AMD Product Stack

Ready to make the jump to AMD Ryzen? The flexibility of the Zen architecture is such that there are dozens of models to choose from, with prices starting from as little as £90 for quad-core Ryzen 3, rising to £1,600 for a 32-core, 64-thread Ryzen Threadripper behemoth.

There's a Ryzen CPU for everyone, it seems, and with both first- and second-generation products widely available at retail, DIYers are spoilt for choice. Here's a detailed overview of the Ryzen product stack, from top to bottom, as it stands in late 2018:

AMD Ryzen Threadripper
Performance - 10, Value - 6
Ideal for: workstations and content creators

Sitting atop the Ryzen hierarchy, Threadripper CPUs are geared toward content creators and workstations, where the many-core designs prove their worth. Fed-up of waiting for a scene to render? Having 12 or more cores can help remedy the situation, and of course, all second-generation Threadripper parts benefit from AMD's latest 12nm Zen+ architecture. Expect 2000-series processors to deliver higher speeds of up to 4.4GHz, improved multi-threaded performance courtesy of Precision Boost 2, and lower cache latency in a familiar TR4 package, meaning compatibility with a wide range of existing motherboards.

Pushing the boundaries of what a desktop computer can do, the flagship 32-core Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX stitches together multiple Zen+ die using Infinity Fabric to create a 64-thread performance monster. The price tag may appear similarly large, yet it's worth noting that AMD's 32-core champion costs less than an 18-core chip from Intel. Why settle for less?

AMD Ryzen 7
Performance - 9, Value - 8
Ideal for: enthusiast gamers and prosumers

A fitting choice for gamers or enthusiasts, Ryzen 7 has made octo-core computing a reality for performance aficionados. Want to game at ultra-high resolutions? Ryzen 7 has the performance to deliver practically identical results to an Intel platform, and if you're juggling both work and play, the eight-core, 16-thread design of the £300 Ryzen 7 2700X will dominate the likes of the £450 Intel Core i7-8700K in multi-threaded workloads.

Gaming, virtual reality, streaming and productivity are all within the remit of Ryzen 7, making it the ideal fit for prosumers seeking high-end performance that doesn't break the bank.

AMD Ryzen 5
Performance - 8, Value - 9
Ideal for: mainstream gaming and everyday computing

Ryzen 5 brings powerful computing credentials to mainstream audiences. With prices ranging from £140 for the quad-core Ryzen 5 1400 to £200 for the hexa-core Ryzen 5 2600X, this product segment touts high-end performance at previously inconceivable price points.

AMD's product positioning is all the more attractive when compared to Intel equivalents - a hexa-core Core i5-8600K fetches over £300 - and it's worth knowing that, in contrast to the competition, all Ryzen processors are multiplier unlocked as standard, giving overclockers and tinkerers the freedom they deserve.

AMD Ryzen 3
Performance - 7, Value - 10
Ideal for: entry-level computing with all mod cons

Looking to upgrade from an older platform while keeping costs down to a minimum? Ryzen 3 ticks a lot of the right boxes. Harnessing all the strengths of the Zen architecture, these entry-level CPUs carry the same forward-looking design and SenseMI technology to help adapt performance to your needs. Unlocked quad-core computing has never been more accessible, and Ryzen 3 stands out as an affordable path to a modern PC experience that's responsive and able to support current technologies such as DDR4 memory and USB Type-C connectivity.

Want even more in a single-chip solution? Desktop Ryzen parts are also now available with integrated AMD Radeon Vega graphics. The Ryzen 3 2200G is one such processor. Offering both quad-core processing and Radeon Vega 8 graphics, the remarkable £90 chip fuses the Zen architecture with latest-generation graphics to deliver efficient computing and entry-level gaming without the need for an external graphics card.

Socket choices: AM4 and TR4

The Zen architecture champions flexibility in more ways than one. Becoming annoyed of having to change motherboards when upgrading your CPU? AMD combats such frustration by retaining consistent sockets between multiple generations.

Both first- and second-generation Ryzen processors are built using the same AM4 package, while Ryzen Threadripper is delivered using familiar TR4. What this means is that users of, say, a Ryzen 3 1300X can easily upgrade to a Ryzen 7 2700X using their existing AM4 motherboard; all that's needed is a simple BIOS update from the board manufacturer. Having a clear upgrade path helps keep costs down, and AMD has plans to continue utilising the AM4 and TR4 packages until 2020. In contrast, each new generation of Intel CPU tends to require a new motherboard, making for a needlessly complicated and expensive upgrade.

Appreciating that each different class of Ryzen processor requires a suitably-equipped motherboard, there are five primary AM4 chipsets to choose from, covering the enthusiast, mainstream and entry-level segments.

Remember, every Ryzen AM4 processor is compatible with any AM4 chipset, yet given the class of product, a Ryzen 7 2700X is best suited to the X470 chipset. AMD's enthusiast platform touts maximum PCIe, SATA and USB expansion opportunities, as well as support for emerging technologies such as Precision Boost Overdrive and StoreMi storage acceleration.

We like to think of the X-Series chipsets as perfect bedfellows for Ryzen 7, B-Series chipsets align neatly with Ryzen 5, and A320 covers the essentials for Ryzen 3.

Want to go all-out in favour of Ryzen Threadripper? A mere glance at the specification table reveals that the X399 chipset is unlike anything you've ever seen before on a consumer AMD platform. The number of expansion opportunities is mind-boggling, with X399 easily catering for quad GPUs, huge amounts of storage, and more USB devices than you're ever likely to need. Factor quad-channel memory into the equation and you have a platform equipped to handle whatever you throw at it.

X399 motherboards are the crème de la crème of the AMD ecosystem, so expect premier board designs with maximum overclocking potential, the highest quality components and comprehensive BIOS. Better still, the X399 chipset offers the same arrangement of PCIe lanes and memory channels irrespective of Threadripper CPU, so unlike the rival Intel X299, there's no confusion on which CPU is required to unlock certain features; AMD Threadripper is all-in, all the time.