AMD Working on AGESA Update for 24GB and 48GB DDR5 Memory Module Density Support

[GFreeman]

AMD is working on the AGESA 1.0.0.7 BIOS update that should resolve issues and bring support for 24 GB and 48 GB DDR5 memory modules and kits on the AM5 platform. The latest report, coming from Twitter, suggest that AMD is working hard on the AGESA release, so motherboard manufacturers could push BIOS updates early next month or in May. While Intel's 600- and 700-series motherboards are happily working with 24 GB and 48 GB DDR5 memory modules and kits, allowing users to use up to 192 GB (4x48 GB) of memory in their systems, it comes as a surprise that AMD did not release an official, or even a BETA BIOS update for such modules.

There were already reports that such 24 GB and 48 GB DDR5 modules are having issues on AMD's AM5 platform and while the BIOS can detect the memory, it simply will not boot into Windows. This latest report originally comes from hardware leaker chi11eddog over at Twitter, and suggests that AMD and its motherboard partners are well aware of the issue and the AGESA BIOS firmware v1.0.0.7 should bring full support for so-called "non-binary" 24 GB and 48 GB DDR5 memory modules.



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[R0H1T]

Big deal, DDR4 can go up to 32GB per DIMM for regular desktops!

 

[Woomack]

Big deal, DDR4 can go up to 32GB per DIMM for regular desktops!

AMD works fine with DDR5 32GB modules. 24GB and 48GB are not standard, and are problems with proper addressing.

 

[R0H1T]

Yes but that's only because DDR5 is relatively new, they'll eventually probably top out at 64GB just as every gen we've had doubling of densities.

 

[n-ster]

Big deal, DDR4 can go up to 32GB per DIMM for regular desktops!

Actually big deal in some niche cases, you can use something like the AsRock Rack B650d4u with some DDR5 ECC UDIMMs and a 7950X3D to drastically lower your cost if you don't need PCIe lanes, but a big limitation is 4 DIMM slots. If you can increase by 50% from 128GB to 192GB, now you have 6GB per thread/vCPU. Some workloads will still want 8~10GB, but your options grow a lot from 4GB to 6GB. For non-server workload though, I don't see any benefit getting to 64GB sticks, what needs 8GB per thread or 16GB per core?

 

[R0H1T]

Right, my only/main point is that this isn't anywhere near the limit as yet. We'll go even higher, or much higher wrt densities, depending on how long we're stuck on DDR5.

 

[A Computer Guy]

...so-called "non-binary" 24 GB and 48 GB DDR5

Oh my! (in a familiar star trek actor's voice) DDR5 is analog now!

 

[Assimilator]

It's disappointing that AMD failed to proactively add this support as soon as modules of this size were announced. Considering the high price of DDR5 that's arguably the most relevant bar to entry for Zen 4, it should logically be expected that they would be all over something that lowers that bar so that more people will buy Zen 4 hardware...

 

[Chaitanya]

I hope that update doesnt take too long, I can see these being useful for 12C CPUs.

It's disappointing that AMD failed to proactively add this support as soon as modules of this size were announced. Considering the high price of DDR5 that's arguably the most relevant bar to entry for Zen 4, it should logically be expected that they would be all over something that lowers that bar so that more people will buy Zen 4 hardware...

DDR5 prices have fallen off the cliff since they were first introduced and I remember seeing 64GB DDR5 6000 C32 kits for $250 or so mark. As of now its stupidly high motherboard prices that are the bar to entry for AM5 platform.

 

[Chrispy_]

I'm still not quite sure what the point of a 24GB DIMM is.

As lower-volume parts, they don't bring anything new to the table - 32GB DIMMs are cheaper. Perhaps that will eventually change, but at current pricing they have no reason to exist and without popularity as a driving force to bring prices into line, they won't be popular. Chicken and egg scenario right there!

48GB DIMMs are welcome as they push the maximum RAM per socket up by 50% - still disappointing that it's not 64GB DIMMs but it's better than nothing.

 

[ncrs]

AMD works fine with DDR5 32GB modules. 24GB and 48GB are not standard, and are problems with proper addressing.

I wouldn't call them "not standard", rare or historically unusual perhaps.
Those capacities have been publicly shown for quite a while now, so AMD should've known about it for a very long time. As the article notes they are supported by all major memory IC vendors.

 

[phanbuey]

I cant imagine that 4x48gb would work too well on an AMD platform but I haven't played with Zen 4 yet.

 

[mrnagant]

I'm still not quite sure what the point of a 24GB DIMM is.

