Today, AMD officially unveiled the B450, a new chipset for the mainstream AM4 platform. This chipset is positioned as an alternative to competing solutions Intel B360 and B250, as well as a more affordable product than the X470 with quite comparable capabilities. Four PCI Express 3.0 lanes (32 Gbit/s) are used to exchange data between the central processor and the B450 chip. Using the new chip, the following interfaces can be implemented on motherboards: USB 3.1 and USB 3.0 (2 connectors each), USB 2.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s (6 connectors each). The built-in six PCI Express 2.0 lanes can communicate with “external” Gigabit Ethernet controllers, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, PCI-E expansion card slots, etc.

The differences between the AMD B350 and B450 system logic sets are generally small, but certain features of the new chip may be useful to at least some users. In particular, we are talking about support for the advanced dynamic overclocking technology Precision Boost Overdrive, associated with 12 nm Ryzen 2000 (Pinnacle Ridge) processors. In addition, using the chipset in question, you can build RAID arrays of levels 0, 1 and 10, as well as increase the performance of the disk subsystem using StoreMI technology - AMD’s response to Intel’s caching technology using low-capacity Optane drives.

Note that the development of Advanced Micro Devices supports all common types of flash memory in SSDs, including 3D XPoint memory, and uses up to 2 GB of DDR4 RAM to speed up data access.

The list of processors supported by AMD B450 includes 28-, 14- and 12-nanometer CPUs and APUs in the AM4 design - from the modest Athlon X4 950 (Bristol Ridge) to the flagship Ryzen 7 2700X. By the way, most serial AM4/B450 motherboards will be limited to supporting 12- and 14-nm processors due to their clear superiority over 28-nm predecessors on the one hand and the limited capacity of UEFI flash chips on the other.

AMD Ryzen processors continue to gain popularity in the market, and along with them, new motherboards with chipsets from the “red” processor giant are becoming in demand. In this article we will look at all the current AMD chipsets for Ryzen and Ryzen 2 processors, tell you how they differ from each other and decide which AMD chipset is better.

general information

Along with the AMD Ryzen processors introduced in 2017, six chipsets were announced: AMD X370, B350, A320, X300, A300 and B300. A year later, Ryzen 2 processors appeared, and with them only one chipset was introduced, AMD X470, and later the B450 appeared. Compared to last year, this is not enough, but don’t be upset, because all AMD 300 series chipsets are compatible with the new 2nd generation AMD Ryzen processors. True, with a couple of reservations. Firstly, compatibility is achieved only after updating the BIOS, which is released by motherboard manufacturers. Fortunately, motherboards are not Android smartphones that can wait months for new firmware. And secondly, AMD B350 and A320 chipsets will not be able to fully unleash the capabilities of the flagship Ryzen 7 2700X. Boards with such chipsets will probably not be able to provide the maximum level of processor power consumption, and as a result, its maximum possible frequency will decrease. But everything is very individual for each board, and there will probably be exceptions.

Next, we will tell you in detail about each chipset separately, and before that we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the summary table with technical characteristics. It is also worth clarifying that the table shows the total number of connectors for processors and chipsets - recall that AMD Ryzen CPUs of the 1st and 2nd generations have their own USB 3.1 Gen 1 and SATA controllers. Also, do not consider the number of USB, SATA or M.2 NVMe ports given in this table as absolute. Motherboard manufacturers have been circumventing such chipset limitations for many years thanks to controllers from third-party manufacturers. These solutions are debugged so well that the difference in throughput between USB ports from the chipset and a third-party controller is unnoticeable. The table is large, so for easy viewing, click on the picture.

AMD X470

The newest and coolest chipset, the first set of system logic chips from the 400 series of AMD. However, in terms of its characteristics, it largely repeats its predecessor, the AMD X370. These two chipsets have the same number of supported PCIe lanes, as well as USB and SATA ports. Overclocking the processor is, of course, available.

The differences between the AMD X470 and X370 go much deeper than the banal set of PCIe lanes and supported ports. AMD X470 received StoreMI technology. Using the latter, you can turn an SSD drive into a smart cache system for your hard drive. When using StoreMI, SSD and HDD will turn into one, single volume. And when you subsequently add disks, you won’t have to rebuild the array or rearrange Windows from scratch.

AMD X470 also has one advantage. Motherboards with this chipset received an improved power subsystem, which will help the new Ryzen 2 processors work more stable both under normal conditions and when overclocked. In addition, boards based on the new chipset have changed the layout of the RAM slots, which will help a system with two DDR4 modules work more stable, and when overclocking the RAM, get the best results.

AMD B450

The AMD B450 system logic set was officially introduced at the end of July 2018. It is positioned as a more affordable alternative to AMD's flagship X470 chipset. This chipset supports CPU overclocking, AMD StoreMI, and allows for multi-card configurations with AMD GPUs. But NVIDIA SLI is no longer supported.

As for the differences between the AMD B450 and X470, they are minimal. In addition to the lack of SLI support already mentioned above, the AMD B450 chipset has 4 fewer USB 3.1 Gen1 ports than the current flagship X470.

