Sunday, June 28th 2020

AMD B550 Motherboard Shown Running Zen+ "Pinnacle Ridge" and "Picasso" CPUs

by
btarunr
 Discuss (16 Comments)
The AMD B550 chipset isn't supposed to run 1st- and 2nd-generation AMD Ryzen processors, or even Ryzen 5 3400G and 3200G APUs based on the older "Zen+" microarchitecture. AMD specifically made a packaging badge that reflects this. The B550 chipset only supports 3rd gen Ryzen "Matisse," and is ready for upcoming "Renoir" and "Zen 3" based "Vermeer" processors, when they do come out.

Given this, imagine our surprise when someone with access to a B550 motherboard was able to run older processors on it. PC enthusiast 188 "momomo_us" posted screenshots of an ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus motherboard running "Zen+" based Ryzen 5 3400G APU based on the "Picasso" silicon, and Ryzen 5 2600X processor based on the "Pinnacle Ridge" silicon, complete with CPU-Z validations. The board is shown running BIOS version 0608 (dated 15/06/2020). There's nothing in the official change-log to indicate Zen+ support, nor in its CPU support list, and the CPU-Z screenshots don't reveal AGESA version in the BIOS version string. An impressive feat nonetheless. We still can't recommend taking the risk of buying B550 motherboards with older processors. Find the CPU-Z validation for the 3400G+B550 and 2600X+B550.
Sources: momomo_us (Twitter), 2

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16 Comments on AMD B550 Motherboard Shown Running Zen+ "Pinnacle Ridge" and "Picasso" CPUs

#1
Flanker
That's cool, but if I'm buying a motherboard with a new chipset, I normally get the newest gen CPU.
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#2
Jism
It suprised me that a 470 chipset is related to featureset just better then a 200 ~ 250 euro board with 570 chipset.

I mean my Asus X470-F died, needed a new board, to figure out the X570 Gigabyte Auros Elite is just worse compared to the X470-F of Asus.
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#3
ironwolf
FlankerThat's cool, but if I'm buying a motherboard with a new chipset, I normally get the newest gen CPU.
But that doesn't work from an APU perspective with the 3200G/3400G at the top of the APU pile. I honestly don't see why they had to freeze out the 3000G series APUs if someone got them to work. I have been plowing through B450 + 3400G builds for small businesses and would love to start using B550 boards for platform longevity, if they officially ran those APUs.
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#4
somebodys_kid
The previous BIOS for this board, version 0603, updates to AMD AM4 AGESA PI 1.0.0.1 according to the notes on their website. So can we assume that version has not changed for this newer BIOS?
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#5
Flanker
ironwolfBut that doesn't work from an APU perspective with the 3200G/3400G at the top of the APU pile. I honestly don't see why they had to freeze out the 3000G series APUs if someone got them to work. I have been plowing through B450 + 3400G builds for small businesses and would love to start using B550 boards for platform longevity, if they officially ran those APUs.
Ah make sense. I kept thinking desktop Renoir is out already.
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#6
Basard
Hell yeah! With ATI graphics included, just like the good ole days!
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#7
AlwaysHope
Been out of the loop for a while but was thinking of getting a B550 platform cause' my current B450 is suspect with consistent performance (see system specs). But unless an official support from either MSI or AMD is out for Zen+, its not on.
X570 is more viable cause' of all gen cpu support.
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#8
watzupken
I feel it was very silly of AMD to release the B550 boards only to officially support Matisse processors only at this point. I can't ding AMD for choosing not to support Ryzen 2xxx CPU since the odds of people buying a Zen+ CPU only processor is quite low now since it has been superseded by Ryzen 3xxx.

However if someone wants to get an APU now, they can only go for older chipset. Renoir for desktop is likely a good 3 months away since the rumored release date is in Sep.
ironwolfBut that doesn't work from an APU perspective with the 3200G/3400G at the top of the APU pile. I honestly don't see why they had to freeze out the 3000G series APUs if someone got them to work. I have been plowing through B450 + 3400G builds for small businesses and would love to start using B550 boards for platform longevity, if they officially ran those APUs.
I agree. For me its the DP 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 display connectivity on the B550 boards that made it very attractive. Unfortunately the chipset does not support the APU. Very poor decision by AMD here.
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#9
zo0lykas
I upgraded to Asus rog B550 and running 1800x so far so good, with last bios update.

