AMD 100-100000051WOF Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core 3.5GHz (4.7GHz Boost) Socket AM4 Desktop CPU - Cooler Not Included

If you can afford it this is definitely a beast of a CPU for rendering and gaming, left it stock as its needed for reliability but it still beats the 2nd gen ThreadRipper it was replacing.

I have just upgraded from a FX 9590 with a Crosshair V Formula-Z board running solely on SSD's.

I can't explain the difference this CPU on a Crosshair VIII Formula with NVMe's is making. I didn't believe logins and start ups could get any faster but they have, and how!

Having run the FX 9590 system for over 7 years, I can easily say that this CPU will future proof you for a long time. It frequently boosts to 4.5 Ghz all on its own and I haven't seen a temperature over 63 degrees. Usually runs mid 40 degress on the H150i AIO cooler. I am still running 2 x 980 Ti's on SLI and I max these GPU's without the CPU crossing 40% activity on average over the 32 threads. Most system activities like Office, Web browsing, Steam, installing and downloading all together has 24 threads at 0% and the rest at under 50% activity. Just amazing the capability and potential.

Buy this and pair it with a quality motherboard and NVMe drive and you will probably not be wanting for performance for a long time to come.

The first 32 Thread consumer desktop processor, the AMD 3950X

Used as a drop in replacement on a X370 Asus Crosshair VI motherboard (also worked in a biostar B350GTN)
Upgraded from a 3.7Ghz overclocked 1700X - no difference in power consumption, but more than double the performance when it comes to rendering.

Runs all core speeds of around 4.11 Ghz on a corsair H115i, have yet to mess with overclocking, but happily runs 3200mhz XMP profiles on all the memory I've tested it with.

If you're a content creator with an AM4-platform motherboard and want a massive upgrade, this is it!
I can now sit through my Vegas renders as opposed to leaving the PC on overnight and waiting for it.