AMD X370

The flagship chipset for 1st generation Ryzen processors remains a relevant solution, despite the existence of the AMD X470. Motherboards with AMD X370 are suitable for two generations of Ryzen CPUs; they can also be used to assemble configurations with multiple NVIDIA and AMD video cards.

In addition, the AMD X370 chipset will allow you to assemble bundles from AMD and NVIDIA video cards, and create RAID arrays of types 0, 1 and 10. This chipset also supports processor overclocking - after all, it was created for enthusiasts.

AMD B350

The next chipset, AMD B350, is designed for creating ordinary home or office PCs. It has slightly fewer PCIe lanes, as well as USB and SATA ports, than the AMD X370 or X470. However, even such a chipset allows you to overclock the processor - this option was not removed from the AMD B350.

However, the shortcomings of the AMD B350 chipset should not be taken seriously. A motherboard with such a set of system logic can even accommodate two video cards operating in Crossfire mode. But the second card can only be connected to a PCIe 3.0 slot with four lanes. In addition, motherboard manufacturers can increase the number of USB ports using controllers from third-party companies.

AMD A320

The AMD A320 chipset is suitable for those who want to build the simplest PC. It does not have any overclocking functions or creating configurations from several video cards. But owners of motherboards with AMD A320 will have the opportunity to create RAID arrays of levels 0, 1 and 10. And they didn’t skimp on supporting USB ports when creating such a chipset.

AMD X300

Performance PCs in a small form factor will always be the ultimate dream of many enthusiasts. It is for them that the AMD X300 chipset was created. It is designed for installation in the smallest motherboards, and at the same time allows you to overclock the processor, and at the same time supports CrossFire. True, how to place two top gaming video cards on a small Mini-ITX motherboard remains a mystery, the solution of which was left to the conscience of motherboard manufacturers.

The AMD X300 has one more feature. It does not have native support for SATA and USB, so only the port controllers installed in AMD Ryzen processors will be used when using it. The X300 also communicates with the processor using a separate SPI interface, so the processor frees up 4 more PCIe lanes. Typically these lines are used to connect the processor to the chipset, but in the case of the AMD X300 they can be used to connect additional M.2 drives, local network, Wi-Fi modules and other devices. In general, everything in the AMD X300 chipset is good, but motherboards in which it would be installed are not found in stores. But you can find Mini-ITX solutions with B350 and even X470 chipsets.

AMD A300 and AMD B300

AMD A300 and B300 chipsets were created for the most compact motherboards. Judging by the small capabilities, they were intended for media centers or embedded solutions in demand in production. The solution is, of course, interesting and probably budget-friendly, but there are no motherboards with such chipsets on the market.

Conclusion

At the time of this writing, AMD has announced 7 chipset models that are suitable for PCs designed to solve any task. Unfortunately, the invisible hand of the market intervened in the plans of the global chipmaker, so motherboards with three out of seven chipsets are not for sale. We are talking about AMD X300, A300 and B300. On the one hand, the situation is mysterious, but on the other, the remaining four sets of chips are enough to build mapboards for any user requests. And motherboards with them are not that expensive.

Which AMD chipset is better? If you plan to build a powerful PC with 2nd generation Ryzen processors, then you should take a look at the AMD X470 chipset. Although in terms of its technical characteristics it largely repeats the AMD X370, motherboards with an X470 on board will have an improved power subsystem and better layout of the RAM slots.

The X370 chipset is also suitable for building a top-end AMD PC, especially in cases where you want to save on a motherboard. The main thing to remember is that this chipset will only support the new Ryzen 2 processors with the new BIOS version. It will probably already be hardwired into the motherboard at the production stage, but only if you have a “fresh” copy. Also, to build a PC with the ability to overclock the processor, you can use a board with the AMD B450 chipset, introduced in 2018.

The AMD A320 system logic set is useful for assembling ordinary home or office PCs. Of course, no one will forbid connecting a top-end video card to a motherboard with such chipsets, turning an office “typewriter” into a powerful gaming PC. However, here you cannot overclock the processor and create a system with two video cards.

AMD was able to very harmoniously differentiate its chipsets so that everyone could find something for their tasks, and did not overpay extra money for unnecessary functionality.

The motherboard chipset is blocks of microcircuits (literally chip set, that is, a set of chips) that are responsible for the operation of all other computer components. The performance and speed of your PC also depends on it.

As you understand, in addition, close attention should be paid to the chipset placed on it, especially when we are talking about modern powerful home or gaming computers.

They are easy to identify visually on the motherboard - these are large black microcircuits, which are sometimes covered with cooling radiators.

Motherboard architecture with two bridges

In the already outdated design of the motherboard, the chipset chips were divided into two blocks - the north and south bridge according to their location on the diagram.

The functions of the north bridge are to ensure the operation of the processor with RAM (RAM controller) and video card (PCI-E x16 controller). The southern one is responsible for connecting the processor with other computer devices - hard drives, optical drives, expansion cards, etc. via SATA, IDE, PCI-E x1, PCI, USB, sound controllers.

