On a charm offensive, motherboard maker BIOSTAR revealed that it will extend support for the upcoming 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X even to its cheapest motherboards based on AMD's entry-level A320 chipset. Support for the processor will be added through a UEFI firmware update that should go live on the company website soon, and downloadable from the support section of each motherboard's product page. BIOSTAR's list of motherboards for the 3950X includes almost its entire socket AM4 motherboard lineup, spanning the A320, B350, X370, B450, X470, and X570 chipsets. A spokesperson for BIOSTAR confirmed to us that this wasn't a typo on the company website.

EK, the a premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer based in Europe, is releasing an AMD AM4 socket based monoblock belonging to the Quantum Line of products, the EK-Quantum Momentum ROG Crosshair VIII Hero D-RGB. This monoblock is engineered specifically for the ROG Crosshair VIII Hero motherboard. The addressable D-RGB LED in the monoblock is compatible with ASUS Aura Sync RGB control, thus offering a full lighting customization experience for every single diode at any given time.

This is a complete all-in-one (CPU and motherboard) liquid cooling solution for Ryzen AMD processors and the monoblock is compatible with the X570 based ROG Crosshair VIII Hero motherboard. This monoblock uses the latest generation of EK cooling engine used on the Quantum Lineup to ensure the best possible CPU cooling while not reducing flow to other components. This water block directly cools the AMD4 socket type CPU, as well as the voltage regulation (MOSFET) module. Liquid flows directly over all critical areas, providing the enthusiasts with a great solution for high and stable overclocks. Like with every EK monoblock, the EK-Quantum Momentum ROG Crosshair VIII Hero D-RGB features high flow design and it can be easily used with the system using weaker water pumps or lower pump speed settings as well. The Momentum monoblock also comes with sophisticated D-RGB (addressable) lightning which connects to a standard 3-pin 5 V D-RGB header.

AMD's upcoming Ryzen 9 3950X socket AM4 processor beats Intel's flagship 18-core processor, the Core i9-10980XE, by a staggering 24 percent at 3DMark Physics, according to a PC Perspective report citing TUM_APISAK. The 3950X is a 16-core/32-thread processor that's drop-in compatible with any motherboard that can run the Ryzen 9 3900X. The i9-10980XE is an 18-core/36-thread HEDT chip that enjoys double the memory bus width as the AMD chip, and is based on Intel's "Cascade Lake-X" silicon. The AMD processor isn't at a tangible clock-speed advantage. The 3950X has a maximum boost frequency of 4.70 GHz, while the i9-10980XE isn't much behind, at 4.60 GHz, but things differ with all-core boost.

When paired with 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4-3200 memory, the Ryzen 9 3950X powered machine scores 32,082 points in the CPU-intensive physics tests of 3DMark. In comparison, the i9-10980XE, paired with 32 GB of quad-channel DDR4-2667 memory, scores just 25,838 points as mentioned by PC Perspective. Graphics card is irrelevant to this test. It's pertinent to note here that the 3DMark physics test scales across practically any number of CPU cores/threads, and the AMD processor could be benefiting from a higher all-core boost frequency than the Intel chip. Although AMD doesn't mention a number in its specifications, the 3950X is expected to have an all-core boost frequency that's north of 4.00 GHz, as its 12-core sibling, the 3900X, already offers 4.20 GHz all-core. In contrast, the i9-10980XE has an all-core boost frequency of 3.80 GHz. This difference in boost frequency, apparently, even negates the additional 2 cores and 4 threads that the Intel chip enjoys, in what is yet another example of AMD having caught up with Intel in the IPC game.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, is proud to launch a new addition to its 4th generation of RACING motherboards with the powerful yet humble BIOSTAR RACING X570GTA. Built with designers and content creators in mind, the RACING X570GTA combines a set of onboard features to ensure that quality content can be produced with a system that users can rely on. The BIOSTAR RACING X570GTA is tastefully designed with the iconic BIOSTAR RACING GEN 4 features and grey lightning strikes that represents the lightning-fast performance and ultra-responsives that gives gamers the competitive edge to take their gaming experience to the next level.

