AMD sTRX4 socket aims to be more futureproof

With the introduction of the third-generation Ryzen Threadripper platform, AMD is breaking backwards compatibility as these new chips will require a motherboard with the sTRX4 socket. And not only will you only be able to use the new Threadrippers in a new motherboard, it will also be impossible to use first-gen or second-gen Threadrippers in boards with the sTRX4 socket.

In a Reddit post, AMD explains the change was necessary to drive maximum performance. The company also promises that sTRX4 will have more scalability on a long-term basis.

3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors will be using a new socket called sTRX4. While the pin count will be the same as previous-gen Threadripper products at 4094, the mapping of those pins to voltage or data will be different this time ‘round. You cannot install a 3rd Gen Threadripper into an older motherboard, nor an older Threadripper into a new sTRX4 motherboard.

There are two essential reasons for this:

We wanted to drive maximum performance for the 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors and sTRX4 helps us do exactly that. The 3rd Gen Threadripper will have 88 total PCIe Gen 4 lanes with 72 usable (CPU+motherboard). The net of total versus usable is because we’re also increasing the CPU<->chipset link from 4x Gen4 to 8x Gen4—quadruple the bandwidth vs. 2nd Gen TR. Extra data pins between the chipset and CPU make this possible, so you’ll be able to hang more I/O off the motherboard at full performance.

The socket change also sets us up nicely for future development and scalability of the Threadripper platform, both on a near- and long-term basis.