Launch of AMD B850 and B840 Chipsets Pushed to Q1-2025

[btarunr]

AMD has reportedly pushed the launch of mid-tier models from its AMD 800-series chipset to early 2025, reports ComputerBase.de. With the Ryzen 9000-series "Zen 5" processors already launched earlier this month, and compatible with existing AMD 600-series chipset motherboards with a BIOS update, motherboard vendors are leisurely announcing their motherboards based on the AMD X870E and AMD X870 chipsets. Motherboards based on both offer drop-in compatibility with Ryzen 9000-series processors, and introduce new connectivity features such as 40 Gbps USB4 and Wi-Fi 7.

The company probably wants the two to have some time in the Sun before they're joined by the more affordable B850, which gamers could be drawn to. The AMD B850 has mostly identical platform I/O to the AMD X870, except Gen 5 support for the PCI-Express x16 slot is optional (motherboard vendors can choose to wire this out as Gen 4). The 40 Gbps USB4 is also optional here. You still get CPU overclocking support. The B840 is an entry-level chipset that's being launched to probably phase out the A620 and A620A, since it features similar I/O features to the A620A, but will probably come with drop-in compatibility for 65 W Socket AM5 processors. A deferred launch of the mid-tier chipset isn't too off character for AMD. It launched its popular B450 and B550 chipsets several months after the X470 and X570, respectively.



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[Vincero]

Motherboards based on both offer drop-in compatibility with Ryzen 9000-series processors, and introduce new connectivity features such as 40 Gbps USB4 and Wi-Fi 7.

This was always an optional feature that board partners could have added, now it's just mandated.

The company probably wants the two to have some time in the Sun before they're joined by the more affordable B850, which gamers could be drawn to.

I see no real technical reason to delay them - indeed there may be uber expensive X670E boards that already posses near enough the same features - as far as has been explained, the chipset is still the same Promontory 21 chip(s) as used in the 600 series. Potentially maybe there may be some better CPU/BIOS integration for features, but not sure that warrants a new chipset series branding...

Not sure why they didn't just add an 'X' (or some other things) series tier of motherboards to the 600 series instead of the 800 rebrand... If 'E' had more PCIE5 support, etc., then 'X' could have been ones that carried the mandated changes for USB4 support, etc., all on an X670X or B650X, etc...

 

[Zareek]

A chipset that only supports PCIe Gen 3 launching in 2025 is a bit sad. I know it is to reduce the price but still gen 3 came out in 2010! On top of that, AMD has already launched crappy AM5 chipsets in 6xx series. Why bother making a new version without modernizing?

 

[LittleBro]

B850 is just so disappointing ... PCIe Gen 5.0 for graphics not required. Pfff.
B550 might have been late but it offered PCIe Gen 4.0 for both graphics and NVMe. (B450 offered PCIe Gen 3.0 only.)

B850 should have been B820.
B870 should have been B850.
B870(E) should have been B870.

There's no point in waiting for B850 when there's already much superior B650E.
Also, if you don't mind lack of USB 4.0 support, you can get B650E instead of X870.

AMD X870E vs X870 vs X670E vs X670 vs B650E vs B650

AMD has announced their latest generation of motherboard chipsets. How do the X870 and X870E compare to the X670 and B650 chipsets?

www.pugetsystems.com

 

[DaemonForce]

Yes well disappointing loadout means vote with your wallet (as in elsewhere). When the purchase volume is poor, they'll get the message to do better.

 

[john_]

Pushing lower cost chipsets/motherboards and 9000X3D models to next year, I wonder if this says something about the new Intel platform and Ultra 200 performance.

instead of the 800 rebrand

Parity with Intel's chipset models.
"We can't have 600 series models in the market and the competitor offer 800 series models".
They do have time to rename them to 900 series so it aligns better with 9000 series Ryzens.

Why bother making a new version without modernizing?

Marketing reasons, no money for new chipsets.

 

[Darkholm]

Is it just me or this year 2024 is the most disappointing year in hardware business since... forever?

 

[john_]

Is it just me or this year 2024 is the most disappointing year in hardware business since... forever?

But but but..... Qualcomm AI PCs......

 

[Vincero]

Parity with Intel's chipset models.
"We can't have 600 series models in the market and the competitor offer 800 series models".
They do have time to rename them to 900 series so it aligns better with 9000 series Ryzens.

They could have jokingly pulled the "yeah well, it's Intel, you need a new socket and chipset every 2 years - we do things differently" - just because your competitor does something one way (maybe dumber or cleverer) doesn't mean you should just blindly follow if it makes little sense/difference to the actual product stack - I doubt the motherboard makers / OEMs are happy on a technical level (but at lease it gives their marketing team and sales people something to do).

 

[Shou Miko]

I don't get why they label the X870 as the "USSF" because it's no the chipset that allows you to bifurcation of pci-e this can even be done over a lower tier B8x0 chipset or am I wrong?

Plus having 2xGen5 NVME slots ain't really needed for gaming or normal use so 1xGen5 and 1xGen4 if not 3 will be fine.

Because for most people a B850 as a ITX with Gen5 NVME and PCI-E 5.0 will be cheaper for most people.

If USB 4.0 is that important I am sure we will see B850 and properly B840 chipset board with USB4.0 properly by Asmedia or Realtek if it's really needed.

 

[A Computer Guy]

It would be nice if they turned that PCIe 5.0 x16 into PCIe 4.0 x8 x8 x8 x8 x8 x8 and offered an x16 four 4 slot motherboard.

