Threadripper is aimed at the smallest portion of the computer market but it is also the most exciting showcase of the craziness AMD can do. Threadripper allows an unprecedented amount of high core count and every generation sees a double of it. We see 16 cores with threadripper first series then we see 32 cores with threadripper second generation and now 64 cores and 128 threads on latest 3rd generation threadripper. To really harness all the potential of that processor you need the right kind of motherboard.
There are 3 processors available in AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3rd Generation. These are Ryzen Threadripper 3960X with 24 cores and 48 Threads, Ryzen Threadripper 3970X with 32 cores and 64 threads, and Ryzen Threadripper 3990X with massive 64 cores and 128 threads. Threadripper 3rd gen motherboards contain TRX40 socket for 3rd gen CPUs. TRX40 socket doesn’t support 1st or 2nd gen Threadripper. So, these TRX40 motherboards only support 3rd gen threadripper CPUs and above.
Threadripper 3rd Gen processor combined with TRX40 will give you about 88 latest PCIe 4.0 Lanes. This will give you more or less 170 Gigabytes of bandwidth. This is unprecedented and potentially a game-changer in the workstation world. The main reason for the TRX40 motherboard’s high price is the PCIe 4.0 as they don’t come cheap. 3rd Generation threadripper CPUs will come with up to 64 cores and 128 threads and obviously to even hope power that many cores, the manufacturers had to deploy an unprecedented amount of power. TRX40 chipset can supports up to 20 x 3.2 Gen 2 with 10 Gigabit plugs.
If you are a gamer you absolutely don’t need to upgrade your PC to threadripper. Because having high core counts actually will negatively impact your gaming performances. You will have to use Ryzen Master to deactivate some cores to increase your gaming performance. For workstations like video rendering and video editors, the Threadripper platform is perfect for you. Here are our selections of best motherboards for 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPUs 3990X, 3970X, 3960X.
ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme
ASUS ROG Zenith ll Extreme is a TRX40 motherboard so it won’t work with first or second gen threadripper CPUs rather it will work on the latest 3rd Gen 24 and 32 core threadripper CPUs. This motherboard is a monster board. This Threadripper 3960X motherboard has a built-in 1.7-inch OLED display which is what your postcodes come upon. 8 memory slots, 4 memory channels, 4 PCI Express by 16 slots. This motherboard is designed for dual triple-slot graphics cards and still gives you a little bit more room to breathe. Many people search asking “best motherboard for threadripper 3990X” or “Best 3970X Threadripper motherboard” well this utter monster motherboard from ASUS is certainly one of the best answers.
There are tons of USB connectivity on this Threadripper 3rd gen motherboard, it has dual Type-C front panel connections in addition to a 30 pin USB connection for the front and a ton of SATA. At the top of the mobo, there is a massive VRM heatsink. This motherboard doesn’t have phase doublers it’s something Asus refers to as a teaming VRM solution. These TRX CPUs will consume 280 watts out of the box That’s TDP 280 watts. The VRMs can get a little toasty. This motherboard has two VRM fans at the top and a heat pipe connection to the rear I/O so this TRX40 motherboard does a lot in the way of heat dissipation.
There is also a chipset fan. There is a total 3 fan on this 3960X motherboard. Some people complain about those fans making a little bit of a whining noise. This motherboard also has inputs for water block stuff. In addition to having some analog temperature sensors in the box that you can plug into the motherboard. ASUS has really done a lot of cool stuff to integrate fan sensors and fan sensor expansion and similar things in their boards. But they are still no GUI to set the fan curves. Every other motherboard has a nice GUI for managing fans. Generally, TRX40 motherboards generally have 4 slots because PCIe 4.0 is expensive.
M.2 number 3 shares bandwidth with an ASMedia controller. If you want the ASMedia USB ports you will have to give it two of your four lanes in that M.2 number 3. Fortunately, there is M.2 on the back of the motherboard, two M.2 on the front of the motherboard. 5 PCI Express 4 in NVMe drives. Which is crazy. There is StoreMI, you can do NVMe RAID 1, 0, and 10. The armory creates option in the UEFI will allow windows to automatically run an ASUS binary when it first boots up which will install the ASUS armory create. A high-end audio solution is built-in into this motherboard.
