AMD has just announced a 16-core Ryzen 3000 processor, the Ryzen 9 3950X. With 16 cores and 32 threads from twin Zen 2 chiplets under the hood, this AM4 chip is bringing multithreaded creative chops to the client desktop market. And it was totally a surprise. I’m so surprised right now.

Third generation Ryzen processors were officially announced back at Computex, with the lineup maxing out with the inaugural Ryzen 9 3900X, a 12-core, 24-thread processor. But the latest chip, which was meant to be a surprise for E3 – but like a kid at Christmas we snuck into the attic and opened it early – takes that multithreaded performance one step further.

The Ryzen 9 3950X delivers on the promise of that chiplet design, accommodating 12 cores clocked to 4.7Ghz and resting at a boost at 3.5Ghz. The multiple CCX design across two 7nm chiplets seems to be paying dividends with this chips proficiency for high clock speeds.