 

[Frank_100]

The biggest disappointment is that no one manufactures an audio interface that can take advantage of that USB4 40Gbps.
The best that you can get is a Steinberg URC model with USB 3.0 5Gbps.

 

[Rhosta]

I hope there will be more mATX boards with x16 PCIe 5.0
I fear that pcie 5.0 will soon be needed with upcoming budget x8 PCIe GPUs

I don't really care for x4 PCIe 5.0 NVME. Not even 4.0

 

[Shou Miko]

The biggest disappointment is that no one manufactures an audio interface that can take advantage of that USB4 40Gbps.
The best that you can get is a Steinberg URC model with USB 3.0 5Gbps.

It's properly not cost that's the issue but properly if they 40Gbps ain't needed it's easier to do 5Gbps from a manufacture point.

 

[sethmatrix7]

A chipset that only supports PCIe Gen 3 launching in 2025 is a bit sad. I know it is to reduce the price but still gen 3 came out in 2010! On top of that, AMD has already launched crappy AM5 chipsets in 6xx series. Why bother making a new version without modernizing?

People want value options. Modernized options are available.

To the shock of nobody, AMD is going to get their pound of flesh via early adopter tax.

 

[Zareek]

Marketing reasons, no money for new chipsets.

For sure but that doesn't make it a good thing, it's still shameful.

People want value options. Modernized options are available.

To the shock of nobody, AMD is going to get their pound of flesh via early adopter tax.

As I pointed out, the 6xx series chipsets already provide value options for AM5. This another disgraceful rebadge. It's like they just are pulling plays from Intel's trick bag.

 

[Frank_100]

It's properly not cost that's the issue but properly if they 40Gbps ain't needed it's easier to do 5Gbps from a manufacture point.

There are plenty of Thunderbolt 3 audio interfaces. They have corresponding Thunderbolt 3 prices.
Most devices use USB 2.0. They also have a noticeable amount of lag when recording.

Its cost, its always cost.

 

[TumbleGeorge]

Hmm, let's give right name to AMD "B840".
A810...Hmm, too much for this PCIe 3.0 board. A805, or A800?

 

[Vincero]

The biggest disappointment is that no one manufactures an audio interface that can take advantage of that USB4 40Gbps.
The best that you can get is a Steinberg URC model with USB 3.0 5Gbps.

How many audio channels are you recording/playing simultaneously?
Even at PCM 192khz 24/32-bit you'd get several stereo streams over USB2 (although the bus would be pretty saturated and latency probably all over the place).

 

[windwhirl]

B850 is just so disappointing ... PCIe Gen 5.0 for graphics not required. Pfff.

Like it even matters when switching to PCIE 3.0 x16 for the RTX 4090 results in a 2% dent on average. Pointless complaint.

 

[LittleBro]

Like it even matters when switching to PCIE 3.0 x16 for the RTX 4090 results in a 2% dent on average. Pointless complaint.

Not quite.

PCIe 5.0 is futureproof. I'm not buying old technology for upcoming years. In 2-3 years I bet we'll see the reason for PCIe 4.0 for graphics.

PCIe Gen 5.0 x16 can be split to x8/x8, which is useful for workstation motherboard, e.g. ASUS ProArt. That second x8 slot can be transformed into M.2 NVMe array provided there is a need.

 

[ymdhis]

Then I guess me buying an AM5 machine is pushed back to 2025 Q1 as well, if not longer. Not my loss.

 

[DaemonForce]

Marketing reasons, no money for new chipsets.

I mean, what is there to expect? If I'm looking for a minimal feature board to carry me over on 9000 series, the chipset itself is probably going to mirror a cut down 9000 series chip like my AM4 Matisse + X570 situation. If I were to make the jump to 9000X3D, what would the performance behavior be like? Genuinely faster for one, but I'm guessing 1:1:1 lock is gone and there's some kind of improvement to PCI-E lane loadout.

A compact board with dual NVME, g4x8 and g4x16 (in that order) would be the most insane SFF loadout ever made. Every compact build made for the next decade would be a loss.

 

[Bwaze]

Is it just me or this year 2024 is the most disappointing year in hardware business since... forever?

All together now: "Everything is AI!"

It might not be just 2024. The mediocre Ryzen 9000 X3D (that also seems like last generation rebrand) launch is allegedly postponed to 2025.

AMD Ryzen 9000X3D with 3D V-Cache now expected to launch in January

 

[Shou Miko]

There are plenty of Thunderbolt 3 audio interfaces. They have corresponding Thunderbolt 3 prices.
Most devices use USB 2.0. They also have a noticeable amount of lag when recording.

Its cost, its always cost.

The thunderbolt pricing for everything is too expensive and it's not really used much from consumers, I have a lot of business that uses thunderbolt docking to be sure we don't have a bottleneck with using headset, dual display and such but again they could do it on usb-c and save money but they don't even with all the issues we had with Lenovo's Thunderbolt 4 dockings.

It was so bad one of my biggest clients had like 4 or 5 new thunderbolt 4 docks just in their storage to make sure when a thunderbolt 4 acted up and we could troubleshoot on the laptop and just get it swapped under warranty and move on this was how bad it was specify from firmware in the laptops ThinkPad T and P models even some Legion laptops had issues.

I sold a setup 2 years ago with a 5meter usb-c cable for a conference room connected to a usb-c docking and it's been solid since day 1.