Specifications
| CPU | Support AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen Threadrippper series 3960X, 3970X, 3990X processors. AMD socket sTRX4 built-in. |
| Chipset | AMD TRX40 |
| Memory | 8 x DIMM slots, max memory support 256GB, DDR4 max 4733(OC) MHz ECC and non-ECC, unbuffered memory supported. Also premium memory architecture of high quality. |
| Multi GPU Support | High-quality GPU technology NVIDIA 3-way SLI supported, also AMD GPU technology 3-way CrossFireX supported |
| Expansion Slots | 4 x PCIe Gen 4 latest Generation PCIe available. |
| Storage | 5 x M.2 Supported, where 2 x M.2 in the ROG DIMM.2 module, 4 x SATA port with 6Gb/s speed SATA controller from ASMedia. |
| LAN | Lightning 10G speed from Aquantia AQC-107, Gigabit LAN controller x 1, Intel I211-AT, Exclusive ASUS ROG technology GameFirst, and Anti-surge LANGuard available. |
| Wireless Data Network | The ultimate data rate of 2.4 Gbps supported. Wi-Fi 802.11 ax, latest Bluetooth version 5 provided, MU-MIMO 2 x 2 Supported. Given Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 and Dual-frequency band supported 2.4 / 5 GHz |
| Bluetooth | Latest Bluetooth version 5.0 |
| Audio | Premium stereo playback output 120dBSNR and recording input 108dBSNR, Easy jack detection, Multi-streaming, MIC Jack-retasking Front Panel. -High definition Audio CODEC S1220 by ROG SupremeFX8 |
| USB Ports | 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 at the back, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 at the front, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 at the back 1 type C, 3 x USB 2, 8 USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 high speed USB port up to 20 Gbps speed. |
| Back I/O Ports | 4 x USB 3.1 Gen1, 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, BIOS FlashBack button, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port, 5 x LED illuminated audio jack, 1 x aquantia 10G LAN, 1 x LAN, 1 x Optical S/PDIF and one CMOS clear button provided at the back panel |
| BIOS | Flash ROM 2 x 128 Mb, UEFI AMI BIOS provided, PnP, WfM2.0, ACPI 7.1, SM BIOS 3.0 |
| Manageability | PXE and WOL |
| Operating System | Latest Windows 10 64 bit |
| Form Factor | Extended ATX Form Factor provided. EATX form factor, 12.2-inch x 10.9 inch provided |
Key Features
1.Support 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor: Maximize the Threadripper 3990X performance, speed, and connectivity with five M.2 support, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, and AMD StoreMI support.
2.Smooth performance and power delivery: Amazing features for consistent power such as power connectors ProCool ll, 10K capacitors, 16 Infineon TDA21472 power stages, and microfine alloy chokes.
3.Extensive thermal design: Provide exclusive heating solution with VRM heatsink Active-cooling, Aluminum heatsink on M.2 PCIe-zone, provided backplate, supported Fan Extension Card ll and water cooling zone available.
4.Efficient networking performance: No compromise with speed from onboard 10 Gbps Ethernet from Aquantia, support MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi 6 supported 802.11ax, and exclusive GameFirst V technology.
5.Unique personalization: Available OLED display with color and personalized with Aura Sync RGB lighting ASUS exclusive, which includes two additional headers RGB and two addressable headers provided.
6.Industry ruling ASUS ROG audio: Leading quality audio performance with SupremeFX S1220 and ESS SABRE9018Q2C also provided Japanese capacitor for best performance.
7.Premium DIY-friendly design: Provided I/O shield pre-mounted, SafeSlot from ASUS, FlexKey, and BIOS FlashBack available.
