Thursday, May 7th 2020
AMD B550 Chipset Detailed, It's Ready for Zen 3, Older AM4 Motherboards not Compatible
In their briefing leading up to today's Ryzen 3 3100 and 3300X review embargo, AMD disclosed that its upcoming "Zen 3" 4th generation Ryzen desktop processors will only support AMD 500-series (or later) chipsets. The next-gen processors will not work with older 400-series or 300-series chipsets. This comes as a blow to those who bought premium X470 motherboards hoping for latest CPU compatibility running into 2020. At this time only B550 is available, but we expect more news on enthusiast chipsets as the Zen 3 launch date comes closer. AMD B550 is a fascinating new mid-range chipset by AMD. Launching today as a successor to the popular B450 chipset, B550 is a low-power silicon with roughly the same 5-7 W TDP as the older 400-series chipset. Although AMD won't confirm it, it's likely that the chipset is sourced from ASMedia. It brings a lot to the table that could draw buyers away from B450, but it also takes some away.
The AMD B550 currently only supports 3rd generation Ryzen "Matisse" processors. Ryzen 3000 "Picasso" APU are not supported. What's more, older Ryzen 2000 "Pinnacle Ridge," "Raven Ridge," and first gen Ryzen 1000 "Summit Ridge" aren't supported, either. The Athlon 200 and 3000 "Zen" based chips miss out, too. AMD argues that it ran into ROM size limitations when trying to cram AGESA microcode for all the older processors. We find that hard to believe because B450 motherboards with the latest ComboAM4 AGESA support 2nd gen and 3rd gen processors, including APUs and Athlon SKUs based on the two. On the bright side, AMD assured us (within its marketing slides for the B550), that the chipset will support upcoming processors based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture. The company also came up with a new motherboard packaging label that clarifies that the processors won't work with the 3400G and 3200G.
AMD B550 motherboards will feature partial PCI-Express gen 4.0 support. The main PCI-Express x16 slot, and one of the M.2 NVMe slots that are wired to the "Matisse" processor will be PCI-Express gen 4.0, however, all downstream PCIe lanes put out by the B550 chipset are gen 3.0. This is still a step up from 400-series "Promontory" chipsets, which are limited to gen 2.0. B550 puts out eight PCIe gen 3.0 lanes, which combine with the 20 usable processor lanes from "Matisse" to take the platform's total PCIe budget to 28 lanes (x16 gen 4.0 + x4 gen 4.0 + x8 gen 3.0). The B550 chipset itself connects to the "Matisse" processor via a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 connection.
In terms of connectivity, AMD's B550 chipset puts out up to six SATA 6 Gbps ports with AHCI and RAID capability; two each of 10 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 2 and 5 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 1 ports; and six USB 2.0 ports. PCIe, SATA, and USB connectivity from the "Matisse" processor is unchanged: four 10 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 2 ports, and up to two SATA 6 Gbps ports.
The processor includes a PCI-Express 4.0 x16 PEG connection that can be split between slots. AMD is allowing motherboard designers to have multi-GPU capability with the B550, where the x16 PEG link is split between two x16 slots (electrical x8). Previously this capability was limited to the top-tier X370 and X470 boards. The processor also puts out one PCI-Express 4.0 x4 link meant to drive one M.2 NVMe slot or U.2 NVMe port. Every B550 motherboard we've seen so far features one M.2 PCIe gen 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) slot.
As with both its predecessors, the B350 and B450, the new B550 chipset enables full multiplier-based CPU overclocking, along with broad memory overclocking support. Motherboard designers are at liberty to kit out the B550 with the most elaborate CPU VRM solutions. Expect some of the pricier B550 boards to match their X570 counterparts in overclocking capability.
Motherboards based on the AMD B550 chipset are expected to launch on June 16, 2020. Prices start at $100, according to AMD.
The AMD B550 currently only supports 3rd generation Ryzen "Matisse" processors. Ryzen 3000 "Picasso" APU are not supported. What's more, older Ryzen 2000 "Pinnacle Ridge," "Raven Ridge," and first gen Ryzen 1000 "Summit Ridge" aren't supported, either. The Athlon 200 and 3000 "Zen" based chips miss out, too. AMD argues that it ran into ROM size limitations when trying to cram AGESA microcode for all the older processors. We find that hard to believe because B450 motherboards with the latest ComboAM4 AGESA support 2nd gen and 3rd gen processors, including APUs and Athlon SKUs based on the two. On the bright side, AMD assured us (within its marketing slides for the B550), that the chipset will support upcoming processors based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture. The company also came up with a new motherboard packaging label that clarifies that the processors won't work with the 3400G and 3200G.
In terms of connectivity, AMD's B550 chipset puts out up to six SATA 6 Gbps ports with AHCI and RAID capability; two each of 10 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 2 and 5 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 1 ports; and six USB 2.0 ports. PCIe, SATA, and USB connectivity from the "Matisse" processor is unchanged: four 10 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 2 ports, and up to two SATA 6 Gbps ports.
Motherboards based on the AMD B550 chipset are expected to launch on June 16, 2020. Prices start at $100, according to AMD.
434 Comments on AMD B550 Chipset Detailed, It's Ready for Zen 3, Older AM4 Motherboards not Compatible
grow up. it's 2020
on the other hand I get why all of you intel fanboys are stuck in the past...you're on par with their manufacturing process
A gen behind, but tagged with the current generation part number. Release your damn APU's along with the actual CPU architecture they go with.
