The HEDT platform and high PCIe expansions were discontinued.
The HEDT platform and high PCIe expansions were discontinued.
I still recall the days when X299 (Intel) or X399 (AMD) boards were top performers, packed with PCIe options (even 4-way SLI was possible!) and CPUs boasting numerous cores with support for quad channel memory. Nowadays, Intel HEDT seems to have faded away, while AMD is working hard to maintain Threadripper. It's worth noting that PCIe expansion isn't as impressive compared to older HEDT designs—partly because NVMe drives also consume PCIe lanes, which might explain the disparity in expansion options. But why did HEDT shift focus entirely to servers? Servers differ significantly from consumer HEDT systems. The last Intel HEDT CPU was from the 10th generation, offering just 18 cores, whereas AMD offers much more powerful options. Even getting a genuine HEDT CPU from AMD requires going back to Threadripper 3000, as TR5 is sold only through OEM channels and TR7 isn't available yet.
Most users no longer require these features anymore. SLI and Crossfire are obsolete, and modern systems often cover all needs in one package. Newer platforms such as 13th gen Intel offer extensive PCIe support, yet people still prefer M.2 slots over traditional slots because that's what customers actually use.
TR5 now extends beyond just OEM variants, focusing mainly on Pro models, which raises doubts about HEDT relevance. AMD has taken down Intel's HEDT division with the introduction of 16-core processors and threading technologies like Xeon-W, which quickly became outdated. Initially, Threadrippers faced constraints such as limited memory channels and restrictions on registered RAM types, effectively limiting their capabilities. Later models improved with better support for registered ECC memory and more robust channel options, making earlier versions less competitive. Today, Threadripper Pro stands out as the leading option, while Intel added Sapphire Rapids Xeon-W to fill the gaps. These newer offerings are seen as the updated HEDT alternatives.
This represents Intel's update to swap the X299 with the W790 chipset.
I saw HEDT of past providing three advantages over consumer tier offerings: higher core counts more memory channels more PCIe lanes Advantage 1 got killed when AMD initiated the core wars. Advantage 2 is the one I bought in for primarily, and the one I miss the most. CPU cores have been ram bandwidth starved for a long time, and is a situation that is getting worse, not better. 3D cache partially mitigates this but it is patching the symptom, not the cause. Advantage 3 isn't one I was particularly interest in until more recently. There has been slight uptick in user accessible PCIe lanes over the years, from 16 around Skylake era to 24 or so now, which is room for a couple extra M.2 drives or equivalent, depending on mobo maker's desires. We're not there yet, but since PCIe generations are actually ticking along now, maybe it is time for more of narrower slots to become available. Also, how much stuff really needs to be CPU connected anyway? Chipset does provide more, although I'm not a fan of AMD's current chained chipset approach as that's just a recipe for bandwidth limitations. Intel's current WS offerings are nearly interesting. CPU pricing isn't bad, but the mobo cost is the killer. You'd think they were GPUs the amount they ask for them.
I believe most computers today are HEDT. There are some really good builds on these sites and in other forums.
For over 90% of regular users it's more than sufficient. They're unlikely to be using multiple devices to strain bandwidth. These are precisely the people interested in threadrippers.