AMD Launches Lower-Power Ryzen 9 3900 For SI, OEM Partners

'The purpose is to make it easier for our OEM and SI partners to integrate these lower-power processors into their systems,' an AMD spokesperson tells CRN of the new channel-exclusive processors.

AMD is launching the Ryzen 9 3900 processor exclusively for system integrators and OEM partners, giving them the ability to pack 12 cores of processing power into efficient and small form factor PCs.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker announced the availability of the 65-watt desktop processor on Tuesday alongside the new Ryzen 5 3500X, which is only being made available to partners in China.

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"The purpose is to make it easier for our OEM and SI partners to integrate these lower-power processors into their systems," an AMD spokesperson told CRN.

The Ryzen 9 3900 is a variant of AMD's flagship Ryzen 9 3900X that is among the third-generation, 7-nanometer Ryzen desktop processors that launched in July.

While the Ryzen 9 3900 and Ryzen 9 3900X both have 12 cores, the new 3900 for SIs and OEMs has lower base and boost clock frequencies at 3.1GHz and 4.3GHz, respectively, as well as a lower thermal design power of 65 watts. The Ryzen 3900X, on the other hand, has base and boost clock frequencies of 3.8GHz and 4.6GHz, respectively, and a thermal design power of 105 watts.

In its announcement, AMD said the Ryzen 9 3900, along with the Ryzen 5 3500X, will enable SIs and OEMs to build "efficient, high-performance gaming, family, and small-form factor PCs utilizing AMD’s innovative 'Zen 2' architecture and industry-leading 7nm process.”

"The Ryzen 9 3900, now available globally, and Ryzen 5 3500X, available in China only, enjoy the features of current Ryzen 3000 series processors, letting OEM and SI partners take full advantage of AMD’s most advanced CPU platform," the company said. "Both Ryzen processors offer powerful gaming and high-speed productivity performance, support industry leading PCIe 4.0, AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive and Ryzen Master Utility, and, like all Ryzen 3000 processors, are fully unlocked for performance tuning."

AMD most recently released the Ryzen Pro 3000 series, providing enterprises with extra security and manageability features in addition to the speeds and feeds offered by third-generation Ryzen.