AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX Comparison

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 represent two distinct interpretations of high-performance computing, one rooted in the desktop workstation segment and the other in mobile platforms. The benchmark data reveals a clear overall victory for the Ryzen AI Max 390, which wins 14 of the 17 head-to-head comparisons, yet the nature of those wins and the specific tasks where the Threadripper PRO 3955WX dominates tell a more nuanced story. Both processors achieve the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with the Ryzen AI Max 390 holding a slim average benchmark score lead of 57103 to 56555, a difference of 1%.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the data is the Ryzen AI Max 390's sweeping victory across every Cinebench test. In Cinebench R15, the AI Max 390 scores 3635 versus 3440 in multi-core, a 5.4% advantage, and 513 versus 485 in single-core, a 5.5% lead. This consistency continues in Cinebench R20, where the AI Max 390 posts 15146 against 14335 in multi-core and 2138 against 2023 in single-core, both again at a 5.4% delta. The Cinebench R23 results mirror this exactly, with the AI Max 390 reaching 36064 versus 34131 in multi-core and 5091 versus 4818 in single-core. In every Cinebench iteration, the AI Max 390 holds a remarkably uniform 5.4% to 5.5% edge, indicating a fundamental architectural advantage that scales evenly across both single-threaded and heavily threaded workloads.

The PassMark suite shows a more complex battlefield. The Threadripper PRO 3955WX claims its largest victory in data encryption, scoring 38058 against the AI Max 390’s 25692, a commanding 48.1% lead. It also wins decisively in data compression with 601738 versus 493517, a 21.9% margin, and in random string sorting with 63758 versus 53851, an 18.4% advantage. These are substantial wins, but they are isolated to three specific workloads. The AI Max 390 counters with its own set of significant victories. The most dramatic is in single-thread performance, where it scores 4025 versus 2679, a 33.4% advantage. It also excels in find prime numbers with 322 versus 198, a 38.5% margin, and in floating point math with 93598 versus 77979, a 16.7% lead. Integer math goes to the AI Max 390 as well, 148707 versus 132456, a 10.9% difference, alongside wins in physics (2754 versus 2460, 10.7%) and multithread (42429 versus 40155, 5.4%). The only close contest is in extended instructions, where the AI Max 390 wins by a razor-thin 0.8%, 39250 versus 38952.

Where Each One Wins

The Threadripper PRO 3955WX establishes its dominance in specific data-centric and cryptographic workloads. The 48.1% lead in data encryption is a massive advantage, suggesting the 16-core, 32-thread configuration with its Zen 2 architecture is particularly well-suited for tasks involving heavy cryptographic operations. Similarly, the 21.9% win in data compression and the 18.4% win in random string sorting indicate that workloads involving large-scale data manipulation, compression algorithms, and sorting operations will run noticeably faster on the Threadripper PRO 3955WX. These are not marginal differences; they represent a clear performance tier separation for users whose primary tasks involve these specific operations.

The Ryzen AI Max 390, conversely, wins across the broader spectrum of general-purpose and computational workloads. Its 33.4% single-thread advantage is the largest single-core gap in the entire comparison, making it the clear choice for applications that rely heavily on single-core responsiveness. The 38.5% lead in find prime numbers points to a significant advantage in integer-heavy, latency-sensitive workloads. The 16.7% win in floating point math further demonstrates its broader computational strength. The AI Max 390 also holds a consistent 5.4% lead in the multithread test and a 10.7% lead in physics, indicating that even in highly parallel tasks, its architecture delivers superior throughput. The data shows that for the vast majority of standard computing tasks, including rendering, simulation, and general productivity, the Ryzen AI Max 390 is the faster processor.

Architecture Differences

At a fundamental level, these processors are built on different architectural philosophies separated by several generations. The Threadripper PRO 3955WX is based on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Castle Peak, and fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It features 16 cores and 32 threads with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The Ryzen AI Max 390, in contrast, uses the much newer Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Strix Halo, and is built on a more advanced 4 nm process, also at TSMC. Despite having fewer cores at 12 and threads at 24, it achieves a lower base clock of 3.20 GHz but a significantly higher boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This clock speed advantage, combined with the newer architecture, directly explains the AI Max 390’s 33.4% single-thread victory.

The cache hierarchy also differs markedly. The Threadripper PRO 3955WX provides 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a 64 MB L3 cache. The Ryzen AI Max 390 increases the per-core allocations to 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2, while also offering a 64 MB shared L3 cache. This larger per-core cache, particularly the doubled L2 cache, contributes to the AI Max 390’s superior performance in latency-sensitive and single-threaded tasks. The transistor counts and die sizes tell a story of integration versus scalability: the Threadripper PRO 3955WX has 7,600 million transistors spread across a 2x 74 mm² die, while the AI Max 390 uses a smaller 2x 70.6 mm² die with no transistor count listed in the data, emphasizing the density improvements of the 4 nm process.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge sharply on platform-level specifications. The Threadripper PRO 3955WX uses the AMD Socket WRX8 and supports DDR4 memory through an eight-channel memory bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. The Ryzen AI Max 390 uses the AMD Socket FP11 and supports LPDDR5X memory through a quad-channel bus, but achieves a higher memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This is a notable inversion, where fewer memory channels but faster memory technology results in greater overall bandwidth. Both support ECC memory, but the PCIe capabilities are vastly different: the Threadripper PRO 3955WX offers Gen 4 with 128 lanes (CPU only), while the AI Max 390 offers Gen 4 with only 16 lanes (CPU only). This makes the Threadripper PRO 3955WX vastly more expandable for multi-GPU or high-throughput I/O scenarios.

The integrated graphics and market positioning also differ. The Ryzen AI Max 390 includes a Radeon 8050S integrated GPU, whereas the Threadripper PRO 3955WX has no integrated graphics listed. The Threadripper PRO 3955WX is classified as a Desktop processor with a launch MSRP of $1149, released on 2020-07-13. The AI Max 390 is a Mobile processor, released on 2025-01-05, with no launch MSRP listed. The power envelopes are dramatically different, with the Threadripper PRO 3955WX having a 280 W TDP compared to the AI Max 390’s 55 W TDP, a factor that underscores the mobile efficiency of the newer chip. Both processors are locked, with multiplierUnlocked set to false, and both are currently Active in production. The part numbers are 100-000000167 for the Threadripper PRO 3955WX and 100-000001423 for the AI Max 390.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 has a higher average benchmark score of 57103, compared to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX’s 56555, a 1% difference.

Q: How much faster is the Ryzen AI Max 390 in single-core performance?

A: In the PassMark single-thread test, the Ryzen AI Max 390 scores 4025 versus 2679, which is a 33.4% advantage over the Threadripper PRO 3955WX.

Q: Where does the Threadripper PRO 3955WX have its largest performance lead?

A: The Threadripper PRO 3955WX achieves its largest lead in the PassMark data encryption test, scoring 38058 against the AI Max 390’s 25692, a 48.1% margin.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The Threadripper PRO 3955WX has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Ryzen AI Max 390 has 12 cores and 24 threads.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare between the two?

A: The Ryzen AI Max 390 offers a higher memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s with its quad-channel LPDDR5X support, whereas the Threadripper PRO 3955WX provides 204.8 GB/s over its eight-channel DDR4 bus.

Q: Which processor includes integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 includes a Radeon 8050S integrated GPU, while the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX has no integrated graphics listed in the data.