My old GA-AX370 give up
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#10
1d10t
FlankerThat's cool, but if I'm buying a motherboard with a new chipset, I normally get the newest gen CPU.
Make sense if you building a new one, but if you upgrading because last one unreliable or died that another story.
Personally I didn't see any incentive going from B450 to B550, but my board has obnoxius mystic light that cannot be disable ( unless with an app ) and voltage offset too high ( between 0.25mV ). Might consider Asus, Gigabyte or giving another chance to ASRock.
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#11
watzupken
1d10tMake sense if you building a new one, but if you upgrading because last one unreliable or died that another story.
Personally I didn't see any incentive going from B450 to B550, but my board has obnoxius mystic light that cannot be disable ( unless with an app ) and voltage offset too high ( between 0.25mV ). Might consider Asus, Gigabyte or giving another chance to ASRock.
I am not sure about others' experience with Asrock, but my B450 board with the latest BIOS is running my Ryzen 5 3400G @ 1.54V at default/ auto settings. At least that is the reading I got when looking at Ryzen Master and HWInfo64. That is an insane amount of VCore. The reading is probably accurate because it pushed the temperature at idle to late 50s to 60 degs. I was able to set an offset of 0.1V, and that helped drop idle temps to 40s.
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#12
sutyi
watzupkenI am not sure about others' experience with Asrock, but my B450 board with the latest BIOS is running my Ryzen 5 3400G @ 1.54V at default/ auto settings. At least that is the reading I got when looking at Ryzen Master and HWInfo64. That is an insane amount of VCore. The reading is probably accurate because it pushed the temperature at idle to late 50s to 60 degs. I was able to set an offset of 0.1V, and that helped drop idle temps to 40s.
Load BIOS defaults or do a CMOS clear. VID settings might be fubar if you upgraded BIOS.
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#13
1d10t
watzupkenI am not sure about others' experience with Asrock, but my B450 board with the latest BIOS is running my Ryzen 5 3400G @ 1.54V at default/ auto settings. At least that is the reading I got when looking at Ryzen Master and HWInfo64. That is an insane amount of VCore. The reading is probably accurate because it pushed the temperature at idle to late 50s to 60 degs. I was able to set an offset of 0.1V, and that helped drop idle temps to 40s.
To be honest my last venture with ASRock Fatal1ty X370 Gaming K4 is painful, cannot drive a pair Vega 56 properly, poor memory support ( dual ranked unsupported ) and voltage is jumpy. Seem we had similar problem here, apparently ASRock had problem in its power delivery system that had gone for 2 generations. Okay, Asus or Gigabyte then.
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#14
R0H1T
AlwaysHopeBeen out of the loop for a while but was thinking of getting a B550 platform cause' my current B450 is suspect with consistent performance (see system specs). But unless an official support from either MSI or AMD is out for Zen+, its not on.
X570 is more viable cause' of all gen cpu support.
Yeah I'm in the same boat with a zen+ chip, this "news" piques my interest to say the least.
Posted on Reply
#15
quakerj
In case anyone reads this older thread, I purchased a Ryzen 5 3400G and an Asrock B550 Pro4 motherboard, having no idea the two are not supposed to be compatible. I took it for granted that AMD would support their only APUs out right now in this newest chipset.

That said, the combo works 100% right out of the box. Everything works, even getting at or near the advertised boost clocks. I updated the BIOS but it wasn't necessary as the system powered up and recognized the CPU right from the get go. So it appears board makers have planned support for the APUs even though AMD says it's not officially supported.
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#16
CamoGeko
quakerjIn case anyone reads this older thread, I purchased a Ryzen 5 3400G and an Asrock B550 Pro4 motherboard, having no idea the two are not supposed to be compatible. I took it for granted that AMD would support their only APUs out right now in this newest chipset.

That said, the combo works 100% right out of the box. Everything works, even getting at or near the advertised boost clocks. I updated the BIOS but it wasn't necessary as the system powered up and recognized the CPU right from the get go. So it appears board makers have planned support for the APUs even though AMD says it's not officially supported.
Yoo I just registered to reply to this comment.

Currently have an order with Scan to deliver me a Gigabyte B550M Aorus Pro mATX board with a Ryzen 3400G APU, going to try and see if it works out of the box. I was initially going to go for the Ryzen 3300X but that CPU is literally out of stock everywhere and supply has been delayed until the 30th of Sept so I had to change my order. Honestly I don't get why AMD messed up so badly with the B550 chipset by not making it officially support the 3x APUs. I'm hoping that I have the same luck you had with ASRock and that Gigabyte have been diligent by providing support for the 3400G.

Although I am somewhat anxious about it...
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