The BIOSTAR RACING X570GTA, equipped with the latest X570 chipset for AMD socket AM4, brings support for 3rd Gen Ryzen processors, an essential tool for content creators. While designers rely on high performance and responsiveness to render videos or 3D content, which is supported by the RACING X570GTA PCI-e 4.0 lanes (offering bandwidth of 64 GB/s and compatibility for the latest as well as previous generation graphics cards), the users can rest assured their investment in high-end hardware is secured with the BIOSTAR's exclusive Iron Slot Protection on the x16 lanes which helps handle heavier graphics cards, prevent bending, and extend the longevity of the slots. In addition, PCI-e 4.0 also opens the door to PCI-e M.2 4.0, the latest storage interface which delivers the highest bandwidth (64 GB/s) and offers lower latency, making launching programs such as video and photo editing software, and accessing heavy files a flash.

Here is the first picture of a motherboard based on AMD's upcoming mid-range desktop motherboard chipset, the AMD "B550A," the ASRock B550AM Gaming. The board was spied inside a pre-built desktop at a Best Buy store. This is the first time we've seen the mid-range chipset being referenced as "B550A" and not "B550." The "A" may not be part of the motherboard's model name as the "M" denotes Micro-ATX and usually succeeds the chipset model in ASRock's nomenclature. The B550(A) will be an important chipset for AMD as it will enable motherboards priced under the $150 mark that support AMD's 3rd generation Ryzen processor's I/O natively.

While the X570 is an in-house development by AMD, the B550 is sourced from ASMedia, and is expected to be a new version of the "Promontory-LP" silicon. The only thing that sets this chip apart from the 400-series "Promontory-LP" is PCI-Express gen 3.0 certification. The chipset talks to the AM4 SoC over a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 link, and puts out up to 8 PCI-Express gen 3.0 downstream lanes. A 3rd gen Ryzen processor on a B550 motherboard still puts out PCI-Express gen 4.0 connectivity, which means you get one PCI-Express 4.0 x16 slot, and one M.2 slot with PCI-Express 4.0 x4 wiring. The rest of the chipset's I/O will be similar to the 400-series, which includes six SATA 6 Gbps ports, up to two 10 Gbps USB 3.1 ports, up to four 5 Gbps USB 3.1 ports, and eight USB 2.0/1.1 ports. If the AM4 SoC installed is a 3rd gen Ryzen, then you'll get a couple more 10 Gbps USB 3.1 ports. AMD partners could use the opportunity to launch some of the more upscale B550 motherboards with the latest 2.5 GbE wired LAN, and 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6.Update (16/10): We learn later down in the referenced Reddit thread, including from comments by AMD's Robert Hallock, that the B550A is a rebranded B450 targeted at OEMs. The B550 (non-A) is what is the upcoming chipset detailed in this article.

ENERMAX, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance PC hardware products, launches a new All-In-One CPU liquid cooler, LIQMAX III ARGB, designed to display fascinating addressable RGB lighting effects by synchronizing with ASUS Aura Sync, ASRock Polychrome, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light Sync. Available in 120 mm, 240 mm and 360 mm, LIQMAX III ARGB series is compatible with both Intel and AMD CPU sockets (except socket TR4/SP3).

The premium Aurabelt water block and hub-lighting RGB fan can present 16.8 million RGB lighting illumination by synchronizing with motherboards that have 5 V addressable RGB header. Users can select the preferred lighting styles via the Addressable RGB motherboard software. In addition, the 360 mm radiator version comes along with a control box which allows users to adjust the preferred lighting effects (10 pre-set effects), colors, brightness and speed without software needed.