The main performance characteristic of the chipset in this architecture is the data bus (System Bus), designed to exchange information between the various parts that make up the computer. All components work with the chipset through buses, each at its own speed. This is clearly visible in the chipset diagram.

The performance of the entire PC depends precisely on the speed of the bus that connects it to the chipset itself. In Intel chipset terminology, this bus is referred to as FSB (Front Side Bus).

In the description of the motherboard, this is referred to as “bus frequency” or “bus bandwidth”.
Let's take a closer look at these characteristics of the data bus. It is determined by two indicators - frequency and width.

• Frequency is the speed at which data is transmitted, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). The higher this indicator, the higher the performance of the entire system as a whole (for example, 3 GHz).
• Width - the number of bytes that the bus has the ability to transfer at a time in bytes (for example, 2 Bt). The greater the width, the more information the bus can transmit in a certain period of time.

When we multiply these two values, we get a third, which is precisely indicated on the diagrams - throughput, which is measured in gigabytes per second (Gb/s, Gb/s). From our example, we multiply 3 GHz by 2 Bytes and get 6 Gb/s.

In the picture below, the bus bandwidth is 8.5 gigabytes per second.

The north bridge communicates with the RAM using a built-in two-channel controller via the RAM Bus, which has 128 contacts (x128). When working with memory in single-channel mode, only 64 tracks are used, so for maximum performance it is recommended to use 2 memory modules connected to different channels.

Architecture without northbridge

In the latest generation processors, the north bridge is already built into the processor chip itself, which significantly increases its performance. Therefore, on new motherboards it is completely absent - only the south bridge remains.

In the example below, the chipset does not have a north bridge, since its function is taken over by a processor with a built-in video core, but from it we also see the designation of the data bus speed.

Modern processors use the QPI (QuickPath Interconnect) bus, as well as the PCI-e x16 graphics controller, which used to be in the northbridge and is now built into the processor. As a result of them becoming embedded, the main data bus characteristics are not as important as they were in the previous generation dual-bridge architecture.

In modern chipsets on new boards, there is another bus operation parameter - transfers per second, which indicates the number of data transfer operations per second. For example, 3200 MT/s (megatransfers per second) or 3.2 GT/s (gigatransfers).

The same characteristic is indicated in the descriptions of processors. Moreover, if the chipset has a bus speed of 3.2 GT/s, and the processor, for example, has 2 GT/s, then this combination will operate at a lower value.

Chipset manufacturers

The main players in the market of chipset manufacturers are the companies already familiar to us from Intel and AMD, as well as NVidea, which is better known to users for its video cards, and Asus.

Since the main manufacturers today are the first two, let's take a look at modern and already outdated models.

Intel chipsets

Modern - 8x, 7x and 6x series.
Outdated - 5x, 4x and 3x, as well as NVidea.

Marking a chipset with a letter before a number indicates the power of the chipset within one line.

• X - maximum performance for gaming computers
• P - high performance for powerful computers for mass use
• G - for a regular home or office computer
• B, Q - for business. The characteristics are the same as “G”, but have additional functions, such as remote maintenance and access monitoring for administrators of large offices and enterprises.

Recently, several more new series have been introduced for the new LGA 1155 chipset:

• N - for ordinary users
• R 67 - for enthusiasts who are planning further modernization and overclocking of the system
• Z - universal option, combines the characteristics of the previous two

From the chipset diagram you can easily understand what built-in and external functions it supports. For example, let's look at the diagram of the modern high-performance Intel Z77 chipset.

The first thing that attracts attention is the absence of a north bridge. As we can see, this chipset works with processors with integrated graphics core (Processor Graphics) of the Intel Core series. For a home computer, the built-in core will be enough to work with documents and watch videos. However, if greater performance is required, for example when installing modern games, then the chipset supports the installation of several video cards in the PCI Express 3 slot. Moreover, when installing 1 video card, it will use 16 lines, two - each with 8 lines, or one 8, the other 4 , and the remaining 4 lines will be used to work with devices using Thunderbolt technology.

The chipset is also ready for further upgrades and system overclocking (Intel Extreme Tuning Support).

For comparison, let's look at another chipset - Intel P67, which is shown below. Its main difference from the Z77 is that it does not support working with the processor’s built-in video core.

This means that a motherboard equipped with a P67 will not be able to work with the integrated graphics core of the processor and you will definitely have to buy a discrete (separate) video card for it.

AMD chipsets

Modern - Axx series (for processors with a built-in video core), 9xx and 8xx.
Outdated - 7xx, nForce and GeForce, with the exception of some models.

The weakest in terms of performance are those models whose names contain only numbers.

• The letters G or V in the model name indicate the presence of a built-in video card in the chipset.
• X or GX - support for two separate (discrete) video cards, but not at full capacity (8 lines each).
• FX are the most powerful chipsets that fully support multiple graphics cards.

The bus that connects the processor and the chipset is called Hyper Transport (HT) by AMD. In modern chipsets working with sockets AM2+, AM3, AM3+ it is version 3.0, in AM2 it is 2.0.

