3rd Gen THREADRIPPER - WAN Show Oct 18, 2019

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode covers major hardware and gaming-industry news: leaks on AMD’s 3rd-gen Threadripper and Ryzen 9 3950X, a broader debate about Intel’s weakening mindshare and need for better public presence, Blizzard’s escalating PR crisis over Hong Kong-related bans, and Google’s Pixel 4/Nest hardware launch. It also previews a large Riot Games expansion into multiple genres and discusses a high-profile NVIDIA-sponsored gaming-performance test project.

Main Topics: AMD Threadripper 3rd Gen and Ryzen 9 3950X leaks (Priority: 5/5): The hosts discuss leaked launch timing and specs for AMD’s next Threadripper lineup, emphasizing how extreme core counts could further pressure Intel in the high-end desktop/workstation space. Intel’s market perception and competition with AMD (Priority: 5/5): A long segment argues that Intel’s main problem is not technology alone but mindshare and public goodwill, with criticism of pricing delays, lack of convention presence, and overly corporate branding. Blizzard’s Hong Kong backlash and PR crisis (Priority: 5/5): They summarize Blizzard’s cancellation of an Overwatch Switch launch event, more Hearthstone bans, and congressional criticism, framing it as a major but potentially recoverable reputation problem. Riot Games expands into a multi-game ecosystem (Priority: 4/5): The show reacts to Riot announcing numerous projects including a mobile MOBA, hero shooter, MMO, card game, fighting game, animated series, and esports management title, signaling a major bid to compete across Blizzard’s turf. Pixel 4, Pixelbook Go, Nest Mini, and Nest WiFi launch (Priority: 4/5): Google’s hardware event is reviewed with skepticism about Pixel launch timing and praise for the Pixel 4’s 90Hz display and radar-based Motion Sense, while newer Nest and Pixelbook products are framed as incremental updates. NVIDIA-sponsored high-refresh-rate gaming test project (Priority: 4/5): A large collaboration with pro gamers tests reaction time and skill across 60/144/240Hz setups, aiming to quantify whether higher refresh rates materially improve performance and publishing the tests publicly afterward. Sponsor reads and product mentions (Priority: 2/5): The episode includes ads and endorsements for Ridge Wallet, Seasonic power supplies, and Savage Jerky, plus a personal anecdote about filming a spicy-chip challenge with Donut Media.

Key Arguments: AMD’s leaked Threadripper roadmap suggests 24, 32, 48, and 64-core CPUs, which would be a dramatic statement in high-end desktop and workstation performance. Intel is not necessarily technologically doomed, but it is losing both gaming mindshare and goodwill because it responds slowly, shows up less at enthusiast events, and feels less human than AMD. A lot of consumers choose CPUs by perception and benchmark graphs, so AMD’s visible performance leadership matters even when Intel products remain strong for gaming and light creation tasks. Blizzard’s actions around Hong Kong have created a deep PR wound, but the hosts think the company can recover if it handles future messaging better. Riot’s new announcements suggest it wants to build a broad entertainment ecosystem around League of Legends rather than remain a one-game company. High refresh-rate monitors may improve real-world gaming performance, but the effect should be measured in context rather than assumed from specs alone. NVIDIA has compelling technical reasons for collecting telemetry, but it should communicate that purpose more clearly to users. Enthusiast convention presence matters even when ROI is hard to justify, because competitors being visibly present while you are absent sends a damaging signal.

Data Points: Threadripper announcement date: November 5 - Leaked internal AMD documents cited in the discussion Threadripper availability date: November 19 - Leaked internal AMD documents cited in the discussion Threadripper core count (3960X): 24 cores - Rumored next-gen high-end desktop CPU Threadripper core count (3970X): 32 cores - Rumored next-gen high-end desktop CPU Threadripper core count (3980X): 48 cores - Rumored next-gen high-end desktop CPU Threadripper core count (3990X): 64 cores - Rumored next-gen high-end desktop CPU NVIDIA-sponsored low-end test FPS target: 60 FPS - One of the gaming rigs in the refresh-rate comparison NVIDIA-sponsored mid-tier test FPS target: 150–180 FPS - Approximate frame rate range used for the 144Hz setup NVIDIA-sponsored high-end test FPS target: 250–300 FPS - Approximate frame rate range used for the 240Hz setup Reaction-time test window: 0.45 seconds - Used in the flick-aim and response tests Targets in flick-aim test: 30 targets - Players had 60 seconds to hit targets Overwatch pro flick-aim result: 28/30 targets - Example of standout performance in the custom testing Gaming/tech collaboration subscriber base: 2.2 million+ subscribers - Donut Media channel size mentioned during collab discussion One video view volume: ~500,000 views per upload - Approximate recent performance of Donut Media videos Ridge Wallet discount: 10% off - Sponsor offer code Linus Seasonic efficiency: 91% to 94% - Prime Ultra Titanium PSU efficiency range Seasonic noise output: Below 20 dB - PSU operating noise claim Seasonic warranty: 12 years - Prime Ultra Titanium warranty length Savage Jerky flavors: 13 flavors - Range of jerky options mentioned Pixel 4 price: $799 - Base model pricing announced by Google Pixel 4 XL price: $899 - Larger model pricing announced by Google Pixelbook Go starting price: $649 - Base configuration with Core m3 Pixelbook Go thickness: 13 mm - Notebook chassis measurement Pixelbook Go weight: Under 2 pounds - Notebook portability claim Pixel Buds price: $179 - Announced launch price for 2020 Nest WiFi bundle price: $269 - Router plus point bundle Riot’s org count of new projects: 6+ projects - Wild Rift, Project A, Project F, Legends of Runeterra, animated series, esports manager, plus Project L Age-related gaming peak cited: 25–28 - Discussed as a rough cognitive/physical peak range for players

Pivotal Quotes: "I think the title is still Pixel. Sweet. Uh... Oh, crap. Really? Uh-oh. Well, okay then. Third gen Threadripper!" — Host: Opening banter as the episode pivots from a mistaken title to the main hardware topic "I think their problem is one of perception." — Host: Summary argument about Intel’s real weakness versus AMD "Intel does a lot of good... but they just do the most self-destructive thing." — Host: Critique of Intel’s strategy and branding choices

Implications: AMD’s momentum could force faster CPU pricing and innovation, Intel must rebuild trust and visibility, Blizzard faces lasting reputational damage, and Riot is positioning itself as a major multi-genre competitor. For listeners, the show suggests hardware buying decisions are increasingly shaped by perception, not specs alone.