Linus Torvalds Embraces AMD-Based Desktop After More Than A Decade Using Intel

Linus Torvalds is undoubtedly a legend in his own right. Officially referred to as the godfather and creator of the popular Linux kernel and operating system, the Finnish software engineer is also renown for publicly swearing at NVIDIA back in 2012 and laying Intel out over its handling of the Spectre and Meltdown CPU flaws.

Recently, Torvalds may have surprised fans when he announced with the release of Linux Kernel 5.7 RC7 that he has switched out his Intel-based desktop for an AMD Ryzen Threadripper-based system after 15 years. Specifically, a Ryzen Threadripper 3970X. Torvalds was also quick to point out that he hasn’t switched out to an ARM-based system just now, although the mere mention of it does suggest that the man may be slowly inching towards that eventuality.

It isn’t difficult to see why the godfather of the Linux kernel made the jump over to a 3rd generation AMD Ryzen Threadripper HEDT CPU; the 3970X is based on a 7nm die lithography, and comes with a 32-cores, 64-threads configuration. ON top of that, the processor has a boost clock speed of 4.5GHz , but it has been proven to reach 5.75GHz. Under the right circumstances.

On that note, it also doesn’t help Intel’s case that its own CPUs are slowly being outperformed by AMD’s own offering. Further, the semiconductor’s own processors are still based on a 14nm die lithography, which first came on to the scene back in 2015.