• HT 2.0: max frequency - 1400 MHz, width 4 bytes, bandwidth 2.8 GT/s
• HT 3.0: max frequency 2600 MHz, width 4 bytes, bandwidth 5.3 GT/s

Let's look at an example of a motherboard description on the website and determine which chipset is installed on it.

In this picture we have the MSI Z77A-G43 model - from the name itself it is clear that it is equipped with an Intel Z77 chipset, which is also confirmed in the detailed description.

And here is the ASUS SABERTOOTH 990FX R2.0 board with a powerful chipset from AMD 990FX, which is also evident both from the name and from the detailed description.

What is the best motherboard chipset?

Let's summarize - which chipset is better to choose for your computer?

It all depends on what purpose you are building your PC for. If this is an office or home computer on which you do not plan to install games, then it is advisable to choose a chipset that works with processors with an integrated graphics core. By purchasing such a board and, accordingly, a processor with built-in video, you will receive a kit that is quite suitable for working with documents and even watching videos in good quality.

If you require more in-depth work with graphics, for example, for average video games or graphics applications, then you will use a separate video card, which means there is no point in overpaying for a graphics chipset that supports work with the built-in video processor - it is better if it provides maximum performance video cards.

For the most powerful gaming computers, and to a lesser extent for those that will run graphics-intensive professional programs, choose the most powerful models that fully support multiple graphics cards.

I hope this article has opened the curtain a little for you on the mystery of motherboard chipsets and now you can more correctly choose these components for your computer! Well, to consolidate your knowledge, watch the video tutorial posted at the beginning of the article.

AMD surprised us with a new platform for high-performance Ryzen Threadripper Rome processors.

Processors, and by design multi-chip modules, Rome will receive up to 64 computing cores and a monolithic 8-channel DDR4 memory interface, as well as 128 PCIe gen 4.0 lanes.

For this platform, AMD can reconfigure the I/O controller core into two subplatforms. One of them is aimed at gamers and enthusiasts, and the second will become a competitor to the Xeon W.

For gamers, the platform will have 4 DDR4 channels and 64 PCI-Express gen 4.0 lanes from the processor, and a number of additional lines from the chipset. The workstation variant will have a wider memory bus, more PCIe lanes, and backwards compatibility with AMD X399 (at the cost of a narrower memory bus and PCIe).

To provide this diversity, AMD plans to release three new chipsets at once: TRX40, TRX80 and WRX80.

The first variant, TRX40, could get a lighter I/O set (similar to the X570), and possibly 4-channel memory on the motherboard. At the same time, the TRX80 and WRX80 will use the full I/O capabilities provided by the processor, with 8 memory channels and 64 PCIe lanes. While the differences between these chipsets are unclear, we are confident that WRX80-based motherboards will be similar to true workstation boards such as SSI and will be made by industrial board manufacturers such as TYAN.

Currently, it is known that Asus is preparing two platforms based on the TRX40 chipset, which are known as Prime TRX40-Pro and ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming.

ASUS Brings PCIe 4.0 to X470 Based Boards

July 16

AMD previously stated that users can safely purchase motherboards based on X470 chipsets for Ryzen 3000 processors. The only loss will be the lack of support for the PCIe 4.0 bus, without loss of performance. But it turned out that even a tire can be saved.

Asus has presented a compatibility table for motherboards based on the X470 and B450 chipsets, which managed to partially retain PCIe 4.0 support. Most boards provide this bus for drives in the M.2 slot, which is not surprising since this slot is usually connected directly to the processor. On some models, PCIe 4.0 is provided on full-length PCIe 16x graphics card slots.

Naturally, support for version 4 of the PCIe bus is only possible when installing a Ryzen 3000 series processor and flashing the appropriate BIOS. Good news for anyone who is planning an upgrade or wants to save money on a motherboard.

Even the simplest motherboards based on X570 chipsets will cost more than 200 euros

21st of June

MSI executive director Charles China said that the upcoming motherboards based on the X570 chipsets will not be cheap.

MSI motherboards based on the X570 chipset will not be more affordable than motherboards based on the Z390, since their cost is quite high. Mr. China noted that PCIE 4.0 consumes more power, and the design of motherboards has become more complex. And this is one of the many factors of growing costs.

He said that AMD has changed a lot over the past two years. And while it continues to produce reasonably priced products, it wants to be more present in the expensive high-end segment. That's why it asks manufacturers to create expensive boards with high specifications.

China noted that boards based on X470 chipsets remain on the market, and therefore can become an inexpensive alternative to new developments.

It is noteworthy that one Austrian online store has already published preliminary prices for MSI motherboards based on the X570 chipset. And they don't cost less than 200 euros.

Ryzen 3000 performance will be the same across all generations of motherboards

the 9th of June

AMD has officially introduced new Zen 2 processors manufactured using 7 nm technology. These processors promise significant performance gains, lower temperatures, higher frequencies and more cores.

Ryzen 3000 processors are officially supported by the older X470 and B450 chipsets, as well as the X370 and B350 after a BIOS update. However, it was unclear whether the new processors would be able to show all their power on old motherboards.