Related Article: Best Motherboard for i7 7700k
Asus Prime TRX40-PRO
ASUS Prime TRX40-Pro is a TRX40 powered motherboard that is the first motherboard coming in a PCIe 4.0 standard. It’s still compatible with PCIe 3rd gen. This 3960X motherboard is a compact ATX 6 layered PCB. It is very good for VRM heat dissipation. This motherboard has 1960 amps power stages and 16 of which are dedicated to the CPU power delivery. This means 960 amps almost obscene kiloamps to run and overclock 3960X or 3970X threadripper CPUs. With that much power comes great heat signatures and this is precisely why ASUS has designed that massive space-looking five-centimeter tool heatsink. This will be enough to keep your VRM cool when running and even overclocking the threadripper 3970X 32 core processor. This is a workstation processor and motherboard with custom water cooling and monoblock should be considered.
This Ryzen 3960X motherboard has a quad-channel configuration supporting up to 256 gigabytes of DDR4 Ram overclockable up to 4.4 GHz. This is not surprising because of how much memory you need to have to keep running to feeding 128 threads. Prime TRX40 Pro supports up to three M.2 solid state drives, sticks two horizontal and one vertical. 3rd gen M.2 Solid state drives achieve speed up to 32 Gbps and with PCIe 4.0 enable M.2 SSD you can double that and see massive transfer rate peaking at 64 Gbps. This will produce quite a bit of heat and this is precisely what ASUS came up with a massive mono plate Thermo padded heat shield to keep our horizontal sticks cool as they can be. There is a bit of concern about their placement one because they are right next to each other and second they are trapped right under multiple GPU configurations. If you are planning to boot from M.2 SSD then it is recommended to place it on the vertical mount away from those infernal heat-producing GPUs.
VRM shock phases are placed right next to the TRX40 chipset and have their own dedicated radial heatsink. This is done only to reduce the cost of the motherboard. Three power stages should be placed under the I/O roofing. In this case, ASUS would need to create two block VRM heatsink and connected it by a heat pipe. This will increase the cost way more. Great move by ASUS to make ASUS Prime TRX40 Pro the best cheap motherboard for Threadripper 3960X, 3970X. TRX40 chipset ken supports up to 20 x 3.2 Gen 2 with 10 Gigabit plugs. But sadly this motherboard supports only 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 with 10 Gigabit speed with 1 type C. This is also another cost reduction approach from ASUS. Many people look for “best motherboard for threadripper 3960X” or “cheap 3960X motherboard”, well ASUS Prime TRX40 Pro is the best option. There are some more reasons for its lower price.
There is no Wi-Fi adapter on this motherboard this is also another disappointing aspect of the ASUS pro series motherboards. There is an onboard Wi-Fi expansion slot which is an easy and inexpensive Wi-Fi/Bluetooth upgrade. There is also no 10 Gigabit LAN on the back panel this is also a trick by ASUS to manufacture a budget-friendly threadripper 3rd Gen motherboard. ASUS Prime TRX40 Pro is the best motherboard for threadripper 3960X and 3970X but not recommended for 3990X due to lack of some important features to make it cheap.
