For the past few months, the rumor mill surrounding AMD’s upcoming Ryzen 7000 processors for desktop computers has been rampant. Although Lisa Su will debut Zen 4 at CES 2022, the new AM5 platform was expected to include multiple chipsets, just like the AM4 will have 500+ motherboard lifetimes from the X370, X470, X570 and every chipset in between. .
AMD announces X670E, X670 and B650 chipsets during AMD Keynote at Computex 2022and this evening AMD announced a fourth chipset for the Ryzen 7000, the B650E chipset. The B650E chipset will work alongside the previously announced B650 chipset, but as it’s part of AMD’s ‘Extreme’ series chipsets, it has at least one M.2 slot from PCIe 5.0 lanes, as well as an optional PCIe 5.0 to one PCIe graphics slot. features not found on standard B650 boards.
During AMD’s Keynote at Computex 2022, AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su, introduced three AM5 chipsets It is designed to use the power of 5 nm Zen 4 cores in Ryzen 7000 processors. We already knew that the AM5 socket is based on a 1718-pin Lane Grid Array (LGA) socket, aptly named LGA1718. Some of the key benefits coming to the AM5 include native PCIe 5.0 support from the CPU, not only for use with PCIe slots, but also in the PCIe 5.0 storage path, with the first consumer drivers expected to be released in November 2022. .
AMD’s latest B650E (Extreme) chipset announcement gives motherboard vendors and users a lower-cost platform option without sacrificing PCIe 5.0 longevity and expansion support. The X670E chipset is reserved for its most premium models, such as the flagship. ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme motherboard introduced at Computex 2022.
| AMD AM5 Chipset Comparison | ||||
| Features | X670E | X670 | B650E | B650 |
| CPU PCIe (PCIe) | 5.0 (Mandatory) 2 x 16 Slots |
4.0 (5.0 Optional) |
4.0 (5.0 Optional) |
4.0 (5.0 Optional) |
| CPU PCIe (M.2 Slots) | At least 1 PCIe 5.0 Slot | PCIe 4.0 (5.0 Optional) |
||
| Total CPU PCIe Lanes | 24 | |||
| Super Speed USB 20Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2×2) |
up to 14 | |||
| DDR5 Support | Quad Channel (128 bit bus) Speeds TBD |
|||
| Wi-Fi 6E | Yes | |||
| Overclocking Support | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Available | September 2022 | October 2022 | ||
Using PCIe 5.0 lanes usually requires a higher quality PCB with more layers, which allows the traces to maintain signal integrity, but this often adds to the cost. The presence of the B650E chipset will allow vendors to use more expensive PCIe 5.0 lanes with more modest controller sets, allowing vendors to balance the cost. Ideally, it would give users a wider and more future-proof platform to upgrade to, but without breaking the bank on unnecessary controller sets; Users who want the best controller kits should opt for the X670 or X670E.
This means that ultimately AMD will have a mainstream platform with PCIe 5.0 (B650E) by default and a lower cost alternative to PEG and M.2 slots with only PCIe 4.0 lanes. AMD strongly encourages motherboard vendors to offer at least one PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot for storage on most of their motherboards, as this is one of the main advantages of AMD’s AM5 platform.
As AMD announced during the PCs event we’ll be going with, Ryzen 7000 processors for desktop, both motherboards will be released on September 27 with X670E and X670 chipsets. Motherboards with the B650E and B650 chipsets will be available for purchase at a later date in October.