Donny Woligroski, a member of AMD's enthusiast desktop team, confirmed that users won't lose any performance by using older motherboards with the new processors. “Just because the X570 exists, and just because the X570 is the most advanced chipset available in 2019, doesn't mean the B450 or X470 are no longer relevant. It makes a lot of sense to use smaller platforms like the X470 and B450, which will offer the same performance with third-generation Ryzen processors as the X570.".

In other words, you can expect excellent performance from new processors in older motherboards. But new functionality, such as PCIe 4.0, can only be found on boards with the X570 chipset.

ASMedia will make mainstream PCI 4.0 chipsets for AMD

11 February

DigiTimes reported rumors that ASMedia and AMD will continue their partnership, even after AMD itself released the X570 series chipsets.

Industry sources report that ASMedia will develop mainstream chipsets with support for PCI Express 4.0, but their production will not begin until the end of this year.

As you know, AMD is preparing the 3rd generation of Ryzen desktop processors by mid-2019. These chips will be manufactured at 7 nm standards at TSMC factories and will be the first in the world to support the PCIe Gen 4 bus at 16 GT/s. However, mainstream platforms will receive corresponding chipsets in the future.

Despite the rumors, ASMedia confirmed that cooperation with AMD continues, and that the company has received all orders for the production of mainstream class chipsets.

AMD is preparing to announce the 3rd generation Ryzen at Computex

December 5, 2018

Intel is almost in a panic to create new Comet Lake processors with 10 cores, and a leaked slide gave some explanation as to why.

According to a slide shown at Gigabyte's private event, the third generation of Ryzen desktop processors could be released as early as Computex 2019, which will take place in June. The platform will receive the first consumer processors of the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Matisse, as well as the AMD X570 chipset.

It is expected that the third generation X570 chipsets will become the world's first platform to implement the PCI-Express gen 4.0 bus. It is also expected that AMD will provide backward compatibility with older processors for the 300 and 400 series chipsets through separate PCI -Express implementations on the motherboard.

This may lead to a slight increase in the price of 500-series motherboards, but there will still be savings if you don't need PCI-e 4.0.

AMD X499 Chipset Debuts at CES 2019

September 19, 2018

AMD still plans to launch the new chipset at CES 2019.

Initially, it was expected that this chipset should be released along with the second generation of Ryzen Threadripper processors, but AMD decided to postpone it. Now there are rumors that the X499 is returning to AMD's roadmap, and is currently scheduled to debut at CES 2019.

Exactly what changes await us in the X499 chipset is not yet known for certain, but big changes are reported in two areas: firstly, the PCI-Express downstream speed should be updated to the PCI-Express gen 3.0 standard; and secondly, the new chipset should provide support for 8 memory channels. And this despite the fact that Threadripper WX supports 4 memory channels. All this will make Threadripper processors more competitive against Intel's 28-core HEDTs, which have 6 DRAM channels.

AMD 400 chipset series available from PCI-SIG integrator

December 28, 2017

AMD has announced a transition from 14 nm LPP to 12 nm LP processor production process in the near future. And now there are signs that new chipsets will be released along with the new CPUs.

The company has a new series of AMD 400 chipsets, which appeared on the PCI-SIG website. PCI-SIG is a PCIe interface compatibility testing program. The listing says the series ID is "Promontory 400". The current generation of chipsets, the 300s, was also released under the Promontory brand. In addition to the integrator's list, data has appeared about the root complex of 400 series chipsets, which includes a PCIe 3.0 interface.

Thus, the 400th series of chipsets will receive a modification for the PCIe 3.0 bus and will not contain PCIe 4.0. This is also due to the company’s promise to support socket 1331 for the AM4 platform until 2020, which means the transition to DDR5 memory and the PCIe 4.0 bus will require a change in pinout.

AMD traditionally orders its chipsets from ASMedia. This has been happening since 2014, and in the 300 series the developers were able to significantly reduce power consumption. Probably, in the 400th series we will see new optimizations in our work.

Features of the Zen chipset may increase the cost of motherboards

June 23, 2016

Chipsets for Zen microarchitecture processors, which AMD ordered the development of from Taiwanese company ASMedia Technology, may have some design problems, due to which the cost of producing motherboards could increase by 2-5 US dollars.

Despite the successful design and development process of Zen CPUs, chipsets for them developed by ASMedia have problems with USB 3.1. DigiTimes reports this, citing motherboard manufacturers.

Due to the limitations of the chipset, the speed of USB 3.1 drops catastrophically as the route length increases, which leads to the need to use additional repeater chips on motherboards or even use a separate USB 3.1 controller. Naturally, this will lead to additional costs when producing motherboards.

Against the backdrop of weak demand for PCs, increasing costs will negatively affect the popularity of Zen processors. To partially solve this problem, AMD decided to purchase repeater chips from third-party manufacturers, and will supply them to motherboard manufacturers along with chipsets. True, there are no details about this strategic step by AMD yet.