Specifications
| CPU | Support AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen Threadrippper series 3960X, 3970X, 3990X desktop processors. AMD socket sTRX4 built-in. |
| Chipset | AMD TRX40 build in |
| Memory | 8 x DIMM slots, max memory support 256GB, DDR4 max 4666(OC) MHz ECC and non-ECC, unbuffered memory supported. Also premium memory architecture of high quality. |
| Multi GPU Support | High-quality GPU technology NVIDIA Quad GPU SLI supported, also support NVIDIA 2-way SLI technology, also AMD GPU technology 2-way CrossFireX and Quad-GPU CrossFireX supported. |
| Expansion Slots | 3 x PCIe Gen 4.0 x 16 latest Generation PCIe available. 1 x PCIe 4.0 x 4 provided. |
| Storage | 3 x M.2 available. 2 x M.2 with PCIe 4.0 x 4 and 1 x M.2 with SATA and PCIe 4 x 4. 8 x SATA port with 6Gb/s speed |
| LAN | Superfast Intel 1211-AT, also Turbo LAN Utility from ASUS provided and LAN Guard from ASUS. |
| Audio | High Definition Audio CODEC Realtek ALC S1220 with 8 Channel including Crystal Sound 3. -Impedance sense, Internal audio amplifier, jack detection, multi-streaming, front panel jack retasking. -DTS X, Optical S/PDIF out port, Audio shielding, Detected audio PCB layer, Premium Japanese made audio capacitors, Unique de-pop circuit. |
| USB Ports | 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 with type C), 6 USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2 USB 2.0, 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 from ASMedia controller and 2 USB 2.0 from GL852G. |
| Back I/O Ports | 1 LAN port, 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 port with 1 type C, 6 USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, 1 Optical S/PDIF out port, 5 Audio jack provided, and BIOS FlashBack USB button. |
| Accessories | ASUS motherboard user manual, M.2 vertical bracket set 1, SATA cable x 4, M.2 Screw x2, DVD, Q connector, extension cable for RGB strips and Addressable LED, CPU fan holder. |
| BIOS | Flash ROM 1 x 128 Mb, UEFI AMI BIOS provided, PnP, WfM2.0, ACPI 6.2, SM BIOS 3.2 |
| Manageability | PXE and WOL by PME and WfM 2.0 provided. |
| Operating System | Latest Windows 10 64 bit |
| Form Factor | ATX Form Factor provided. 12-inch x 9.6 inch provided (30.5cm x 24.4 cm) provided |
Key Features
1.Built-in Socket AMD TRX4: Support latest AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen Threadripper series 3960X, 3970X, 3990X processors
2.Smooth power design: Provide optimized and stable power delivery with power stages x 16, connectors ProCool ll and solid pins, high-quality chokes, and capacitors provided.
3.Extensive thermal solution: Premium heating solution from ASUS with VRM heatsink, M.2 heatsink support, SoC VRM heatsink provided, ASUS active chipset heatsink solution, and hybrid fan headers array.
4.Next-generation connection speed: Lightning-fast connectivity with Three PCIe Gen 4 M.2 slots NVMe, latest USB 3.2 Gen 2 with Type C front panel connector provided, and also Intel Gigabit Ethernet LAN.
5.Smart tuning: 5-way optimization software from ASUS, easily configure your pc with famous UEFI BIOS.
Related Article: Best Motherboards for i5 9600k
MSI Creator TRX40 Motherboard
MSI Creator TRX40 is an E-ATX motherboard, as we are dealing with threadripper in TRX40 so it is normal to be a little oversized. TRX-40 is only compatible with 3rd gen threadripper and above. It doesn’t support 1st or second gen Threadripper. It has 8 DIMM slots supporting up to 4600MHz memory. VRM power delivery solution is connected to the chipset via a heat pipe and that’s also connected to the back of the motherboard. So the back of the motherboard and the VRM and the chipset are all connected together.
This motherboard has a chipset fan but it’s not an obstructed fan meaning there’s no decoration or no vented cover or anything in front of the fan. From a purely functional standpoint that is a good choice for making sure that the fan has the best ability to move air. There are three onboard M.2 slots. One near the front edge of the motherboard between the DIMM slots and the heat pipe and the power connector and we’ve got two that are back to back right above the bottom X16 slot on this motherboard. The rear connection is pretty standard.
We’ve got a CMOS reset button and a BIOS flash button. We have two wireless antenna connections. We have 10 USB ports in the rear I/O this is a mix of 5 x 10 gigabit and 1 x 20 Gigabit port which is a USB lightning Type-C. Realtech ALC 1220 based audio codec with an optical s/pdif out. Also has onboard 10 Gigabit ethernet from Aquantia. The secondary ethernet is Intel 1Gig. One of the big advantages of the new chipset TRX40 is CPU chipset interface is now PCI Express 4.0 by 8. If you are looking for best motherboard for threadripper 3960X or best ryzen threadripper 3960X motherboard then MSI Creator TRX40 can be your perfect answer.