As with most chipsets, this is the bottle neck and although it doesn't effect most people in a daily usage scenario, it's a bottleneck regardless.
Same issue for Intel and their chipset interconnect as well, so nothing unique to AMD.
Not asking for the B550 chipset to support PCIe 4.0 for it's PCIe lanes, the X570 already does that.
AMD promised interoperability between chipsets and CPUs and that the socket wont change for 4 years. Let's see, first gen Ryzen was released back in 2017 now we're mid 2020, that's about ... 4 years. For the most parts with a couple of issues here and there they've kept their promise. If you've bought into the AM4 platform back then you still have so many options for an upgrade now that it makes any platform Intel ever released a laughing stock. I mean you could go from a 4c/4t to a 16c/32t CPU with more IPC and clock speed if you really wanted, that's crazy.That guy has been spamming forums about why he's going for Intel/AMD for as long as I remember seeing him on here. That's basically all he posts about.
1) You will be able to use Ryzen 4xxx on 4xx and 3xx, if your motherboard vendor supports it .... AMD won't support it. The motherboard vendors would not thank AMD for *forcing* them to fully support and update BIOS on all 1st gen motherboards for a 4th gen CPU, and they couldn't force them to anyway.
It's exactly the same as the A320, B350 and X370 boards that support Ryzen 3xxx (virtually all of them). AMD don't support it, and the motherboard vendors don't support them as much as the newer boards, but it works fine.
2) There has never been X670. This has been common knowledge since June of last year.
P.S. The staff at this site, every other PC News site, and all the tech YouTube channels all know this. But they're not telling you because clickbait.
To adhere to the PCI Express specification, products have to be certified. Without certification, you can't claim compatibility.
Some older boards were nearly good enough to be certified for PCIe 4.0, but sadly they didn't pass the certification requirements and you can't support a standard to 98% and pass certification. What mad the matters worse, is that most boards were nowhere near passing the certification tests. So in as much as AMD hadn't disabled PCIe 4.0 operation in the AGESA, they never explicitly 1. told the board makers to implement it and 2. that it would be a guaranteed feature.
In the end, they decided it couldn't happen, as the X470 and B450 boards weren't made to such a level that they could pass the certification requirements.
This should go without saying but it is highly likely that motherboard vendors add support for these new processors on older motherboards. After all the exact same thing happen when the 3000 series released. Both B350 and X370 motherboards for the most part received 3000 series support despite not being mandated by AMD.
Okay then, just give me a goddamn good mATX boards already! I'm stuck with crappy Galax in here!
If I bought a B450/X470 recently, I'd be livid.
Chipsets are only getting 2 generations of support... AMD doing Intel things.
www.techpowerup.com/266760/assortment-of-five-amd-b550-premium-motherboards-picturedWhat's the point of being livid? Technology moves forward, new stuff comes out, it's only with PCs you can upgrade at all.
What if you'd bought a new phone and two weeks later, a new model is announced. Would you be livid then too?
Edit : Also more PCI-e lane than the previous chipset.
AMD did worse than Intel.
I agree that tech moves forward but AMD basically lied to consumers, IMHO.
AMD NEVER said that, they said they would support AM4 into 2020. Whatever we read into that, is our own fault if anything.
What is being suggested by random people on the internet, can't be blamed on AMD. :kookoo:
How did AMD do worse than Intel? Intel doesn't tell you that they're going to change socket before a product announcement either.
Leaks and rumours don't count.
And no, AMD didn't lie, they are continuing to use the same socket. You forget that when they have announcements, it's for their industry partners, not you and me as consumers.
On top of that, you have an X570 board, so what are you crying about? None of this will affect you.
I know better, you'll defend AMD until your dying breath.
AMD's excuse is bios size... Uhhh... What? It's called monetary gains.
They did a shitty thing, and yes they should have said something rather than just gagging the outlets, so they all look like shit for recommending a dead end build yesterday.
Your phone analogy is flawed, a PC is a PC because it's flexible and upgradable. AMD has been honking about support, about one socket, and hell they left it up to the manufacturer's to add Zen 2 to 300 series boards, which many did. There was no previous hint that AMD was going to pull a bios locked upgrade path.
If they stalled the B550 because of this, that's even worse. They basically left dead end products on the market to run out the clock on the 2020 support thing. That's callous. The other option is they can't keep the gen 4 lock out in place on the 400 series because of B550, so they just scrapped support.
It's likely a combination of greed and stupidity.
AMD did bad, and they should be called out on it. I defended them for the 5600XT launch, but this is not cool. The situation with the APUs is also a going to be a bloody mess.
I agree, the flash size excuse is a bit lame. Yes, it's a limitation, but it seems like AMD should figure out how to refine its AGESA code at the same time, since that seems to be the bulk of the problem.
I highly doubt AMD gagged anyone, they don't have that kind of clout. Please don't make up silly things like that.
AMD didn't do anything. They did what all profit seeking companies do, they made a new product. That the new product doesn't meet your standards, isn't their fault. The fact that are used to being upgrade computers shouldn't be taken for granted. Look at what Intel wants us to buy with their NUC ecosystem. Those are not upgradable at all. We live in a throw-away capitalism world, so that anyone is surprised that at some point, they have to buy new parts to upgrade their PC, really baffles me.
:shadedshu:
I kid, sort of. It was a good run!
Still, two-three generations of support on older motherboards is pretty good considering the amount of single generation chipsets we've had from Intel.