The Ultimate AMD AM5 Motherboard Guide

AMD AM5

There will be three parts of the AM5 platform, starting with the B650, X670 and X670 Extreme. While all of these will be supporting the latest CPUs, they have various I/O configurations that will be reflected in their respective prices. B650 will be the most affordable, X670 on the mid-to-high end and X670 Extreme as the top-end models. That’s not to say there may not be some feature-packed B650 that cost more than stripped-down X670, but you get a general idea. However, we do know that the platform will have up to 28 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

Increased Power

So, what’s new with AM5? Well, more is more, as the AM5 socket can now deliver native support for up to 170W of power, and while not all CPUs will use all of that, it does give them more to play with for boost clocks, and higher-end models, which is great.

Will AM4 CPUs Fit in AM5 Sockets?

Furthermore, this socket is a completely new design, which means older AM4 processors will not be compatible. That may be obvious to most of you, but it’s still worth pointing out. AM5 will only support the next generation of AMD processors.

New Socket, New CPUs, Old Coolers

However, despite the socket change, AMD has taken steps to ensure that existing AAM4 cooling solutions will still be broadly compatible with the new processors. That means that while you may need a new motherboard, the same brackets, coolers, fans, AIOs and water cooling blocks you already own should be plug and play.

New Socket Design

The AM5 platform will transition away from the old PGA (Pin Grid Array) system we saw on previous AM4 compatible hardware. It will now use the brand new LGA 1718 socket. The LGA (Land Grid Array) is actually the same sort of system that Intel uses. This is a big improvement for AMD as you no longer have to worry about pins. There’s a lid that holds the CPU down firmly with a single lever arm. If you’ve ever removed a CPU cooler and found that your AM4 CPU was pulled out of the socket, fear not, that’s no longer going to be an issue for AM5!

Wi-Fi 6E

The wired performance will no doubt be a strong focus for most motherboards using AM5. Certainly, we’re seeing more 2.5G ports and fewer 1G LAN ports these days, and even 10G is more standard on the extreme motherboards. However, wireless technology continues to improve greatly each year. With Wi-Fi 6E support on AM5, leveraging the ultra-fast speeds and low latency this technology offers will be important for many of the new motherboards. Gigabit wireless connectivity is going to be a huge advantage for those using VR, game streaming, fibre broadband and many other technologies around the home or in the office and it’s going to be commonplace throughout the AM5 motherboard ranges.