You’ve got the option of running your M.2 device directly into the CPU or through the chipset depending on what you are doing. With RAID expert and StoreMI, you can mix off chipset NVMe devices as well as direct the CPU in NVMe devices those can be mixed in the RAID array, no problem. If you want an elegantly understated motherboard to be able to do the work that gets out of the way and just gives you a clean build the MSI Creator TRX40 is gonna do that for you. If you are into the RGB then it is the MSI Mystic Light RGB. There are a lot of accessories out there that are mystic light compatible.
Specifications
| Processor | Support AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation Threadripper Series 3960X, 3970X, 3990X Desktop Processors. |
| Chipset | TRX40 AMD Chipset |
| Memory | 8 x DDR4 RAM slots. Max memory support up to 256Gb. Max speed 4600 MHz. Quad-channel memory, ECC, and non-ECC memory supported. |
| Multi GPU Support | NVIDIA 3-Way SLI supported and AMDA 3-Way CrossFire supported. |
| Slots | Available 4 x PCIe 4.0 x 16 slots. |
| Storage | 3 x M.2 slots with PCIe 4.0 x 4 6 x SATA ports with 6Gb/s speed. |
| RAID | 0,1 and 10 RAID supported |
| USB | 6 x USB 3.2 latest Gen2 speed 10Gbps provided with Type C, 8 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 4 x USB 2.0 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 from ASMedia lightning 20Gbps Speed also type C. |
| USB Ports | 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 with type C), 6 USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2 USB 2.0, 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 from ASMedia controller and 2 USB 2.0 from GL852G. |
| Audio | Hi-Definition Audio with Realtek ALC1220 Codec also support Realtek ALC4050H Codec |
| LAN | Superfast Gigabit LAN controller Intel 1211AT and premium 10 Gigabit Aquantia AQC107 |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 802.11 ax speed up to 2.4Gbps. Bluetooth latest 5.1 supported. |
| Back Panel Ports | Clear CMOS, Wireless/Bluetooth, LAN Gigabit, LAN 10G, Audio connectors, BIOS Flash, USB 3.2 Gen2 x 2, USB 3.2 Gen1 x 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 Super 20G Latest Type C |
| Form Factor | E-ATX motherboard with 12in x 10.9in (30.4 cm x 27.7 cm) provided. |
Key Features
-AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation Threadripper series 3960X, 3970X, 3990X supported.
-8 DIMMs provided, Quad Channel DDR4 Unbuffered ECC/Non-ECC memory.
-Infineon Digital VRM with 16+3 Phases and 70A power stage. Heating solution with premium thermal design along with Fins-Array heatsink, Extended heatsink with Heatpipe, and NanoCarbon Baseplate provided.
-High-speed 5GbE LAN from AQUANTIA also cFosSpeed included Intel GbE LAN.
-3 Lightning fast M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x 4 also Thermal Guards included.
-Super-fast WiFi 802.11 ax from Intel, 2T2R, and Bluetooth 5 onboard.
-Hi-Fi audio with 130dB SNR AMP-Up.
-New mobile device fast charging by USB TurboCharger provided.
-Customize your PC with RGB FUSION 2.0 with LED light show design Multi-Zone addressable.
-Several temperature sensors with Smart Fan 5 onboard.
-Hi-speed next-gen USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB type C in both front and rear.
-BIOS update with Q-Flash Plus no need of CPU, memory, or graphics card
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best motherboard for AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X?
ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme is the best motherboard for AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, 3970X, and 3960X.
What is the best motherboard for Threadripper 3960X?
Asus Prime TRX40-PRO is the best budget motherboard for Threadripper 3960X. Check out our review Asus has made some modifications to reduce the cost so it is one of the best entry-level motherboards and also the best cheap motherboard for 3960X.
Is AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X good for gaming?
Absolutely not. Threadripper platform is not meant for gaming. Theadripper 3960 has a very high core count and this will negatively impact your gaming performance.
What socket is Threadripper?
TRX40 socket is for Threadripper 3rd generation.
What is Threadripper used for?
Threadripper platform is created for digital content creators, video editors, video rendering, 3D rendering, gaming and streaming, CAD works. Most importantly Threadripper HEDT is used for Workstation builds.