ASUS over the past week rolled out its flagship socket AM4 motherboard for SFF gaming PC builds, the ROG Crosshair VIII Impact. Based on the AMD X570 chipset and supporting the latest 3rd generation Ryzen processors, this board is slightly longer than the Mini-ITX specification, while retaining its mount-hole layout. The logic here is that most ITX gaming PC cases have two expansion slots to accommodate dual-slot graphics cards, and so it would make sense to extend the motherboard's PCB up until there, reclaiming precious PCB real-estate. Technically this board would qualify as mini-DTX, but ASUS believes it should fit in most ITX cases that have two expansion slots. The board's dimensions are 203 mm x 170 mm.

The ROG Crosshair VIII Impact draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, conditioning power for the AM4 SoC using a massive 8-phase VRM. The AM4 socket is wired to a pair of DDR4 DIMM slots, the board's sole expansion slot, a PCI-Express 4.0 x16, and the interestingly-named SO-DIMM.2 slot. Physically, this is an SO-DIMM slot that's been re-wired with PCIe gen 4.0 leading up to a proprietary SO-DIMM daughterboard that holds two M.2-2280 slots with PCIe 4.0 x4 and SATA 6 Gbps wiring, each. Four SATA 6 Gbps ports make for the rest of the storage connectivity. The area of the motherboard just below the PCIe x16 slot has another proprietary slot that holds the second daughterboard, this one with the SupremeFX Impact IV onboard audio solution, which has been physically isolated from the main PCB, and has an EMI-shielded Realtek ALC1220 main CODEC, ESS Sabre ES9023P DAC for the main stereo channel, a de-pop circuit, and audio-grade capacitors.

AMD is giving final touches to an AGESA microcode update that fixes the issue of underwhelming Precision Boost behavior on its 3rd generation Ryzen processors. Version ComboAM4 1.0.0.3ABBA is being pushed to motherboard manufacturers to integrate with their UEFI firmware, and one such dispatch to MSI got leaked to the web on ChipHell. Tom's Hardware grabbed the BIOS as it was compatible with the MEG X570 Creator motherboard they have, and tested the Ryzen 9 3900X and Ryzen 7 3700X with it.

In its testing, posted in a mini-review article, Tom's Hardware observed that with AGESA 1.0.0.3ABBA, their 3700X sample was correctly hitting 4.40 GHz across the board at stock settings. With the older 1.0.0.3AB, it would touch 4.375 GHz. The Ryzen 9 3900X behaves slightly differently with this microcode. Tom's Hardware was able to raise its peak boost frequency from 4.575 GHz to 4.625 GHz (above the 4.60 GHz specification), but in certain tests such as POV-Ray and Cinebench, its boost frequency decays down to 4.250 GHz. Overall, the reviewer tabulated improved performance on the chips with the new microcode. The new microcode also apparently changes the processor's thermal thresholds.Update (10/9) AMD posted an elaborate release detailing the AGESA 1.0.0.3ABBA update.

ENERMAX, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance PC hardware products, is expanding the widely-acclaimed ARGB liquid cooler series, AQUAFUSION, with the addition of white 120 and 240 mm AIO coolers. Inherited from AQUAFUSION lineup, the white version is characterized by a white water block with splendid step shaped lighting effects, ENERMAX SquA RGB white fan and radiator to accent your rig's style.

Thanks to the precisely engineering technology, the patented Dual-Chamber water block design is able to isolate the pump from CPU heat in order to prolong its lifetime usage. In addition, combined with the Shunt-Channel Technology (SCT) on the cold plate and the Central Coolant Inlet (CCI) structure inside water block, it can inject the incoming coolant at the hottest spot to prevent heat surges and shorten the coolant flow path, resulting in faster heat transfer and better cooling performance of up to 300 W and 360 W TDP for 120 mm and 240 mm radiator respectively.