As lower-volume parts, they don't bring anything new to the table - 32GB DIMMs are cheaper. Perhaps that will eventually change, but at current pricing they have no reason to exist and without popularity as a driving force to bring prices into line, they won't be popular. Chicken and egg scenario right there!

48GB DIMMs are welcome as they push the maximum RAM per socket up by 50% - still disappointing that it's not 64GB DIMMs but it's better than nothing.

As long as it slots between the 16GB and 32GB models in terms of price, it would be a nice option to have. If I were to build a new rig, I'd look at getting 48GB. I don't need 64GB, so if 48GB can save me $80 or whatever, that's good for me.

 

[sLowEnd]

It's disappointing that AMD failed to proactively add this support as soon as modules of this size were announced. Considering the high price of DDR5 that's arguably the most relevant bar to entry for Zen 4, it should logically be expected that they would be all over something that lowers that bar so that more people will buy Zen 4 hardware...

Agreed.

 

[Chrispy_]

It's disappointing that AMD failed to proactively add this support as soon as modules of this size were announced. Considering the high price of DDR5 that's arguably the most relevant bar to entry for Zen 4, it should logically be expected that they would be all over something that lowers that bar so that more people will buy Zen 4 hardware...

And yet, if you are an early(ish) adopter intentionally, or ignorantly deviating from the QVL, that's on you.
It'd be nice if it "just worked" but history has taught us that it quite frequently doesn't.

 

[Octavean]

So far I think I've gone through nearly every BIOS update available for my ASRock B650E PG Riptide WiFi motherboard. If this is just an AGESA update I can probably give it a miss given that my system is stable,......now. Also I only have a G.Skill Flare X5 DDR5 6000 32GB (2x16GB) kit.

It would be great if they could do something about the performance and stability of using all for DIMM slots as I have heard that is a bit of a nightmare,.....

As for 24GB and 48GB DDR5, that really should have been sorted earlier on even though it's not a common configuration.

 

[pressing on]

I'm still not quite sure what the point of a 24GB DIMM is.

As lower-volume parts, they don't bring anything new to the table - 32GB DIMMs are cheaper. Perhaps that will eventually change, but at current pricing they have no reason to exist and without popularity as a driving force to bring prices into line, they won't be popular. Chicken and egg scenario right there!

48GB DIMMs are welcome as they push the maximum RAM per socket up by 50% - still disappointing that it's not 64GB DIMMs but it's better than nothing.

For an example, according to the Corsair Europe website the recommended price for 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 5200MHz C40 is €160. 48GB (2x24GB) DDR5 DRAM 5200MHz C38 is €200 and 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 DRAM 5200MHz C40 comes in at €285. I can see the appeal of the 48GB kit, much closer in price to the 32GB and substantially cheaper than 64GB. I might add that Corsair currently list these memory kits as "optimized for Intel motherboards" and states motherboard support as "Intel 600 Series, Intel 700 Series" which is no surprise.

Locally there is at least one website that lists the Corsair 48GB (2 x 24) in 5200 and 5600 speed, with and without RGB and the same for the 96GB (2 x 48), as in stock. The website says nothing about compatibility. So they could be bought for an AMD Zen 4 system without knowing there is an issue at present. Having said that, as the Intel motherboards need a BIOS update to run this memory it's quite possible that one of these boards without that update might not boot into Windows either.

 

[Assimilator]

And yet, if you are an early(ish) adopter intentionally, or ignorantly deviating from the QVL, that's on you.
It'd be nice if it "just worked" but history has taught us that it quite frequently doesn't.

Oh totally, it's just that these modules work with Intel systems out of the box, without even needing a BIOS update to support them, which implies Intel has had support for these from launch of their platform.

AMD on the other hand, not only doesn't have support, but hadn't even begun to work on support them until the internet gave a collective "WTF AMD"? Not even the multitude of press releases from Intel board partners a month ago, trumpeting the fact that their Intel boards natively support these modules, was sufficient to cause AMD management to even consider supporting these module sizes. That's an embarrassing and unnecessary dropping of the ball from AMD.

Having said that, as the Intel motherboards need a BIOS update to run this memory

They don't.

 

[stimpy88]

A bad joke that this has caught AMD by surprise...

 

[A Computer Guy]

A bad joke that this has caught AMD by surprise...

Also surprising ECC support wasn't available at launch either at least nowhere near being supported like when AM4 had launched.

 

[stimpy88]

Also surprising ECC support wasn't available at launch either at least nowhere near being supported like when AM4 had launched.

It's just funny that AMD always seems to rush things so badly. I love my 5950x, and right now it's a real stable platform, but when AM4 first launched it was an alpha product at best!