AMD's Latest AGESA Update Removes PCIe 4.0 Support from Pre-X570 Motherboards

[Raevenlord]

AMD's latest AGESA update, which is being seeded to motherboard manufacturers, culls efforts to implement support for PCIe 4.0 in boards not carrying the latest X570 chipset. Some motherboard manufacturers had enabled support for the new standard on existing B450 and X470 motherboards - some with limited support, as was the case on some of ASUS' motherboards, others with full support. However, these efforts from motherboard manufacturers went against AMD's strategy with their X570 platform - all in all, these "rogue additions" reduced one additional feature of new X570 motherboards over their older counterparts.

The new AGESA code carries the part number AM4 1.0.0.3 ABB, and will likely be reflected in manufacturers' release notes for new BIOS versions that incorporate the code - and remove added PCIe 4.0 functionality. Other changes in this AGESA code release include fixes for Destiny 2 gamers' woes, which were having a hard time getting the game to run properly on Ryzen 3000 processors. If you're an avid Destiny 2 player and want PCIe 4.0 support, you'll likely be reminded of Rick and Morty's pickle episode. If not, you can always defer these AM4 1.0.0.3 ABB updates, if your system is behaving properly.



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[RH92]

That not cool at all and community needs to raise against this BS ! If motherboard vendors are ok with offering PCIe 4.0 on older platforms then what does AMD care about ? Imagine all the flak Intel would had reveived for pulling such a move !

 

[aQi]

This does not like a compensation to play destiny 2, removing pci express 4.0 is not an option.

 

[Mysteoa]

That not cool at all and community needs to raise against this BS ! If motherboard vendors are ok with offering PCIe 4.0 on older platforms then what does AMD care about ? Imagine all the flak Intel would had reveived for pulling such a move !

It will add confusion for people who don't understand who will then blame AMD.

 

[Reaperxvii]

This is a very odd move by AMD, I get pci 4.0 is a selling point for x570 buts it's not even that big of a selling point unless you just need the fastest ssd's possible. So why disable it on older models?

I'm curious if there are technical reasons behind it or if it's just "buy more x570"

 

[TheLaughingMan]

Well the 570 chipset is being made in house now by AMD. This could be a method to limit the access to improve profit margins on the chipset since they are the ones footing the bill for them at this point. This is a bad look for AMD for what has been otherwise a stellar 2 years for them. Maybe allow it on X470 boards as well. Or maybe they will allow it after the release of the B550 boards.

 

[Shihab]

To play the devil advocate here, does PCIe 4.0 support even matters?

With that said, shutting down features in already sold and enabled motherboards is a dick move. Isn't reducing the value of a product post-sale illegal somewhere? Tbh though I can't really go for AMD for wanting this dead, neither Intel back when it shutdown OC on cheaper platforms, in retrospect.

 

[TheLaughingMan]

To play the devil advocate here, does PCIe 4.0 support even matters?

With that said, shutting down features in already sold and enabled motherboards is a dick move. Isn't reducing the value of a product post-sale illegal somewhere? Tbh though I can't really go for AMD for wanting this dead, neither Intel back when it shutdown OC on cheaper platforms, in retrospect.

At this point it does not. By the time PCIe 4.0 bandwidth is even properly used, the 500 series boards will be the on the way out chipset and we will be on something newer, cheaper, and generates less heat.

 

[dir_d]

That not cool at all and community needs to raise against this BS ! If motherboard vendors are ok with offering PCIe 4.0 on older platforms then what does AMD care about ? Imagine all the flak Intel would had reveived for pulling such a move !

We dont know what side effects there are for enabling PCI 4.0 on an older mobo. All we know is that AMD advertised the X570 series as 4.0 Mobos so we should respect that. You arent missing anything by loosing PCIe 4.0. If you bring up the Corsair SSD, it only is really fast in sequential transfers, it still has higher latency compared to the intel still.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

To play the devil advocate here, does PCIe 4.0 support even matters?

With that said, shutting down features in already sold and enabled motherboards is a dick move. Isn't reducing the value of a product post-sale illegal somewhere? Tbh though I can't really go for AMD for wanting this dead, neither Intel back when it shutdown OC on cheaper platforms, in retrospect.

Yeh but they were not sold with PCiex 4 support.
And as others have said Amd would get blamed for any issues with it not the board maker.

Simply dont update bios.

Drammmmmaaaaaas over nothing IMHO.

 

[HTC]

It will add confusion for people who don't understand who will then blame AMD.

Yeh but they were not sold with PCiex 4 support.
And as others have said Amd would get blamed for any issues with it not the board maker.

Simply dont update bios.

Drammmmmaaaaaas over nothing IMHO.

Agreed with the highlighted bits.

This is the proper move by AMD regarding PCIe gen 4 on non-gen-3 Ryzen boards: they were not made with PCIe 4 in mind and, while they may work, it's signal integrity is not 100% guaranteed and AMD would most definitely get blamed for any issues that would arise with it's use.

 

[cucker tarlson]

nice slap in the face for those who bought x470 boards with 4.0 already working.
kind of a dick move,but really it was good for amd to cut board manufacturers from doing that.
maybe when they fix all the bugs with 3000 and x570 they'll have a go at it again,altohugh highly unlikely.

Simply dont update bios.

