Ryzen 3000 is coming soon. The first mainboard manufacturers already have suitable BIOS updates available, which also reveal new CPU features.
Ryzen 3000 is still compatible with the old mainboards
Those who change their PC components more often will certainly know the problem. After a certain age of the components a change of the whole platform and thus of the mainboard becomes practically inevitable. Intel has practically turned it into its own business model. Mainboards and processors are only compatible with each other in two generations, and that despite the same socket. Z170 mainboards have the same socket as mainboards with a Z390 chipset, but cannot be used with the processors of the Coffee Lake Refresh series. So if you buy a new processor, you also have to buy a new motherboard from Intel every two generations.
However, there is no lack of technical compatibility. Smart hardware engineers have already proven that the old motherboards would be compatible with the new processors without any problems. So the i9-9900K also runs on Z170 mainboards, even overclocked. Intel argued especially with the i9-9900K that the changed power supply was necessary for the eight-core CPU. However, the extreme overclocker der8auer proved that this is rather a pseudo argument, as the processor also works overclocked with many deactivated pins.
Even Intel’s biggest competitor AMD proves that it can be done without a platform change. The Ryzen processors will be available in their third generation in the middle of the year, but will continue to work with the AM4 socket. AMD had also announced that it wanted to use the socket until 2020, which is why even another generation could still be compatible with the old motherboards. Ryzen 3000 will double the number of cores to up to 16. The first BIOS updates of the mainboard manufacturers for X370 and X470 mainboards, in which the Ryzen 3000 processors are mentioned, now also prove that compatibility is given. Further information is also available.
BIOS updates from manufacturers reveal new functions
The mainboard manufacturers are currently preparing the mainboards for the new Ryzen generation. This includes an update to AGESA versions 0.0.7.0 and 0.0.7.2. AGESA meant AMD Generic Encapsulated System Architecture. Specifically, this is the microcode for addressing the processors. In the release notes of Asus, for example, it is directly stated that the update is compatible with new Ryzen processors.
But that’s not all, users of the overclock.net forum have read the code and found out more details about the new processors. The user 1usmus has taken the lead and also published an article about it on TechPowerUp. Accordingly, several things can be extracted from the microcode at the same time. The codename Valhalla, which appeared for the first time a few days ago, could indicate specific products with Zen 2. Previously, the code name Matisse for Ryzen 3000 had always been mentioned. The abbreviation CCD, on the other hand, stands for one Zen 2 chip. This also indicates that actually two of these chiplets with up to eight cores and thus 16 cores in total are used.
Further details refer to the connection called Infinity Fabric at AMD. While the Epyc 2 chiplets can actually only communicate with each other via the management chip, the Zen 2 chiplets in Ryzen 3000 will also have a direct connection. The RAM channels should also be assigned to one of the chiplets via the management chip. The clock of the Infinity Fabric should no longer be rigidly coupled to the RAM frequency, but should be able to run either slower or twice as fast via dividers.
New OC Features for Ryzen 3000 appeared
The BIOS updates also indicate new features. The XFR algorithm should also have been updated again. A built-in memory test should also be able to check the stability of the working memory. There should also be a special feature for the RAM. So the controllers should be able to handle a partial error correction. Otherwise, only ECC memory modules with a suitable controller can handle such a correction.
The fact that updates for Ryzen 3000 have already been released also shows that we are not far away from a market launch. The current dates are either Computex 2019 in Taiwan or a special AMD event on 7 July as part of the event. At this event the new Radeon Navi generation is rumored to launch too.
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