AMD Readies X870E Chipset to Launch Alongside First Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" CPUs

[btarunr]

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.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[mechtech]

I want 8 m.2 slots...........even if they are all version 4 I'm fine with that.

edit - hmmmmmmmmm what will those be used for??

 

[btarunr]

I want 8 m.2 slots...........even if they are all version 4 I'm fine with that.

edit - hmmmmmmmmm what will those be used for??
View attachment 333215

The one below is an M.2 E-key for WLAN cards; the one above is for a breakout Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 card (it has PCIe x4, USB3, DisplayPort, and some platform pins).

 

[mechtech]

The one below is an M.2 E-key for WLAN cards; the one above is for a breakout Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 card (it has PCIe x4, USB3, DisplayPort, and some platform pins).

Interesting - it would be neat if they included a few expansion card options......kind of like the framework laptop.

Framework Marketplace | Expansion Cards

Head to the Expansion Cards page to choose which ports you need for your Framework Laptop—from additional storage to additional device connections.

frame.work

 

[LabRat 891]

Now, that's a worthy successor to X570! -and (FFS! Finally!) USB4 as a platform standard.
Zen5 on AM5 kinda tickles the brain in just the right way, too.

Something to look forward to looking at, as the platform emerges and the kinks get worked out.

 

[Kapone33]

This is what I love about AMD. You can upgrade the CPU or MB and keep on trucking without batting an eye.

 

[Mawkzin]

B840 this one grab my attention, will it be an A820 with overclok enable or a very similar to b850 ?

 

[Super XP]

Originally I read somewhere that AMD will not launch a new chipset right away with ZEN5 CPUs. Now the rumor mill is saying they will.
This sounds like a great successor to the X570 chipset.

 

[RayneYoruka]

Originally I read somewhere that AMD will not launch a new chipset right away with ZEN5 CPUs. Now the rumor mill is saying they will.
This sounds like a great successor to the X570 chipset.

Finally a good contender

Damm I just built a second x570 rig for streaming ~~~~

 

[dicobalt]

That's a lot of choke for g rated photo.

 

[Hyderz]

let's hope the price of these motherboards aren't pricier than the current ones... many were put off because the boards were expensive...
the lowered ram prices helped but now they are going up... i hope the price will be placed accordingly...
if the price is right i might pull the upgrade trigger.... and finally ditch intel

 

[Chaitanya]

I want 8 m.2 slots...........even if they are all version 4 I'm fine with that.

edit - hmmmmmmmmm what will those be used for??
View attachment 333215

Some motherboards(MSI X670e ACE prime example) have their 20Gbps and USB 4 ports on separate card connected via mPCIe slot while Wifi with its dedicated slot is quite common across multiple board vendors.

 

[maxfly]

let's hope the price of these motherboards aren't pricier than the current ones... many were put off because the boards were expensive...
the lowered ram prices helped but now they are going up... i hope the price will be placed accordingly...
if the price is right i might pull the upgrade trigger.... and finally ditch intel

I wouldn't get my hopes up. One thing that rarely if ever goes down in price is top tier MBs from either side. MB manufacturers have become just as greedy with high end MBs as they are with GPUs. If you don't mind dropping down to a b50 model there's generally really solid value there but you'll have to wait for them if AMD sticks to their usual release pattern.

 

[Patriot]

Interesting - it would be neat if they included a few expansion card options......kind of like the framework laptop.

Framework Marketplace | Expansion Cards

Head to the Expansion Cards page to choose which ports you need for your Framework Laptop—from additional storage to additional device connections.

frame.work

I mean, you can shove a coral into the wifi m.2

 

[dgianstefani]

I mean, my current X670E mobo already has two USB4 ports, so hopefully there's also other improvements or the refresh is pretty boring.

Mandating it is good I suppose, but surely there's more interesting stuff to improve.

Thunderbolt 4? WiFi 7? Better memory traces?

 

[thesmokingman]

Still waiting... holds onto x570 just a lil longer.

 

[ir_cow]

DDR5-6400 1:1 will rock DDR5-8000 2:1. Just like AM4, There is zero reason (besides WR) run memory that isn't in a 1:1 ratio with the memory controller.

 

[Launcestonian]

FCLK 2400MHz.... mmmm... NICE! This with tuned low latency 6400MT/S memory in 1:1 will be a KILLER.

 

[watzupken]

let's hope the price of these motherboards aren't pricier than the current ones... many were put off because the boards were expensive...
the lowered ram prices helped but now they are going up... i hope the price will be placed accordingly...
if the price is right i might pull the upgrade trigger.... and finally ditch intel

May be a tricky ask. Current boards are not mandated to include USB 4.0 and clearly only high end models currently offers any connection above USB 3.2. To force USB 4.0, I believe it will drive cost higher and will be passed on to consumers.

 

[AusWolf]

Promontory 21? So it's just a renamed X670/B650 with a USB 4 controller, right?

 

[LabRat 891]

Promontory 21? So it's just a renamed X670/B650 with a USB 4 controller, right?

3-chip solution—two Promontory 21 bridge chips, and a discrete ASMedia ASM4242 USB4 host controller

Seems that way. Funny how we've gone backwards. "SoC" yet we now have more southbridges than ever before

 

[AusWolf]

Seems that way. Funny how we've gone backwards. "SoC" yet we now have more southbridges than ever before

If you add a Southbridge to your Southbridge, you can increase the model number by 1 for sales and marketing.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I mean, my current X670E mobo already has two USB4 ports, so hopefully there's also other improvements or the refresh is pretty boring.

No, you have an Intel JHL8540 Thunderbolt 4 chip that is slower than the ASM4242 when it comes to USB4 data transfers due to it being PCIe 3.0 rather than PCIe 4.0.

Promontory 21? So it's just a renamed X670/B650 with a USB 4 controller, right?

Pretty much, yes.

 

[Assimilator]

Promontory 21? So it's just a renamed X670/B650 with a USB 4 controller, right?

Glad that someone realises this. What makes it even more offensive is that AM5 was supposed to have USB4 at launch, but it's taken ASMedia over a year to pull their finger out.

The other thing is that ASM4242 requires four PCIe 4.0 lanes, which aren't free. If board manufacturers decide to connect it directly to the CPU (and assuming AMD allows this) you'll lose one of the 5.0 M.2 slots, if they go with one of the P21s you'll lose something there (probably also an M.2 slot although "only" a 4.0 one).

 

[dgianstefani]

No, you have an Intel JHL8540 Thunderbolt 4 chip that is slower than the ASM4242 when it comes to USB4 data transfers due to it being PCIe 3.0 rather than PCIe 4.0.


Pretty much, yes.

It may be a Thunderbolt chip but it's just USB4 ports as configured on this motherboard. I can output to a display from them but I'm pretty sure they don't officially support the full Thunderbolt spec.

I don't really mind if I'm only getting 32 Gbps instead of 40, due to gen 3, at least it's not taking faster PCIE priority for a port that's already faster than anything I'll connect to it.