AMD recently launched four models of 2nd Gen Threadripper CPUs, including the mighty 32-core Threadripper 2990WX CPU that features in our review of the Armari Magnetar Workstation. We expect that new CPUs will arrive with a new chipset and a raft of new new motherboards but this time round things are slightly different as AMD has stuck with the X399 chipset. All existing X399 motherboards will work with the new CPUs and two new high end X399 motherboards from MSI and Gigabyte.

Today we have a preview of the new Gigabyte X399 Aorus Extreme that sports a 10+3 VRM configuration with active cooling under the I/O shroud, triple Ethernet (Aquantia 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet) and Quad PCI Express graphics slots.