ASUS started selling its premium Mini-ITX motherboard based on the AMD X570 chipset, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix X570-I Gaming. The board was announced as part of ASUS' X570 motherboard lineup back in July, but is only now reaching selves, with an MSRP of USD $220. The board features an elaborate thermal solution that cools the CPU VRM, the fiesty X570 chipset, and an M.2-2280 SSD over a network of interconnected heatsinks that are ventilated by two 30 mm fans. Despite crippling space constraints, ASUS managed to cram in a 10-phase VRM to power the socket AM4 CPU, which is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, an M.2-2280 slot, and the board's sole expansion slot, a PCI-Express 4.0 x16.

Storage connectivity on the ASUS ROG Strix X570-I Gaming includes not one, but two M.2-2280 slots, one wired to the AM4 socket, and the other from the X570 chipset. The two M.2 slots are stacked one on top of the other, with a metal heatspreader between them, pulling heat from the drive below to the board's heatsink network. Four SATA 6 Gbps ports make the rest of the storage connectivity. Networking includes WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.0 from an Intel "Cyclone Peak" AX200 card; and 1 GbE wired Ethernet pulled by an Intel i211-AT chip. The onboard audio solution features a Realtek ALC1200A CODEC with dual OPAMPs.

GIGABYTE today unveiled its first all-in-one closed-loop liquid CPU cooler, with the Aorus Liquid Cooler 240. A star attraction with this cooler is its cylindrical pump-block which has a circular LCD display on top, much like ASUS ROG Ryujin. Unlike the Ryujin, the display is white and takes up color from a circular RGB LED ring surrounding the display, giving it the appearance of a color display. Sleeved coolant tubes connect this block to a 240 mm x 120 mm radiator, which ventilated by a pair of 120 mm fans that have RGB LED illumination.

A single 3-pin addressable RGB connection handles lighting for the entire cooler, while a USB 2.0 header connection interfaces the cooler with GIGABYTE's RGB Fusion software, letting you cycle through its display. The included pair of 120 mm fans feature double ball-bearings, each spin up to 2,500 RPM, pushing 59.25 CFM of air, with a noise output of 18 to 39.5 dBA. The block is made of copper, while the radiator is made of aluminium. Among the CPU socket types supported are AM4, LGA115x, and LGA2066. The block is compatible with the Asetek-standard round AMD TR4 retention module that's part of Threadripper processors' retail package. The company didn't reveal pricing.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, is proud to announce a new addition to its AMD socket AM4 motherboards with the BIOSTAR X470MH. Built for office workers looking to smoothly cruise through their daily tasks without setbacks and for home users looking for a strong and stable platform to run their HTPC, the X470MH is equipped with the latest features the PC industry has to offer while maintaining an affordable price point. And for those looking to push the limit, the X470MH offers overclocking possibilities giving the user the added performance benefit for faster gaming and task management without risking to damage their investment.

The BIOSTAR X470MH, equipped with AMD's X470 chipset and AMD AM4 CPU socket, brings support for AMD's latest 3rd Gen Ryzen 7 nm processors. Built to make your daily computer needs a breeze, the X470MH is a Micro ATX motherboard featuring USB 3.1 Gen1 support (5 Gb/s) providing fast transfer speeds and support to a wide array of peripherals, PCI-e M.2 at 32 Gb/s for increased system responsiveness, as well as HDMI 4K resolution to sooth the eye while watching Netflix or Youtube, and a VGA port for a wider range of monitor compatibility. In addition, the Internet and network connectivity will not be a drag with the onboard Realtek GbE LAN. Overclockers are not left out either with enough room for 2x DDR4 RAM slots which support up to 32 GB and overclocks at 3200 MHz, making multitasking a pleasant experience.

Thermalright today rolled out the True Spirit 90M Rev B CPU cooler. A major update to the True Spirit 90M Rev A from 2013, the Rev B comes with four 6 mm-thick heat-pipes instead of three. The aluminium fin-stack pushed slightly further to the left and top to free up more clearance near the motherboard's memory area and the M.2 slot closest to the CPU socket. It also has an updated aesthetic (different fan colors). Support is added for some of the newer CPU sockets, such as AM4.

