Ryzen 5 BIOS compatibility with today's B350 chipset motherboards.

[Stoica06]

Hello!

I have some questions regarding the compatibility of B350 chipset mobo's which are curently being sold as we speak, and future Ryzen releases, R5 hexa cores especially.

I'll try to summarize my question with an example: Let's say that, after R5 is finally released, i buy one of the R5 CPU's and a B350 chipset motherboard from a big local retailer. What are the odds that the motherboard I bought will not be compatible with the R5 CPU because it couldn't have been BIOS updated to support it because it was already in the retailer's stock long before I made the purchase? From what I know and what I read on various forums, you can't even enter the BIOS to flash it if the mobo doesn't support the CPU from the beginning. I don't think that retailers start to update mobo BIOSes on their own when a new processor is released?.

I may be wrong in all of this, but that's why I'm asking you.

Thank you!

 

[Supahos]

Those chips actually exist today, just not installed retail form. I can't see any reason why the bioses won't be able to support them. It's not like going from sky to kaby lake. It's like going from a 6700k to a 6500 (which is what Intel did on their Skylake release)

 

[Stoica06]

Those chips actually exist today, just not installed retail form. I can't see any reason why the bioses won't be able to support them. It's not like going from sky to kaby lake. It's like going from a 6700k to a 6500 (which is what Intel did on their Skylake release)

Well, if you'll check MSI's and Gigabyte's support pages for this specific chipset, you'll see that they specify which Ryzen processors are currently supported. There are only the three R7's released until now. That's where my doubts come from.

 

[Supahos]

Why would you list CPUs that don't technically exist yet. Technically the confirmation of the SKUs would likely be angering to AMD. Everyone knows what's comming but that's not the same as listing them

 

[Ecky]

If you're buying a board + CPU now and plan to drop in an R5 later for whatever reason, just update the BIOS before you do so. If you're just going to get an R5 when they come out, boards sold at that time should support them. Don't buy a board right now for a CPU you plan to get months from now, as there are bound to be more and cheaper and more mature options.

 

[Stoica06]

Why would you list CPUs that don't technically exist yet. Technically the confirmation of the SKUs would likely be angering to AMD. Everyone knows what's comming but that's not the same as listing them

AMD confirmed those CPU's. Those aren't rumors anymore. Anyway, I hope you're right and I won't be sitting with my MOBO in one hand and the R5 in the other and start to clap vigorously in anger when the day comes.

Thanks!

 

[4745454b]

As mentioned above they are from the same generation, so they will be fine. Motherboard manufacturers can't list them yet because it would be a breach of the NDA. The Ryzen 5 and 3 CPUs that are coming are from the same generation so they will work just fine. Don't over think this.

 

[Stoica06]

If you're buying a board + CPU now and plan to drop in an R5 later for whatever reason, just update the BIOS before you do so. If you're just going to get an R5 when they come out, boards sold at that time should support them. Don't buy a board right now for a CPU you plan to get months from now, as there are bound to be more and cheaper and more mature options.

I'm not buying either right now. I was talking about the moment when R5 is released. That's when I'll buy the motherboard too. I just don't see how the motherboards that are sitting in retailers shops can be updated when it comes out. But let's hope they just didn't list them yet and everything will work.

 

[Supahos]

Why on earth would you buy a motherboard knowing nothing about it and hope to buy a CPU later? That makes zero sense.. this is the biggest mistake I see made. Always buy your rig at once (or at least real close together)

 

[Stoica06]

Why on earth would you buy a motherboard knowing nothing about it and hope to buy a CPU later? That makes zero sense.. this is the biggest mistake I see made. Always buy your rig at once (or at least real close together)

And that's exactly what I'm planning to do - buy them all at once-, as I've said in previous posts.

 

[Supahos]

At no point did you say you'd buy them at the same time, in fact you used the term "bought" in your first post which is past tense meaning it's already happened.


Either way there shouldn't be an issue

 

[Stoica06]

At no point did you say you'd buy them at the same time, in fact you used the term "bought" in your first post which is past tense meaning it's already happened.


Either way there shouldn't be an issue

Ok, to clarify this, i'll quote my original post: Let's say that, after R5 is finally released, i buy one of the R5 CPU's and a B350 chipset motherboard from a big local retailer. What are the odds that the motherboard I bought will not be compatible . That's the part that begins to be hypothetical, after the "Let's say" part. Aaaanyway, thanks for the replies.

 

[Supahos]

Being purely hypothetical I'd guess less than. 5% chance it won't be. It's the same architecture shouldn't be a big deal. In has had several releases just like this I can't imagine the board manufacturers nor AMD are that short sighted