When asked to comment on the current situation, AMD expressed satisfaction with the work done to prepare Zen and did not comment on specific decisions of board manufacturers. At the same time, ASMedia assured that all this is market rumors, and its product has passed all types of certification for signals, stability and compatibility.

The design of the Zen chipset has already been completed and will begin shipping at the end of the third quarter. Mass production of the chip will begin in the fourth quarter.

AMD and ASMedia entered into an agreement on chipsets

December 1, 2014

ASMedia announced the signing of an agreement with AMD, but refused to disclose any details about this deal, only clarifying that the companies are now working on a next-generation chipset project.

The DigiTimes website notes that AMD previously ordered some developments from ASMedia in an effort to save money. Now, ASMedia will probably develop an entire chipset for AMD.

In May, DigiTimes reported that AMD plans to partner with ASMedia, either by obtaining SATA Express intellectual property from the Taiwanese chipmaker or by purchasing licenses from ASMedia.

Be that as it may, the partnership ended successfully for both companies, resulting in the development of a new chipset. Given that much of the chipset's functionality on PCs is integrated into the processor, the agreement could help AMD conserve cash and allow the company to focus on developing APUs and semi-custom products.

AMD is preparing a new A68 chipset for September

August 21, 2014

AMD plans to release a new A68 chipset in September, making this decision based on the accelerated consumption of CPU stocks.

Meanwhile, motherboard makers, who still have large inventories of AMD chipsets, oppose the plans and are not eager to support the company's new chipsets, DigiTimes reports, citing component suppliers.

After the release of Intel Haswell Refresh processors, demand for AMD processors fell sharply, which forced AMD to take several measures to maintain its market.

AMD's entry-level A58 chipsets, which do not support USB 3.0, are aimed at the Chinese market, but demand for them has been very weak. The A68 chipset was not on the company's original roadmap, but they will now be released and will be priced just $2 higher than the A58.

Most motherboard manufacturers still have large inventories of A58 and A78 chips, so AMD's decision to release an intermediate version, the A68, will certainly have an impact on future product plans.

AMD itself refused to comment on the unannounced product.

AMD will not release a new chipset this year

July 28, 2012

After the transition to the new Volan platform, many expected to see new chipsets, but this will not happen.

The Volan platform with new processors codenamed Vishera is fully compatible with the current AMD 990FX, AMD 990X and AMD 970 northbridges.

Most motherboards currently being produced have the SB950 south bridge, which will remain on boards at least until mid-2013. And while this chipset doesn't have native USB 3.0 support, it does have as many as 14 USB 2.0 ports and even two USB 1.1 ports. In addition, it supports PCIe x4 Gen 2, 6 SATA 6GB/s ports, Raid 0/1/5 and 10 and comes in a 605-pin FCGBGA package. It is also fully pin-compatible with the SB850, making it extremely convenient for motherboard manufacturers.

According to current plans, only one southbridge will be supported in the Volan platform until new processor architectures are introduced. It seems that in a couple of years AMD will fall even further behind Intel, but we will believe that during this time the company will gain strength and be able to compete with its competitor on equal terms, as in the old days.

But even so, AMD has a chance only in some market segments, since it is simply impossible to become the new leader among high-performance CPUs. On the other hand, the company has always had its fans thanks to its favorable pricing policy.

Information about AMD 1090FX and 1070 chipsets has appeared

November 9, 2011

AMD has a well-established development mechanism, thanks to which by the end of each year the company releases a new processor architecture, as well as a new chipset for it, and at the beginning of the next year it updates the chipset. Thus, the company introduced the AM3+ socket along with the 9th series of chipsets, which means that at the beginning of next year, new desktop chipsets designed for second-generation processors of the Bulldozer architecture, known as Piledriver, should appear.

In 2012, the AMD chipset family will expand with the 10th series. At the top will be the AMD 1090FX northbridge, and the lower-end version will be called the 1070. The AMD 1090FX has a design that provides two PCI-Express x16 lanes, which can ultimately be used to run four video cards. The low-end chipset, 1070, has only one PCI-Express x16 lane and, accordingly, can support two video cards. The most curious thing about the 10 series of chipsets is that they do not support PCI Express Gen 3.0. This course of events is quite strange, because AMD has always been at the forefront of modern technologies; just remember that the AMD 790FX was the first chipset to support PCI-Express 2.0. The lack of support for PCI -E third generation looks doubly strange, because, according to rumors, Radeon HD 7000 video cards will support the third version of this bus.

On the “south” side, the tenth series of AMD system logic will be represented by the SB1050 south bridge. The new southbridge will support 8 SATA 6 Gb/s RAID ports. The SB1050 chip will also include a USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ​​controller.

The new chipsets should quickly push existing 9-series chips out of stock, as they are fully compatible with existing processors. Perhaps, after the start of Piledriver sales, there will be some comments from AMD about why their new logic does not support PCI -E 3.0.

AMD is going to control 100% of the chipsets for its processors

December 7, 2009

The head of the product group at Advanced Micro Devices Corporation, Rick Bergman, confirmed that his company’s goal now is complete control of the system logic market for AMD processors.