Interestingly, the thermal load capacity between the two revisions remains unchanged at 120 Watts. Measuring 102 mm x 50 mm x 125 mm (WxDxH), the cooler weighs 365 g, which is in fact 22 g lighter than the Rev A. The fan takes in 4-pin PWM input, spins between 800 to 2,000 RPM, and pushes up to 39.36 CFM of air, with a noise output of 27 dBA. The True Spirit 90M Rev B replaces the Rev A at its $29 price.

ENERMAX, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance PC hardware products, adds an addressable RGB version into ETS-T50 AXE lineup. The extended product series is called ETS-T50 AXE ARGB, which can support the cooling performance of 230 W+ TDP and is designed to display fascinating addressable RGB lighting effects by synchronizing with ASUS Aura, ASRock Polychrome, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light Sync.

The exclusive plug & play function further enables ETS-T50 AXE ARGB to display luminous rainbow RGB lighting effect by simply connecting the PWM power cable. Available in black and white colors, ETS-T50 AXE ARGB is compatible with both Intel and AMD CPU sockets (except socket TR4/SP3).

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.

Cryorig launched its first new product in months after going MIA in the US market with imminent plans to return, the new C7 G CPU Cooler. The company had unveiled this cooler just ahead of this year's Computex. A variant of the C7 Cu all-copper, top-flow, low-profile air cooler, the C7 G features graphene coating on the copper fins and heat-pipes. This coating increases surface-area for heat dissipation at a microscopic level, and is similar in concept to the ceramic coating that CPU cooler manufacturers dabbled with in the past. The cooler can now handle thermal loads of up to 125 W, whereas the original C7 Cu was rated for up to 115 W.

With its fan in place, the C7 G has a height of 47 mm. It uses 57 copper fins stacked perpendicular to the plane of the motherboard, to which heat drawn from the base is conveyed by four 6 mm-thick copper heat-pipes that make direct contact with the CPU. The 92 mm fan takes in 4-pin PWM input, spins between 600 to 2,500 RPM, pushing up to 40.5 CFM of air with a noise output of up to 30 dBA. The cooler only supports mainstream-desktop CPU socket types, including AM4 and LGA115x. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Marvell today released the industry's lowest power PCIe Gen4 NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) controller portfolio. Marvell's newest SSD controllers are designed to meet the need for lower power and higher performance in next-generation data centers and edge devices as artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G gain momentum. This breakthrough technology delivers unparalleled performance in an ultra-compact footprint, leveraging the company's complex system-on-chip (SoC) design expertise and groundbreaking storage IP to help data center, notebook, tablet, gaming and edge computing platform architects advance their solutions for the highly distributed data era.

"Marvell's latest family of storage controllers has been architected to optimally address edge computing and data center pain points of power-performance and capacity-performance," said Nigel Alvares, vice president of marketing for the Flash Business Unit at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. "With today's launch, we're once again demonstrating Marvell's leadership in storage, delivering the industry's first 4-Channel PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD controllers with the industry's lowest power consumption that will help revolutionize SSD solutions for the data economy."

AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) today announced revenue for the second quarter of 2019 of $1.53 billion, operating income of $59 million, net income of $35 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.03. On a non-GAAP basis, operating income was $111 million, net income was $92 million and diluted earnings per share was $0.08.

"I am pleased with our financial performance and execution in the quarter as we ramped production of three leadership 7nm product families," said Dr. Lisa Su, AMD president and CEO. "We have reached a significant inflection point for the company as our new Ryzen, Radeon and EPYC processors form the most competitive product portfolio in our history and are well positioned to drive significant growth in the second half of the year."

