192-MB L3 cache-sporting Ryzen 5000X3D monsters shown with unreleased 64-core Zen 3 Ryzen Threadripper in AMD lab tour

Stephen Burke of Gamers Nexus recently enjoyed a look around AMD’s Bring-Up Lab in Austin, where a few surprises were being held in store. The popular YouTube channel host was introduced to a Chagall Threadripper part that had been destined for the retail market but failed to be productized. AMD did release Zen 3-based Ryzen Threadrippers but these were the PRO models for workstations. It is revealed that the chip in question has 64 cores, with it being intended to be the mainstream HEDT alternative to the business-oriented 5995WX, so presumably a Ryzen Threadripper 5990X.

A supposed Threadripper 5900X engineering sample was in the news back in 2022 when it was overclocked to 4.82 GHz (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX: 2.7-4.5 GHz), but the part never made it to market. The same fate befell two more processors revealed to Burke later in the lab tour, which are shown to sport a whopping 192 MB L3 cache each. It is mentioned that they are AM4 processors (Ryzen 5000), and they use AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology. While only the engineering names for the unreleased Zen 3 Vermeer CPUs are visible on screens, it doesn’t take too much detective work to realize what they are.

With one sample being a 12-core chip and the other being a 16-core part, it is fair to say that these are the Ryzen 9 5900X3D and Ryzen 9 5950X3D processors, respectively. It appears AMD had plans to bring a number of Ryzen 5000X3D parts to market, but in the end the well-received Ryzen 7 5800X3D (L3 cache: 96 MB) is the only 3D V-Cache chip that was officially released for Zen 3, so far (an R5 5600X3D could be coming). AMD returned to utilizing the technology (with up to two CCDs) for Ryzen 7000, with the 7950X3D offering 32 MB + 96 MB for a total of 128 MB L3 cache. By attempting to offer 192 MB L3 cache with Zen 3/AM4, AMD may have gone too big too soon.

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