In principle, it has long been known that NVIDIA is not going to release new chipsets that compete with AMD solutions, allegedly due to the latter’s small processor market. But now words have come out of the mouth of one of AMD's leading executives that may explain this strange behavior of NVIDIA.

For many years, AMD has said that the advantage of its processors over Intel solutions is the wide support for chipsets from third-party companies like NVIDIA, Silicon Integrated Systems, VIA, etc. However, after the takeover of ATI, it became clear that AMD was going to increase its profits at the expense of the system logic market.

SiS and Via Technologies have not presented their chipsets to AMD for several years, but NVIDIA, according to AMD, still controls up to 43% of the market for such solutions. Mr. Bergman said that the ultimate goal is 100% of the chipset market for its own processors. This sounds like a death knell for NVIDIA, given that NVIDIA's integrated graphics aren't much better, and AMD has all the market leverage at its disposal to force manufacturers to use their processors in conjunction with their own chipsets.

AMD's strategy is logical, as is Intel's similar strategy. Both companies are trying their best to oust NVIDIA from the chipset market. Unfortunately, they have so far managed to do this successfully.

Used for socket 1151. But the computer does not live by Intel alone. There is also their competitor, AMD, which produces its own chipsets for its processors. So we’ll talk about them, especially since the number of sockets is quite large, as well as sets of system logic. Therefore, let’s dive into the characteristics, differences, capabilities, and determine the degree of relevance at the moment (September 2017) of such a mandatory (for now?) part of any motherboard as the AMD chipset.

What is a chipset

I briefly discussed this issue when I talked about Intel chipsets. Once consisting of two chips (north and south bridges), now it is just one chip that manages the operation of drives, the distribution of PCI lines, connecting peripheral devices, ensuring the operation of RAID arrays, etc.

The memory controller is located directly in the processor, and the CPU takes over “communication” with the video card. Previously, all these functions were performed by the north bridge. Nowadays it is most often abandoned, although there are still series of chipsets that use both of these chips.

PCI-Express lines

To operate devices, primarily those with special performance requirements (video cards, SSD drives on the PCIe bus), it is necessary to provide them with an appropriate interface, the bandwidth of which is sufficient for full operation. The fastest bus at the moment is PCI-Express version 3.0.

Intel uses version 3 in its current chipsets. AMD does things a little differently, still using PCI-Express 2.0. We'll see why later. The architecture of AMD chipsets depends on the socket and generation, and let's look at it as we get to know the chipsets themselves.

FM2 socket

The socket is already outdated, consigned to history, however, processors and motherboards on it can still be found on sale, so let’s not deprive it of attention and start with it.

System logic consists of three models that differ in capabilities. First of all, let's pay attention to the bus connecting the chipset and the processor. AMD uses the UMI bus. For the chipsets under consideration, its throughput is 4 GB/s, or 2 GB/s in each direction.

The main characteristics of the chipsets are in the table.

Chipset	A55	A75	A85X
System bus bandwidth, GB/s	4 (2 each way)
PCI-Express version	2.0
	4
PCI Express Configurations	x1
Memory type	DDR3
Max. number of DIMMs	4
Max. USB quantity	14
Max. number of USB 3.0	-	4
Max. number of USB 2.0	14	10
Max. quantity SATA 3.0	6 (SATA 2.0 only)	6	8
RAID Configuration	0, 1, 10		0, 1, 5, 10
	1x16		1x16 / 2x8
Overclocking support	-	+	+

It should be said separately about the A55. In modern times, this is a completely uninteresting option. While you can still put up with budget computers with PCI-Express version 2.0 and DDR3 memory, the lack of support for USB 3.0 and the lack of an integrated network interface look already pathetic.

It should also be especially noted that it only supports SATA version 2.0. When installing conventional hard drives, this is still tolerable and most likely will not be noticeable, but the rationality of using SSD drives is greatly reduced.

The remaining options are more suitable for use, although you can’t hope for high performance. Frankly speaking, this series of system logic is already a passed stage. Even the presence of RAID support doesn't help much.

FM2+ socket

An updated socket, the chipsets of which have received some improvements. In particular, support for the PCI-Express processor bus version 3.0 has appeared, although the chipset itself still only supports version 2.0. At the same time, the positioning of the youngest version as an ultra-low-cost version of system logic with a lot of restrictions has been preserved.

The UMI bus has been updated and now has the ability to operate on 4 lines. Its throughput has also increased. Otherwise, everything is similar to the chipsets used with FM2.

Chipset	A58	A68	A78	A88X
	5
PCI-Express version	2.0
Max. number of PCI Express lanes	4
PCI Express Configurations	x1
Memory type	DDR3
Max. number of DIMMs	4
Max. USB quantity	14	12	14
Max. number of USB 3.0	-	2
Max. number of USB 2.0	14	10
Max. quantity SATA 3.0	6 (SATA 2.0 only)	4	6	8
RAID Configuration	0, 1, 10			0, 1, 5, 10
Possible configurations of PCI Express processor lines	1x16			1x16 / 2x8
Overclocking support	-	+	+	+

The A58 was quickly replaced by the A68 and was no longer used. Indeed, his capabilities looked completely dull. In general, both of these platforms are no longer suitable for assembling a modern computer, and there is no potential for an upgrade.