AMD today addressed multiple issues with its 3rd generation Ryzen processors through a highly-recommended update to its Chipset Driver software. To begin with, it stated that several users noticed anomalous behavior with 3rd generation Ryzen chips where the voltages and clock-speeds would be raised as the processor would misinterpret low-scale performance requests from certain software as a request to unlock higher performance states (combinations of higher clock-speeds and voltages to support them). This first came to light when users reported abnormally high voltages at idle when performance was measured by certain software that caused the Observer Effect. The new version 1.07.29 of AMD Chipset Drivers refine the AMD Ryzen Balanced Windows power scheme to be more aware of low-priority workloads and ensure the right state when the system is idling. AMD recommends Ryzen Master software. Version 2.0.0.1233 (or later), as they have fixes to the hardware monitoring module.

The AMD Chipset Drivers 1.07.29 also includes a "beta" fix for the bug that rendered "Destiny 2" unplayable on machines powered by 3rd generation Ryzen processors. The company had earlier tried to fix this bug through an update to its AGESA processor microcode, through ComboAM4 1.0.0.3ABA, although that particular version, not to be confused with the widely circulated 1.0.0.3AB, was found to be buggy and pulled. AMD said it's working on a newer version of AGESA, version ComboAM4 1.0.0.3ABB, which will include "a more comprehensive solution" to the bug affecting "Destiny 2."

AMD fixed a bug that caused "Destiny 2" to be unplayable on 3rd generation Ryzen processors, through updated chipset drivers. The company had, earlier this month, released an update to its processor microcode with the AGESA ComboAM4 1.0.0.3ABA update (not to be confused with 1.0.0.3AB), before pulling it for causing other bugs. Ahead of its publication on AMD website, Robert Hallock, the company's technical marketing head for processors, posted a Google Drive link to the driver's installer. It bears the version number v1.07.26.0551, and is marked beta. Hallock comments that this is a "workaround" to help "get you into the game." It looks like a more permanent solution to the bug still lies in updating the microcode, once AMD figures out what went wrong with 1.0.0.3ABA.

The European cooling brand SilentiumPC, presents its newest line-up of enthusiast-level all-in-one CPU liquid cooling solutions with major improvements and addressable RGB illumination! The Navis EVO ARGB series distinguishes itself from the Navis RGB series by providing an all new ceramic bearing, sleeved tubes and superb lighting effects thanks to addressable RGB LEDs. In addition to these premium upgrades, the Navis EVO ARGB comes with an extended 3 years warranty to further underline the quality of the series. Enthusiasts are going to love the Navis EVO ARGB even more, as the models with 240, 280 and 360 radiators offer socket TR4 support for AMD Threadripper Processors out of the box.

With the ambitious goal to make the much acclaimed Navis RGB AIO even better for enthusiasts, SilentiumPC combined all the enhancements in the new Navis EVO ARGB series. Improvements have been made to the water block, which is now based on a 9-pole motor pump with professional-grade ceramic bearing and offers amazing color gradients thanks to addressable RGB LEDs. The long and flexible tubes have been wrapped in high-quality sleeves for better esthetics. Users have now even more options, when choosing the right AIO for their system, since the Navis EVO ARGB series is available with radiator sizes 120, 240, 280 and 360. The combination of the very efficient water block with copper-baseplate and the all-aluminium radiators with densely packed fin-matrix, allows for superb cooling efficiency with high overclocking potential. Yet another advantage of the Navis EVO ARGB 240, 280 and 360 models is the out-of-the-box support for AMD Threadripper Processors.

Motherboard manufacturers seem to be rushing the fill the void of cost-effective motherboards with out of the box Ryzen 3000 support, as AMD X570 motherboards start at $170. The latest entrant is the Racing X470GTA by BIOSTAR, priced around the $120-mark, and packing an interesting mix of modern- and legacy connectivity. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board draws power from 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, conditioning it for the SoC with a simple 4+3 phase VRM. Out of the box, the board supports all Ryzen 3000-series processors launched so far, in addition to 1st and 2nd generation Ryzen, A-series, and Athlon "Bristol Ridge," which make up pretty much every socket AM4 chip launched so far.

