If you are saving money to buy a new computer this year and are targeting AMD platforms, I believe you already know that the AM4 pin has come to an end, and the next Zen 4 architecture processor Ryzen 7000 will switch to the AM5 pin. This is an inevitable change for AMD. After all, AM4 has been used for several years. Although it has won applause from many players, it has also reduced the process of “upgrading computers = replacing the entire set” for many players. However, even if AM4 is about to be phased out, there are still board manufacturers that are keeping it alive. Since 2020, ASRock has been launching unofficial BIOS supporting Rzyen 5000 processors for some of its AMD 300 series chipset motherboards. It was only recently that the processor support list was officially updated on some product web pages. Now they have further expanded the number of supported old motherboards and added 5 X370 motherboards to provide support for new processors:
▲The longevity of AM4 makes it possible for many old chipsets to support new processors (Image source）
When it comes to ASRock, gamers who have been playing computers for some years may have heard the saying: “ASRock has produced monster boards since ancient times.” One of the reasons why ASRock is loved by players is that the company often provides unexpected expansion support in motherboard design. Yaoban Yunyun basically introduces functions or designs that are unlikely to be provided by ordinary motherboards, so that players can feel convenient. For example, in the past, products were launched that allowed two generations of DDR memory to coexist, supported two generations of processor pins (via expansion boards), and even had AGP and PCI-E on the same motherboard. Although ASRock has rarely seen such strange but admirable motherboards in recent times, whenever there is an opportunity, everyone can still see the strength of the “demon board”.
In 2020, ASRock has already provided an unofficial BIOS (or Beta BIOS) that supports Zen 3 processors for the AMD 300 series chipsets that also use the AM4 pin. This move undoubtedly challenges AMD’s restraint on motherboard manufacturers. After all, the processor pins have been used on the AM4 platform for many years. Although it is physically possible for the latest processors to be installed on the CPU sockets of old motherboards, the BIOS cannot recognize the new processors. In principle, the official will not give such good support to the old motherboards. After all, if this continues, AMD’s own products will still be harmed. New chipset motherboards with more features and higher price points will have their sales hampered by such support:
▲From beginning to end, ASRock’s monster boards always give players thumbs up (Image source）
Although ASRock has launched Beta BIOS to give old motherboards a chance to play with new processors, these BIOS still have many problems at the beginning, and such support has never been recognized by AMD. In addition, AMD 300 series chipsets cannot fully utilize the specifications and features of Zen 3 processors, so although it is supported, it is not suitable for general users. Only users who are willing to mess with their computers will play with it:
▲ASRock has successively added support for Ryzen 5000 processors to its AMD 300 series motherboards, and even officially included them in the CPU support list (Image source）
However, supporting new processors means adding relevant information to the BIOS, which usually has limited capacity.Previously, when board manufacturers wanted to enable AMD 400 series to use Zen 4 processors, using compression technology, even the data of the old processor must be deleted before the data of the new processor can be written to provide support. The same goes for AMD 300 series chipsets. ASRock reminds you in English on the BIOS download page: “If the computer still uses Pinnacle Ridge, Raven Ridge, Summit Ridge or Bristol Ridge CPU, ASRock does not recommend updating this BIOS. “To put it bluntly, before the Zen 2 architecture, processors using AM4 pins are not supported by this version of BIOS:
▲The yellow text clearly indicates that the new BIOS does not support some old processors, so users who are still using old processors need to pay special attention (picture taken from ASRock official website）
Currently, ASRock has added Ryzen 5000 series processor models to the processor support list of some 300 series motherboards. Until recently, it was announced on Twitter that there were 5 X370 motherboards, namely Fatal1ty X370 Gaming K4, Fatal1ty X370 Gaming Although installing new processors on old platforms will inevitably encounter some unexpected and wonderful problems, since the motherboard manufacturer is determined to provide a little bit of sure-fire, it is at least good news for players who are not planning to throw away their old motherboards, or whose budget is not enough to afford the replacement of the entire platform.
⚠️ New BIOS for AMD 300 Series Motherboards ⚠️
Fatal1ty X370 Gaming K4
Fatal1ty X370 Gaming X
Fatal1ty X370 Professional Gaming
X370 Killer SLI
X370 Killer SLI/ac— r/ASRock (@redditASRock) February 8, 2022
Source: KOCPC Chinese