News AMD B550 Motherboards Announced: PCIe 4.0 Support for as Little as $100

[dimar]

If it's a ROM size limitations, manufacturers could release pre-programmed firmware chips with larger capacity, and also have the bin file available for users who have flash programmers. If people can build and mod PCs, it's not that hard to program and swap a BIOS chip. Too bad they started soldering those chips, which makes it little bit harder to manage.

 

[InvalidError]

If it's a ROM size limitations, manufacturers could release pre-programmed firmware chips with larger capacity, and also have the bin file available for users who have flash programmers.

A larger BIOS chip won't solve compatibility with older CPUs because Zen/Zen+ can only address the first 16MB so everything the CPU/APU and BIOS need has to fit there.

As for binary files, first you need to do a dump of your original BIOS to extract board-specific data so you can inject board-specific data in your new BIOS before writing it back. Otherwise, some devices may not work properly and your Windows activation may also get scrapped due to the OS not recognizing the board.

 

[The_Arioch]

They can solder two BIOS chips and a dip switch.
Like those videocards with over-overclocking fallback.
And like some Gigabyte mainboards about 10 years ago.

There will be lots of B550 motherboards to choose from when they officially go on sale on June 12

12 or 16 ? 😀

 

[DZIrl]

I do not understand need to have 10+ a bit different MBs.

 

[mnk4_7]

This is $25 or more over a cheap B450. I think for systems with a CPU like a 3100 or 3300x, PCIe 4.0 is not needed and the buyers would prefer to have a cheaper motherboard. I think MSI -max motherboards (mostly the cheap ones) will still fit the bill for these systems.

Also, the lack of support for 3000 series APUs on this is plain confusing, though I understand why the choice was made. If the box says "Ryzen 3000 Compatible" I could see how someone with a 3200g will be very unhappy when it doesn't work since the 3200g is a "Ryzen 3000" processor by name.

Honestly, AMD's motherboard situation is very confusing and will continue to get more and more confusing in many years on the used markets when you have no clue what generation bios is flashed onto a board.

Gygabyte 450 s2h its 44$

 

[InvalidError]

I do not understand need to have 10+ a bit different MBs.

Cover every price point. cover a few of the more popular color schemes for people who put their PC on display, cover a few different IO breakdown complements and cover niche/semi-custom needs as they arise in sufficiently large volume to warrant new models.

 

[Gillerer]

In short, you get PCIe 4.0 support through the CPU, delivering enough lanes for fast NVMe storage and the GPU. Also included is dual-GPU support (though that’s a feature with far less appeal in recent years), along with a doubling of the bandwidth of the motherboard’s general-purpose PCIe lanes from the chipset, from 2.0 to 3.0. That increased per-lane throughput allowed AMD to reduce the number of lanes between the chipset and CPU from six PCIe 2.0 lanes to four PCIe 3.0.

(emphasis mine)

All mainstream (=non-TR) Ryzen chipsets have had four PCIe lanes from the CPU. Apart from X570 they're PCIe Gen 3 x4, so B550 changes nothing in that sense compared to B450/B350.

It's only the six downstream lanes (from the chipset to devices) that were previously PCIe 2.0 (with B350/B450), and these are now upgraded to Gen 3 with B550.

 

[ocer9999]

I agree...the improved VRM alone makes these new boards a much better buy than B450.

Also the fact that they have high end B550 like the Taichi, it might mean that you dont need to spend 300$+ on a X570 to get a very quality motherboard, high end VRMs and good features.
I mean you won't have as many features but I doubt the majority of people fully populate their USB and Sata..

 

[Corey Thompson]

i guess i probably wont be upgrading this generation then. im looking forward to getting a lategen am4 itx ALL series with the 64MB rom and the 4x32GB sodimms and pairing it with the cheapest many core am4 chip i can find on facebook/ebay.

massive roms would allow for all chips to be supported, lets not joke around a 128MB rom is dirt cheap even if its WAY more expensive than a 16MB rom. its not even fast ram or NAND and we KNOW how cheap 128MB of that stuff is.
Expect someone like MSI to release an AM4 ALL SERIES of boards coming up that claim to support all past and future am4 CPUs.


BUT WHAT I CARE ABOUT IS AN ITX BOARD WITH 4xSODIMM, give me gen4 16xPCIe and m.2, USB2.0 and USB3.0 headers, add few sata ports and ill be happy. i dont even care about the quality of the VRMs but all this should easily be attainable on a sub $200 board. plenty of room in the market for a x299e-itx/ac killer for AM4 as well as the budget board i dream of.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Sodimm on itx boards certainly exists, but many itx boards with sockets are using dimms.

 

[Corey Thompson]

we certainly could do with affordable itx boards with 4 sodimms, i don't see there really being enough room for 4 full sized dimms unless extreme measures are taken as was the case with the x299e-itx/ac and even that was using 4xSODIMM

rear mounted ram and m.2 could be a great way to gain more board realestate. sadly my coolermaster elite 110 would not be possible BUT ID GLADLY TAKE TO IT WITH A GRINDER. the mac pro made great use of rear mounted ram and others should have done it long ago. its been standard on laptops for decades.

 

[santinicouleau]

What the heck, Asus? Those prices are all over $100! You know you can find a X570 for under $150 on facebook!

Yeah, a poop x570

 

[g-unit1111]

The Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master seems like a nice board but for $20 more you can get the full featured X570 Aorus Ultra and you also get the full benefit of having 3 4th gen PCI-E slots.