The AM4 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, and the board's lone M.2 slot. Two PCIe gen 2.0 x1, and a PCI-Express x16 slot with gen 2.0 x4 wiring, make for the rest of the expansion area; while six SATA 6 Gbps ports make the remaining storage options. This is probably the only AMD X470 motherboard to feature legacy PCI slots, using an ASMedia bridge chip. USB connectivity includes two 10 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 2 ports (from which one is type-C), and eight 5 Gb/s USB 3.1 gen 1 ports (from which four are by headers) The lone network interface is a 1 GbE driven by a Realtek 8118AS "DragonLAN" chip. The onboard audio solution is powered by an entry-level Realtek ALC892. Other legacy connectivity includes a PS/2 combo port and a serial COM header. Despite these, there are some wacky enthusiast-friendly features, including onboard buttons for automated overclocking, power/reset; dual-BIOS with a manual 2-way switch, and diagnostic LEDs.

MSI, the world's leading motherboard brand, is proud to announce AMD AM4 300- and 400- series MAX motherboards. Since AMD Ryzen 3000 series processors launched and have attracted public attention all over the world, AM4 socket compatibility has become a contentious topic for people who are interested in buying Ryzen CPUs. Currently AMD has 300-, 400-, and X570 platforms with the same AM4 socket, which might cause confusion. End users might feel a bit overwhelmed in terms of choosing a either a new CPU or a new motherboard or both a new CPU and a new motherboard.

To make everything simple, MAX motherboards provide maximum compatibility for AM4 socket. This means users do not have to worry about the collocation of CPU and motherboard. We have clear information both on the packaging and product page if customers are still confused.

BIOSTAR formally (officially) enabled PCI-Express gen 4.0 support for four of its socket AM4 motherboard models based on the AMD X470 and B450 chipsets, through BIOS updates. The updated BIOS lets you use PCI-Express gen 4.0 graphics cards on the topmost PCI-Express x16 slot, and the M.2 NVMe slot that's directly wired to the AM4 SoC. The expansion slots that are wired to the chipset are still restricted to PCIe gen 2.0. You will need a 3rd generation Ryzen "Matisse" processor for PCI-Express gen 4.0. Among the motherboards that receive PCIe gen 4.0 support through BIOS updates are the AB45C-M4S (B450MH), the AB35G-M4S (B45M2), the AX47A-A4T (X470GT8), and the AX47A-I4S (X470GTN). The links lead to the BIOS image files on BIOSTAR website, which you use at your own risk.

The latest version of AGESA ComboAM4 microcode that enables 3rd generation Ryzen support on AMD 400-series chipset motherboards has been deemed buggy and pulled from motherboard vendors. AGESA ComboAM4 1.0.0.3ABA (not to be confused with 1.0.0.3AB that's being widely distributed), was originally released to fix an application crash noticed with "Destiny 2." The microcode inadvertantly destabilizes PCI-Express on motherboards, with users of ASUS motherboards complaining of stability issues with the latest BIOS updates that include 1.0.0.3ABA.

Peter "Shamino" Tan from ASUS commented that the company was under a tight schedule to push 1.0.0.3ABA out as BIOS updates, and didn't have the time to properly validate it. "We just got told to pull (was undergoing validation prior) 1003 ABA version," he said, adding the root cause of the problem being "that PCIE speed of BXB-C downgraded from gen4 to gen2,..." He comments "so its not surprising that bugs emerge since the source has hidden bugs that only gets unraveled with thorough testing. combine that with trying to get firmwares out in a tight time frame, kinda damn if you do (release firmware quickly) and damn if you dont (dont release firmware quickly) situation." It's interesting to note that in their BIOS update change-logs, quite a few motherboard vendors omit the full version string of AGESA. You may encounter ComboAM4 1.0.0.3AB being referred to simply as "AGESA ComboAM4 1.0.0.3."