The Ryzen 9 3950X will be an intriguing chip in the AMD line. It will overlap on core count and thread count with the heart of the company's Ryzen Threadripper silicon, notably the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X, one of our favorite CPUs from a raw cores-for-money POV. This new 16-core beast being on the AMD AM4 platform, though, changes the value dynamic; Threadripper's TR4-socket/X399-chipset platform has a presumptive higher cost of entry.

Beyond the new 16-core chip, AMD spoke at length about the advancements made in the Zen 2 architecture that have made their way into every new gaming-focused 3rd Generation Ryzen CPU from the company, including the Ryzen 5, the Ryzen 7, and the other Ryzen 9s with fewer cores.

Faster, Cooler, and Backward-Compatible

Much ado was made about the power and thermal improvements achieved by Zen 2, and rightfully so. If its claims pan out, AMD has achieved something revolutionary with Zen 2, which (according to the company's own materials, mind you) sports 75 percent better performance per watt (PPW) versus the previous generation of Ryzen processors, and just over 55 percent better PPW versus competing Intel CPU variants.

Another nod of the head goes to the major architectural accomplishment that makes all Zen 2 CPUs to some extent backward-compatible with older Socket AM4 motherboards, at least back to motherboards based on the X470 and B450 chipsets. (Some X370 and B350 boards will also support the 3000-series Ryzen chips, depending on the board and BIOS.) AMD is maintaining some compatibility with earlier motherboards, as it has promised it would in years past.

Though we can't say for sure why AMD engineers decided to go the "much more difficult" (their words) route to keep Zen 2 compatible with Socket AM4, based on what we heard this weekend, we speculate it was likely a decision of economics on the company's part. (We asked about it during one of the breakout sessions in our briefings, but were told the spokes-folks couldn't speak to it.) By retaining compatibility with AM4, the barrier to entry on Zen 2 processors could be lower for anyone who already owns a late-model AM4-ready motherboard.

That said, only those who buy into the brand-new line of motherboards based on the AMD X570 chipset will have access to the full slate of what Zen 2 brings, assisted in part by the leap from PCI Express 3.0 to PCI Express 4.0 technology. (See our guide to all the X570 boards we saw at Computex 2019.) X570 motherboards will feature up to 36 usable PCI Express 4.0 lanes, and 44 total PCI Express 4.0 lanes. Note, though, that PCI Express 4.0 is more of a forward-looking tech than anything else; the bandwidth boost will only likely benefit coming 4.0-compatible SSDs in the near term.

Intel in the Crosshairs

Though it should come as no surprise, AMD has been focused squarely on outperforming Intel 9th Generation desktop processors with its latest upgrade to the Zen architecture. Though we don't have any benchmarks, even AMD-selective ones, on the Ryzen 9 3950X, AMD was more than happy to share some of its own numbers against Intel's processor family for some of its Ryzen 9, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 5 Zen 2 upgrades.

First off, AMD was keen to pair off its new chips against certain other ones from the Intel 9th Generation lineup...

As such, the early AMD-provided benchmarks we saw targeted specific CPUs in Intel's line, such as the Ryzen 9 3900X versus the Intel Core i9-9900K....

...or the Ryzen 7 3800X versus the Intel Core i7-9700K....

...or the Ryzen 5 3600X versus the Intel Core i5-9600K....

All of these are based on creator-centric software applications, and we'll have to verify them and similar programs in due time with our own hardware and samples. But the early claims look flattering to the new Ryzens.

The 3950X: Mark Your Calendars for September, Start Saving

At AMD's Next Horizon event at E3, AMD CEO and president Dr. Lisa Su personally revealed the price point for the Ryzen 9 3950X: $749. That may sound like a lot (the next step-down chip in the new 3rd Generation Ryzen line is $499), but it could potentially undercut competing 16-core Intel CPUs when the processor drops in a few months.

No benchmarks or worldwide-availability information on the Ryzen 9 3950X was shared at the time of the conference, but stay tuned to PCMag to find out more about AMD's new powerhouse flagship CPU when our review goes live in September of this year, or as soon as AMD releases more info on this AM4 uber-chip. Meantime, we'll reiterate here the rest of the new 3000 series. You may note a couple of new entries at the bottom not previously reported.

'Picasso,' 'Wraith' Also Get Some Love

About those two newbies: In the shadow of the Navi and 3950X launches, AMD also divulged some detailed info on its next-generation APUs. Code-named "Picasso" during development, these chips' identities had been rumored and bandied about, thanks to several leaks. But the company confirmed the key details and shared pricing: $149 for the Ryzen 5 3400G, and $99 for the Ryzen 3 3200G...

Both of these chips feature on-die "Vega" silicon.

The company also posed some Picasso silicon (the Ryzen 5 of the pair) against a 9th Generation Intel Core i5 and its integrated graphics...

The comparisons are again AMD-flattering but should be taken with a grain of salt given the source. More on these APUs when we get them into the labs for testing.

Last, AMD revealed some detail on the cooling solutions that will be bundled with some of its 3000-series Ryzen CPUs...

The addition of the Wraith Prism, with its RGB LED ring, is a nice addition for PC upgraders and builders seeking an effective, good-looking CPU cooler that won't break the bank or look ho-hum through a PC-case window. (The ring also works with Razer Chroma software for syncing with other gear.)

More on all of these chips as they begin to filter into our labs for review over the course of summer '19.

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