Drammmmmaaaaaas over nothing IMHO.

and lock yourself out of any other fix/compability improvement?

 

[eidairaman1]

This is a very odd move by AMD, I get pci 4.0 is a selling point for x570 buts it's not even that big of a selling point unless you just need the fastest ssd's possible. So why disable it on older models?

I'm curious if there are technical reasons behind it or if it's just "buy more x570"

Reduce patch work on those boards

Agreed with the highlighted bits.

This is the proper move by AMD regarding PCIe gen 4 on non-gen-3 Ryzen boards: they were not made with PCIe 4 in mind and, while they may work, it's signal integrity is not 100% guaranteed and AMD would most definitely get blamed for any issues that would arise with it's use.

I think beta bios should be released and a disclaimer of risk using pcie 4 on x470 older boards...

 

[HTC]

nice slap in the face for those who bought x470 boards with4.0 already working.

That's on motherboard vendors because AMD had specifically said no to PCIe 4 in older boards but they went ahead and enabled it anyway.

 

[cucker tarlson]

That's on motherboard vendors because AMD had specifically said no to PCIe 4 in older boards but they went ahead and enabled it anyway.

motherboard vendors got it working,amd said no.

 

[HTC]

motherboard vendors got it working,amd said no.

From the link provided in my earlier post:

When final BIOSes are released for 3rd Gen Ryzen (AGESA 1000+), Gen4 will not be an option anymore. We wish we could've enabled this backwards, but the risk is too great.

 

[cucker tarlson]

From the link provided in my earlier post:

high end boards would probably handle it fine.

 

[HTC]

high end boards would probably handle it fine.

Therein lies the issue: "probably" isn't enough for this type of thing.

With X570 you have guaranteed signal integrity while with previous gen boards, which weren't designed with PCIe 4 in mind, you don't: it's that simple.

 

[cucker tarlson]

Therein lies the issue: "probably" isn't enough for this type of thing.

With X570 you have guaranteed signal integrity while with previous gen boards, which weren't designed with PCIe 4 in mind, you don't: it's that simple.

well,this could've at least been an option for manufacturers to test and determine.
if a manufacturer knows their best boards can handle it and do it fine,which is probably the case here,they could've been given the chance to do so.
amd used the case of low-end boards to lock everyone out.

not saying they did bad,they did fine for themselves,but absolutely against enthusiasts.

 

[RH92]

It will add confusion for people who don't understand who will then blame AMD.

What confusion tho ? Prior to this peoples would blame board manufacturers for not offering PCIe4.0 when it was technically possible , now peoples will directly blame AMD !

We dont know what side effects there are for enabling PCI 4.0 on an older mobo.

Come on man are you serious , what side effects are you talking about ? There are plenty of reviews out there with PCie 4.0 enabled on older chipsets and surprise , surprise ........ it works flawlesslly , so you have to stop with those '' hypothetical side effects '' !

All we know is that AMD advertised the X570 series as 4.0 Mobos so we should respect that. You arent missing anything by loosing PCIe 4.0.

This is total nonsense , it's not about what we are missing it's about the business model !

All we know is PCie 4.0 works perfectly fine on older chipsets and motherboard manufacturers are ok with enabling it ( wich is odd cause if there was someone to be concerned about stability / salles it's them ) so again what does AMD care about ? If AMD is concerned about '' potential '' issues they can make a public disclaimer saying that PCIe 4.0 on older chipsets is not optimal and basta !

What iritates me the most here is that Intel has received sh* storm from the community for less than this ( rightfully so ) , but now that AMD is pulling the same sh** peoples come off with : '' we should listen AMD they know better than us '' ..... Thats called double standards so peoples should cut off this BS !!!

 

[the54thvoid]

From a purely neutral perspective, when x470/450 boards were released- they did not have PCIe 4.0. AMD did not deliver that until the X5x0 boards. If mobo manufacturers added it, that was not AMD's call. For QA, it is quite conceivable that the board spec on x470/450 boards is not universally compliant to PCIe compatibility. In short - this is a non-issue.

HOWEVER, and it is a freaking huge 'however', if Intel or Nvidia did this, there would be blood all over the forums.

 

[HTC]

well,this could've at least been an option for manufacturers to test and determine.

AMD is to blame with one issue, and one issue only, IMO: that there WAS an option for PCIe 4 in older board's BIOSes before this one.

Why? Since they can remove the option with this BIOS, why was the option even there in previous BIOSes to begin with? More so since they said they would not be supporting this since long ago.

That is a fail i attribute solely to AMD.

 

[cucker tarlson]

AMD is to blame with one issue, and one issue only, IMO: that there WAS an option for PCIe 4 in X570 BIOSes before this one.

Why? Since they can remove the option with this BIOS, why was the option even there in previous BIOSes to begin with? More so since they said they would not be supporting this since long ago.

That is a fail i attribute solely to AMD.

yes,but the other way round.

 

[HTC]

yes,but the other way round.

I corrected my mistake but not before you quoted it ... my bad ...

 

[AsRock]

This is a very odd move by AMD, I get pci 4.0 is a selling point for x570 buts it's not even that big of a selling point unless you just need the fastest ssd's possible. So why disable it on older models?

I'm curious if there are technical reasons behind it or if it's just "buy more x570"

Odd indeed going by what normally happens and only makes me think they have their reasons.