Socket AM3+

The socket is far from new, but it turned out to be very durable. There are still processors and motherboards on sale, and this platform has not yet lost its relevance and is quite suitable for assembling, say, an inexpensive entry-level gaming computer.

This set of system logic allows us to feel a little nostalgic, because we see a once classic set of two chips - the north and south bridge.

Chipset	970+SB950	990X+SB950	990FX+SB950
PCI-Express version	2.0
Max. number of PCI Express lanes	26		42
CrossFire Configurations	x16+x4	x8 + x8	x16 + x16, x8 + x8 + x8 + x8
SLI Configurations	-	x8 + x8	x16 + x16, x16 + x8 + x8, x8 + x8 + x8 + x8
Memory type	DDR3
Max. number of DIMMs	4
Max. USB quantity	14
Max. number of USB 3.0	-
Max. number of USB 2.0	14
Max. quantity SATA 3.0	6
RAID Configuration	0, 1, 5, 10

The younger model supports only one video card, but you can find motherboards that support CrossFire. The lack of USB 3.0 is, of course, disappointing, but it is compensated for by external controllers. But the top-end 990FX can pamper you with the combination of 4 video cards. RAID array is available for all chipset variants for this platform.

Socket AM4

This socket supports Athlon X4, 7th generation A-series and AMD Ryzen processors. Possible PCI-Express bus configurations for video cards and storage devices depend on the processor used. In general, in this case there are certain differences from those to which everyone is accustomed in terms of the distribution of powers between the processor and the chipset.

Thus, the chipsets still use the PCI-Express bus version 2.0, although 4 PCI-Express 3.0 lanes are provided for communication with the processor. In this case, the video card and NVMe drive can be connected to the PCI-Express lines provided by the processor. True, this is only true in the case of Ryzen CPUs. A-series processors only have 8 PCIe lanes.

Chipset	A300	X300		A320		B350	X370
System bus throughput, GT/s	8
PCI-Express version	2.0
Max. number of PCI Express lanes	-		-	4	6		8
Memory type	DDR4
Max. number of DIMMs	4
Max. number of USB 3.0	-	-		2		2	6
Max. number of USB 2.0	-	-		6
Max. quantity SATA 3.0	-	-		6			8
RAID Configuration	0, 1			0, 1, 10
Overclocking support	-	+		-		+

The A300 and X300 chipsets are designed for building compact systems with minimal expandability. The ability to overclock the X300 looks a little strange, since compactness is little associated with this procedure.

In the case of a logic set for socket AM4, there is no need to talk about managing PCI-Express lines for video cards. The processor itself does this. Again, this is true for Ryzen. It also has a built-in controller for connecting SSD drives, for which additional 4 PCI-Express 3.0 lanes are allocated. As an option, the drive configuration can be as follows: 2 SATA and an SSD drive on a PCIe bus with two lines. However, this all applies to the processor.

The chipset features built-in support for USB 3.1, although in comparison with competitor chipsets, the number of ports is significantly less.

TR4 socket

This is the latest platform for the recently released Ryzen Threadripper processors. To be honest, there seems to be nothing to talk about here. Judge for yourself, firstly, at the moment there is only one chipset - X399. Secondly, the main devices (video cards, NVMe drives, some USB ports, RAM) are connected directly to the processor without any intermediaries.

Thirdly, if you pay attention to its block diagram, it turns out that this set of system logic is something too similar to the just reviewed X370 for the AM4 platform. The same PCI-Express 3.0 bus with 4 lanes for communication with the processor, the same 8 PCI-Express 2.0 lanes for peripherals, the same configuration of SATA drives and USB ports. Well, if there is no choice, then what is there to discuss?

Conclusion. Is the AMD chipset an endangered species?

If you look at the latest processors released by AMD, you will notice that they have begun to take on a lot. Once upon a time, the north bridge, being an integral part of the system logic set, was absorbed by the processor; now more and more chipset functions that we are all accustomed to seeing implemented in the south bridge turn out to be an integral part of the CPU.

Ryzen, no matter what family it belongs to, in addition to the video card and RAM, manages storage devices and even such little things as USB ports. And the more powerful the processor, the more such capabilities there are, and the more prosaic the chipset itself looks. A sort of poor relative compared to the richly “packaged” CPU.

Therefore, it seems quite logical, for example, that chipsets are still content with version 2 of PCI-Express. This is more than enough for SATA drives, and it doesn’t matter whether they are ordinary hard drives or the now fashionable solid state drives.

It seems that AMD is actively migrating to SoC (System-on-a-Chip - single-chip system). I don’t know if this is true, but the Ryzen generation in some cases can already do without a retinue in the form of a chipset, since it already has a minimum set of everything necessary.

Maybe soon the concept of “chipset” will also become an anachronism?