Sunday, February 4th 2024
AMD Readies X870E Chipset to Launch Alongside First Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" CPUs
AMD is readying the new 800-series motherboard chipset to launch alongside its next-generation Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" desktop processors that implement the "Zen 5" microarchitecture. The chipset family will be led by the AMD X870E, a successor to the current X670E. Since AMD isn't changing the CPU socket, and this is very much the same Socket AM5, the 800-series chipset will support not just "Granite Ridge" at launch, but also the Ryzen 7000 series "Raphael," and Ryzen 8000 series "Hawk Point." Moore's Law is Dead goes into the details of what sets the X870E apart from the current X670E, and it all has to do with USB4.
Apparently, motherboard manufacturers will be mandated to include 40 Gbps USB4 connectivity with AMD X870E, which essentially makes the chipset a 3-chip solution—two Promontory 21 bridge chips, and a discrete ASMedia ASM4242 USB4 host controller; although it's possible that AMD's QVL will allow other brands of USB4 controllers as they become available. The Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" are chiplet based processors just like the Ryzen 7000 "Raphael," and while the 4 nm "Zen 5" CCDs are new, the 6 nm client I/O die (cIOD) is largely carried over from "Raphael," with a few updates to its memory controller. DDR5-6400 will be the new AMD-recommended "sweetspot" speed; although AMD might get its motherboard vendors to support DDR5-8000 EXPO profiles with an FCLK of 2400 MHz, and a divider.
The Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" will launch alongside a new wave of AMD X870E motherboards, although these processors very much will be supported on AMD 600-series chipset motherboards with BIOS updates. The vast majority of Socket AM5 motherboards feature USB BIOS Flashback, and so you could even pick up a 600-series chipset motherboard with a Ryzen 9000 series processor in combos. The company might expand the 800-series with other chipset models, such as the X870, B850, and the new B840 in the entry level.
Sources:
Moore's Law is Dead (YouTube), Tweaktown
Apparently, motherboard manufacturers will be mandated to include 40 Gbps USB4 connectivity with AMD X870E, which essentially makes the chipset a 3-chip solution—two Promontory 21 bridge chips, and a discrete ASMedia ASM4242 USB4 host controller; although it's possible that AMD's QVL will allow other brands of USB4 controllers as they become available. The Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" are chiplet based processors just like the Ryzen 7000 "Raphael," and while the 4 nm "Zen 5" CCDs are new, the 6 nm client I/O die (cIOD) is largely carried over from "Raphael," with a few updates to its memory controller. DDR5-6400 will be the new AMD-recommended "sweetspot" speed; although AMD might get its motherboard vendors to support DDR5-8000 EXPO profiles with an FCLK of 2400 MHz, and a divider.
216 Comments on AMD Readies X870E Chipset to Launch Alongside First Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" CPUs
But you can divide the Gen5 lanes of the CPU into 6x4 and either use x16 for GPU an 2x4 for SSD, or x8 for GPU and 4x4 for SSD or all 6x4 for SSD, so that's much better than Intel.
Double of the same silicon saves money on the R&D side of things, I guess (you only make one design instead of two). Just like with chiplets, it is meant to benefit AMD, not us.
We should see a price drop on 670 boards but this new series will just take their place in pricing.
What I do want to see is increased IF speed on the new boards and better 1:1 speed for higher tier DDR5.
2. The IF is governed by the CPU and its IO die, as far as I know. The chipset has no effect on it.
Personally, it doesn't bother me - Zen 4 X3D isn't memory-constrained at all as it is. :)
Edit: The last really good single generational upgrade was between Zen 2 and 3, as it was a completely new architecture with new core and cache layout. Since then, AMD has really been "Intel-ing".
The only question will be on how I can time the resale of my Zen 3 parts with the timing of the launch of new boards I would prefer to hold out until the Zen 5 X3D chips but those will come 6 months after so I may not have a choice.
I tried AM5 first with the 7700X, and now the 7800X3D, which are entirely different CPUs in behaviour, although I'm not noticing any extra performance. This is probably the last time I spent money on the "10% superior gaming powah" instead of saving it for a better GPU. I could have had a 7900 XTX with the 7700X instead of the 7800 XT, and it would have given me a much better gaming experience. Oh well... :ohwell:
I might still get a 9800X3D just for shits'n'giggles, but I'll think twice before I pull the trigger this time. If mid-range RDNA 4 comes to be better than my 7800 XT, I'll get that instead.
Please ask Intel about that though.
However, the ASM4242 doesn't have this limitation as already pointed out and can thus do 40 Gbps of data, but it can also be used to mux the DP signal if needed.
And include a beeper for old school users, and, just in case, the error number LED or keep the "RAM/CPU/etc" LED thing